How to Keep Mice Out of Your House

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How to Get Rid of Raccoons: Call a Pro

Capturing and removing raccoons from your chimney (one of their favorite places to live) is probably best left to a pest control professional. Raccoons are very strong, smart, difficult to trap and when cornered, dangerous. They can easily kill a small dog, so don’t mess with them.

If you do trap a raccoon, call your local animal control office to ask about pick up. Local ordinances may require releasing the raccoon and any of its young right where you captured it, so check with local animal control authorities before taking it out to the countryside.

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How to Get Rid of Rats: You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Trap

When rats show up, it’s bad news, since they can carry fleas and disease, so you’ll want to take action right away to get rid of them.  Trap rats with a snap trap for rats (like a mousetrap, but much bigger) or try out these best ways to get rid of rats. Watch that snap. It could break your finger!

Dispose of dead rats carefully. Wear plastic gloves, watch out for escaping fleas, and put the body in the garbage inside two zipper-top plastic bags.

If you don’t want to kill one or more rats, try a live rodent trap.

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How to Get Rid of Bats: No-Kill Methods

If a bat gets into your house, don’t panic. Remember that bats are our friends in spite of all their bad press. A small brown bat can eat 1,000 insects a night. They’re usually easy to get rid of, since they want out even more than you want them out.

To get them out, start by turning off the lights and opening the doors and windows. Once the bat’s panic subsides, it will follow the fresh air current out of your home.

If you have repeated bat visits, it’s time to call a pest control specialist to caulk and seal all openings, then install a couple of one-way doors that will let bats out, but not back in.

Pest control specialists will handle any furry beasts that you don’t want to trap, capture or dispose of. Some specialize in evicting certain types of critters; others offer general pest control.  Prices can vary considerably for the same type of job, so be sure to shop around.

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