Mosquitoes can ruin your time outside with their constant buzzing and itchy bites. Beyond the discomfort, mosquitoes carry and spread diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and Zika virus. Knowing how to keep mosquitoes away from your yard lets you enjoy the outdoors and helps protect everyone around you.
Here's what you need to know about what attracts mosquitoes to your yard, when they're most active, and how to eliminate them effectively.
What Attracts Mosquitoes to Your Yard?
Mosquitoes don't fly far from their breeding grounds. If you can understand what draws them to your yard, you may be able to control or eliminate them effectively. Here are a few things that could be making your yard a good place for mosquitoes to breed:
Standing water: Standing water attracts mosquitoes because it's where adult females lay their eggs. Some obvious locations include puddles and birdbaths. However, these insects can happily lay their eggs anywhere as long as it's wet, even on small...
Discovering small, unfamiliar droppings in your attic, basement, or kitchen can be alarming and is often the first sign that a wild intruder has moved into your home.
The problem goes beyond the mess. Animal waste can spread serious diseases, trigger foul odors, and damage insulation or building materials.
The challenge for most homeowners is knowing exactly what they're dealing with. Is it a mouse, a squirrel, a raccoon, or something else entirely?
Each animal leaves behind distinct evidence that can help us pinpoint what it is. In this guide, you'll learn how to identify which animal is in your home based on its droppings. We break it down by size, shape, color, and location. We also uncover why it matters and what to do next.
Your Guide to Identifying Animal Droppings
Animal droppings are a clear sign of wildlife intrusion. Each species leaves behind unique markers. By studying the size, shape, texture, and location of the droppings, you can better determine which animal it...
When you notice birds nesting in your attic, chimney, or around your property, it can feel overwhelming. The instinct might be to try and remove them yourself. But in Texas, bird control is far more complicated than it seems. Many of the species people refer to as "nuisance birds" are actually protected under federal law. Removing them without the right knowledge and permits can result in legal trouble.
Here's what you need to know about getting rid of birds on your property, why professional help is critical, and what you can do to prevent birds from nesting on your property in the first place.
Why Professional Bird Removal Is Necessary
Simply put, removing birds is a complex job. It requires knowledge of the law, safe handling practices, and long-term prevention strategies.
At first glance, birds may not seem like much of a threat. But once they decide to nest in your home or business, they can bring noise, droppings, and significant disease risks. Bird...
Relocating a wild animal from your Texas property may seem like a good idea, but this is often far from the case. While it's a temporary fix that removes a raccoon or squirrel from your premises, it's detrimental to animals and risky for homeowners, and doesn't address the underlying cause of the wildlife issue. Professional removal and exclusion services keep new pests from moving in and provide a long-term solution
Continue reading to learn why you should avoid relocating wild animals and why it's important to call a trusted Texas wildlife removal company to handle the situation safely.
Understanding Wildlife Relocation vs. Translocation
Relocation means moving a wild animal within its familiar territory, such as catching a squirrel from the attic and releasing it into your backyard. Meanwhile, translocation involves transporting an animal far from its home range, often a long distance away to unfamiliar territory. Technically, if you capture a squirrel in your house and drive a few miles to release it...
Texas weather is known for its extremes, ranging from scorching summers and mild winters to droughts and rainstorms — all within the same year. As the weather shifts, so does wildlife behavior around your home or commercial property. From squirrels seeking shelter in attics to bats roosting in walls, wildlife is constantly adapting to the seasons.
Understanding the seasonal patterns of wild animals will help you prevent costly property damage and health hazards. It also reminds us to seal any entry points that wildlife can break into. Read on to learn how Texas weather affects animal behavior so you can better prepare your property.
1. Spring Awakening
Spring in Texas transitions from mildly cold to warm temperatures and increased rainfall. While patterns can change from one species to the next, warmer temperatures generally affect wildlife activity by influencing animals to actively search for food and chances to breed. Here's how spring impacts these animals' actions:
Rodents: The seasonal behavior of rodents changes as the weather...
Raccoons are high on the list of things that go bump in the night for property owners. These furry mammals are familiar visitors to Texas properties, and they enjoy a good dig through trash cans. Understanding why raccoons love trash cans helps you create solutions to finding your waste strewn across your yard.
Understanding Raccoon Behavior
If you notice raccoons getting into the trash, they're probably looking for a meal. Raccoons are omnivores with a keen sense of smell that tells them where they can find food, waste, or scraps. As human living areas extend into wildlife habitats, these mammals have adapted their diet to what's available — and that's often our leftovers. When there is food and other resources available on your property, raccoons will make their home nearby, this often means in the attic or crawlspace of the property owner.
Securing Your Cans to Keep Raccoons Out
The best way to prevent raccoons from getting into the garbage is to secure your...
At Urban Jungle Wildlife Removal LLC, we specialize in providing effective wildlife trapping and removal services for skunks and armadillos by using a methodical approach tailored to your commercial or residential property. We go a step further and offer wildlife exclusion and repair services to prevent future wildlife issues.
Understanding the differences between skunks and armadillos is essential for homeowners who wish to keep these animals out of their yards. Our team is dedicated to preventing armadillos and skunks from burrowing under decks, in crawl spaces, and within sheds and providing strategies to deter armadillos.
Identifying the Culprit: Skunk or Armadillo?
Both skunks and armadillos can cause significant disturbances in your yard, but their behaviors and habits differ greatly. Skunks are known for their strong odor and nocturnal foraging for food, while armadillos are notorious for their digging, which can lead to unsightly holes in your lawn.
Armadillos dig to search for insects, grubs, and other small invertebrates. Their burrowing can undermine plant roots and create holes that impact your...
Do you suspect a snake problem in your home? The first thing to note is that if you are frequently seeing or encountering signs of snake activity, then there is likely a steady food source for the snakes (Mice, Rats, etc.). If you handle your snake situation with caution — and respect — you can reclaim your home from your slithery friends.
Recognizing Snake Infestation Signs
Snakes are sneaky, and even if you can't see them, they do leave clues to tell you they are nearby. Look for these indications of a snake infestation:
Snake dens: Most snakes cannot dig well, but they will take advantage of large holes in the ground or other secluded, moist and often cool areas to shelter from predators and to regulate their body temperature.
Snake droppings: Snake droppings resemble bird feces but contain fur or bones. If you discover droppings, inspect the area for further snake activity.
Shed snake skins: You will likely find snake skins near entry points or...
Have you noticed a hole in your roof, siding, or soffit? Your first reaction might be to call a contractor or tackle the repair yourself. Wait! Before dialing that number or grabbing your tool belt, contact wildlife professionals. Holes in your home's exterior could be animal entry points. Sealing these entries can have catastrophic consequences for the creatures and your home. Wildlife removal experts can remove animals, repair damage, and prevent their return.
This in-depth guide covers everything from recognizing entry points to understanding animal intrusions. Explore the benefits of using professionals over contractors for a more secure home.
Call Us at (833) 732-0439
Here's when you should call wildlife removal services:
1. You Notice Roof, Siding, or Soffit Damage
Your roof, siding, and soffit protect your home's exterior. Siding protects against weather and insulates against heat loss. A soffit sits under the roof's overhang, connecting to the siding. These components form a barrier that blocks the elements, retains heat, and deters wildlife.
Damage to roofs,...
While it's always preferable to keep birds from nesting in or around buildings, this is a common occurrence. Many homeowners only discover a nest when they find telltale signs of bird droppings piling up on the ground below.
Wild birds can carry a host of diseases and parasites. If you find an active nest around your home or business, it is important to take safety precautions to protect your health while letting Mother Nature complete her cycle undisturbed.
What to Do if a Bird Makes a Nest on Your Porch
Nest building takes time, so if you notice birds constructing a nest on your porch, take action immediately. There are many ways to make them feel unwelcome and look for an alternative spot. You can wear gloves and remove the nesting material or spray the area out with a hose. Repeat every day until you are sure that the birds have moved away. Only do this during the initial stages of nest construction....
