WASHINGTON – As the temperatures turn colder, homeowners are
preparing to weather the cold winter months. The HSUS is
offering a series of ten tips for winterizing homes to prevent
conflicts with wildlife:
1. Inspect! Inventory holes or cracks larger than ¼ inch
around that could allow animals to enter.
2. Check for loose siding or holes at the roofline. Hire
someone if you are unsure about inspecting it yourself.
3. Inside, use a bright light to inspect areas you don’t use
often: attic, basement, crawlways and closets. Then shut off
the lights and look for places where you can see daylight.
4. Look behind appliances and anywhere pipes enter the
building for potential entry points.
5. To make sure no animals are inside before you seal
entries, plug holes loosely with insulation, paper or cloth and
wait a few days.
6. If the plug has been disturbed, contact a wildlife
rehabilitator or visit www.wildneighbors.org for humane methods
to encourage animals to leave.
7. If there’s no sign of wildlife, caulk small holes, staple
hardware cloth over larger ones, or make a permanent repair.
Fill holes around pipes with copper wire mesh and use expanding
foam on cracks and along leaky windows and doors.
8. Inspect your chimney to ensure it’s not home to birds or
other animals – then install a cap.
9. Secure trash containers with bungee cords, ropes, or
weights. Cover or secure compost piles.
10. Trim branches away from your house to limit access for
climbing wildlife and clean up any debris around your home’s
foundation.
