Fort Knox or Mayberry City Jail?

Just outside of Elizabethtown Kentucky lies the US Army installation, Fort Knox, and just outside of that Army installation lies the United States Bullion Depository. Many people don't realize that TECHNICALLY the nation’s largest gold reserves are NOT actually held within Fort Knox. 

Major motion picture movies, best selling books, and even Bugs Bunny cartoons have made light of “breaking into” Fort Knox and stealing all of the gold. Heck, even I tell my client’s we can “make their home like Fort Knox” and be virtually impenetrable to nuisance wildlife. However, if you ask some of the guys I was in the army with, the ACTUAL Fort Knox is pretty easy to get in and out of. Especially if you are a motivated buck private who got denied an off base pass to join your buddies for a weekend of mischief. But that is a story for another time.

So what exactly does it mean for me to “Knox” a home. Well, it means that I throw every trick, tool, and technique I have accumulated over the last 15 years into making your house more secure. Starting from the ground up, let’s talk about what I recommend to prevent nuisance wildlife from entering your home and why my methods work in the long run.

Door Sweeps

I will say it till I am blue in the face, the number one entry point for mice in your home is the same doors you go through. Garage doors, pedestrian doors, doggy doors, all of them have seals that weaken, tear, or warp. Make sure they are in good repair, or replace them if they are not.

Utility Entrances

Cable, Electrical, Plumbing, Gas, and any other utility feeding into your home comes through a wall somewhere in your home. Make sure it is properly sealed after the installation is made. It only takes a ¼” for bats and mice to gain access through these spots. Arm yourself with some exterior rated silicone and some steel fiber cloth and seal those spots.

Exhaust Vents (dryer/bathroom vent, etc.)

Most builder spec exhasust vents are made of cheap plastic polymers that last less than 10 years in normal UV/rain/ heat/cold conditions. When the louvers or flaps in those fail, they become easy access points for large rodents such as rats and squirrels, or cavity nesting birds, bats, and flying squirrels. Making sure you have proper working exhaust vent ports will ensure the nuisance wildlife does not enter your home.

Window Screens

Simple and easy. If your screens are damaged, fix them, if you can not fix them, don't open the window. Birds, bats, rodents, bugs… they can and will come in. Fix the screens or keep the windows shut.

Soffits

Your soffits might look fine, but if they are slightly bent, or can be easily shifted, the prying fingers of squirrels or raccoons can easily take advantage, and end up gaining access to the interior of your structure. Spending the time to thoroughly inspect your soffits and make any necessary repairs, though it may take an afternoon of your time, will save you from having to spend thousands on raccoon trapping, repairs, and clean up.

Trees/Bushes/Vines

Six feet or more, that is the optimal distance from your roofline that any branch on a tree or ornamental, or a vine should ever be allowed to grow to. Once it gets closer than six feet, the ability of a grey squirrel to leap on and off the branch or vine to your roof increases in probability with every inch. I have seen squirrels make moves that Cirque Du Soleil actors would be jealous of. Trim back the branches and keep the wildlife gold medal gymnasts off your roof

Gable Vents

Oftentimes when these vents are installed, they are “backed” with a fiberglass screening similar to what is in your windows. That screening is designed to keep insects from entering your attic through your gables, but the pointed beaks of a bird, razor teeth of a squirrel, or sharp claws of a raccoon can break through that fiberglass like a six year old through wrapping paper christmas morning. Get up in your attic and replace that backer with a ¼” galvanized hardware screen. Your pocket book will thank you when you don't have to pay me to remove three different species from your attic space that are cohabitating.

Roof Joints

Anywhere your roof meets a different portion of your roof is the possibility for water damage. Water damage weakens the sheeting, siding, soffits, facia, and shingles. Weak parts of your roof become prime spots for wildlife to take advantage of and gain access. Make sure that any damage or issues on your roof, especially in locations where roofs join, gets immediately repaired. 

Rooftop Exhaust Pipes/Vents

Box vents and ridge vents are great at allowing air to circulate in your attic, but are prime locations for wildlife like bats to gain access to your attic space. Do me a favor, go on youtube and search “bat ridge vent” or “bat attic vent” and watch those videos. Manufacturers of these vent materials are not thinking about wildlife when they make them. Installing aftermarket guards over those vents will prevent wildlife access to your home. Again, pay for prevention now and save yourself thousands in repairs, clean up, and removal later, which will also likely include the installation of these guards at that point too.

Chimney Caps

Chimney caps come loose, get damaged in high winds, and sometimes even just “disappear”. Leaving the chimney wide open leaves it vulnerable to birds, bats, squirrels, raccoon, and other nuisance wildlife species. Periodically looking up to ensure your chimney cap is in good working order is imperative in keeping your home secure from the damage and dangers of nuisance wildlife.

Bonus Spots

BBQ Grills

If I was a betting man, I would put $5 on the fact that if you own your home and have a BBQ Grill, it is within five feet of an entrance on your deck or patio. Move it now. Don’t even wait till you finish this article. Inside the grill box of your pride and joy is an accumulation of burnt bits and grease. To you and I, it doesn't seem that appetizing. But to a mouse in the middle of December/January, the high protein and high fat content of that build up and residue is EXACTLY what that mouse needs to make it through the winter. Your grill is going to attract wildlife, there is no way around it. The safest bet is to keep it as far away from doors  possible when it is not in use. 

Bird/Pet Feeders

I won't beat a dead horse, but I will just say, 85% of all squirrel and rodent issues we deal with for our clients have some aspect due to bird feeders being too close to the structure. If you are insisting on having them on your property, do yourself a favor and put them 25-30 feet away from the structure and invest in a cheap pair of binoculars. The same goes for feeding outside “pets” or community cats. Don't leave food out overnight and make sure to feed them AWAY from the home.

If you follow this advice, and take immediate steps to make these changes, you will NEVER need to call us. But if you put it off, or say you will “get around to it” then instead of Fort Knox for a home you have Mayberry City Jail. And just like Otis, the wildlife will just let themselves in whenever they want to spend the night… or longer.

Till next time… see ya folks.