Common Virginia Pests and Wildlife That Sneak Into Your Crawl Space
Crawl spaces are the small areas underneath your home, often exposed to the bare earth. Crawl spaces usually contain floor joists, support beams, cables, wires, and sometimes even insulation. However, crawl spaces can also contain nuisance wildlife and pest infestations! Don’t worry, Critter Authority can help. In addition to wildlife removal and pest control services, we also offer crawl space encapsulation services in Richmond, Henrico, and Hanover. Give us a call today to get started with a FREE estimate at (804) 492-2804!
Rodents: Rats and Mice
Rodents like rats and mice invade your crawl space because of its proximity to your warm, food-filled home. Rodents will squeeze through the tiniest openings to get inside your crawl space, or they will enter through unsealed crawl space vents if you have them. Once inside, rats and mice can nest inside the insulation, and they will also gnaw on crucial support beams which can create the possibility of structural damage. If you have wires running through your crawl space, rats can gnaw through the rubber covering around them and expose the bare wiring, which can create a potential fire hazard. Some signs of rats and mice in the crawl space include droppings, shredded insulation or other nesting material, gnaw marks, and scratching sounds.
Snakes in the Crawl Space
If rodents are infesting your crawl space, then snakes aren’t far behind! A rodent-infested crawl space provides a buffet for snakes, as well as a cool and dark shelter to escape the summer heat. The Richmond area is home to several types of snakes, from venomous (copperheads) to nonvenomous (black rat snakes). It’s important to leave snake removal from your crawl space to the experts at Critter Authority, as snakes can bite and inject you with their powerful venom if handled or surprised. The most common sign that snakes are in your crawl space is the presence of shed snake skins and snake eggs.
Opossums and Raccoons in the Crawl Space
Opossums and raccoons will also break into your crawl space in the Richmond area. If your crawl space vents are unsealed, or if the vents are damaged, they provide an easy access point for these nuisance animals. Once inside, the opossums and raccoons can rip out the insulation to create their nests, and they will also urinate and defecate inside the crawl space, which will create an unsanitary environment, and the odor will drift up into the rest of the home. Raccoons and opossums can spread several diseases and parasites, including leptospirosis and raccoon roundworm. You might hear a raccoon or an opossum thumping, shuffling or making vocal noises like growling during the night time.
Insects and Spiders in the Crawl Space
Your crawl space can also be home to a variety of spiders and insects, including termites, ants, camel crickets, and more. Termites need moisture to survive, so a moist crawl space without a vapor barrier or a dehumidifier provides a perfect environment for them to build mud tubes that will allow them to rise from their subterranean nests to feed on the wood in your home. Ants, camel crickets, and spiders can start out nesting inside your crawl space, but will then move up into the rest of the home, infesting kitchens and bathrooms within the home.
Moisture and Mold in the Crawl Space
In addition to pest and wildlife infestations, moisture and mold is a common problem inside crawl spaces without a proper encapsulation job. When moisture from the earth rises up into the crawl space, it can create mold spores that will circulate around the living area of the home, and it can also lead to wood rot in the crucial support structures of your home. If your crawl space insulation is dampened, it can make it less effective at resisting heat. A moldy and moisture-filled crawl space can also create a musty smell that drifts up into the living areas.
How To Know What’s Down There
Attempting to inspect the crawl space yourself isn’t recommended, as encountering nuisance wildlife can be dangerous, and a damaged crawl space may pose structural hazards. If you’re noticing strange sounds coming from your attic space, the best way to figure out what’s down there is to contact the experts at Critter Authority for a comprehensive crawl space inspection. Our technicians will figure out what’s lurking within your crawl space, then provide you with a customized treatment plan to get your home back in shape.
Call in the Experts at Critter Authority
Critter Authority offers the best wildlife removal, pest control, and crawl space encapsulation services in the Richmond, Henrico, and Hanover area. Our team can eliminate pest infestations, trap and remove any wildlife, and fully encapsulate your crawl space, installing a vapor barrier, sump pump, and dehumidifier to seal off your crawl space from the earth and prevent moisture problems. Contact our team to get started today with a FREE estimate at (804) 492-2804!