Rodents In Your Crawl Space
It happens nearly every week here in Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. A customer calls my pest control company and proceeds to tell me that they were awoken by an animal moving around in their crawl space. It happened today when “Tim” called and said that it sounded like a large animal was scratching the floor underneath his bedroom. It is kind of creepy to think that your home is also housing a wild animal. But, that is what happens when it gets cold out, animals are looking to get in.
In Tim’s case, it was a raccoon that found its way inside via a broken screen vent. Take a moment to consider how inviting an environment like your crawl space is. It is safe, secluded, and warm, and just about any animal would love to crash there for the winter. The problem is the enormous amount of damage that a raccoon, opossum, or even a cat can do under your house.
When should I be concerned about having an animal under my house?
Listen. If you are hearing scratching noises or scurrying around late at night or early in the morning, you probably have a problem. Another sign of a problem is when your heating system is not functioning correctly. Raccoons are smart and will sometime pull down an air duct and effectively heat the crawl space even more. Lastly, if you have a dog that is barking down an air duct, they are probably picking up a scent that should be checked out.
It would probably be a good idea to do a quick walk around your house, enjoy this beautiful fall weather and make sure that all your vent screens are intact. If you don’t have any access points, you can probably rule out anything larger like a raccoon. However, you still might have an issue with rodents. Rodents can fit into extremely small spaces and reproduce very quickly.
If you are living in the Portland Metro area and are experiencing some disturbing signs that point to something living under your house, we recommend giving us a call. We can easily take care of whatever problem you might be facing and help you avoid major damage that can result in needing to have a crawl space restoration done. Call us today for a free inspection and consultation.