Wildlife around the home

Raccoons

• Raccoons den in attics, chimneys and under houses, porches and decks when they can get in; noises on the roof or in the chimney or attic may be the first sign.^[1]
• Cap chimneys with a securely fastened spark arrester that meets local fire code, after making sure no animals are inside; if raccoons are already nesting in a chimney, professionals are often the only effective option.^[1]
• Raccoon roundworm, spread by accidentally swallowing or inhaling eggs from raccoon feces, can cause serious disabilities, and young children are thought most susceptible. Raccoons also carry rabies and distemper.^[1]
• Live-trapping and relocating raccoons only makes area-wide problems worse, and in California relocation requires written permission from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.^[1]

Tree squirrels

• Block entry points such as gaps under eaves, overlapping roof sections and knotholes with sheet metal or 1/4-inch hardware cloth.^[2]
• Remove tree limbs within 6 feet of the roof so squirrels and rats can't reach it.^[21]
• Squirrels carry diseases such as tularemia and ringworm and often carry fleas and mites. Rules on removal vary by species and state; in California most tree squirrels are game mammals.^[2]

Bats

• Exclusion is the primary way to manage bats: let them leave, then seal openings. Bats can squeeze through openings as small as 1/4 inch.^[3]
• Single bats get in through open doors and windows; tighter-fitting screen doors and 1/2-inch or smaller welded mesh over chimney tops help.^[3]
• If a bat has had contact with people or pets, the county health department can test it for rabies; vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies, and don't breathe dust from droppings.^[3]

Skunks

• Skunks dig small cone-shaped pits, 3 to 5 inches across, in lawns while looking for insects.^[4]
• They usually warn before spraying by stamping their front feet, hissing and raising their tail; they may not react to a quiet person more than 10 feet away.^[4]
• In California, skunks are one of the most common carriers of rabies.^[4]

Moles and voles

• Trapping is the most dependable mole control: set traps in active, deeper tunnels at least 18 inches from a mound.^[5]
• To protect plantings from moles, bury 1/4-inch wire mesh in a trench at least 2 feet deep, with a 6-inch lip bent outward and 6 inches above ground.^[5]
• Voles (meadow mice) live in runways under dense cover. Remove weeds and heavy mulch, keep a 4-foot vegetation-free circle around young trees, and use hardware cloth trunk guards.^[6]
• Exclude voles with 1/4-inch mesh at least 12 inches high, buried 6 to 10 inches; for trapping, set mouse snap traps at right angles across runways.^[6]

Deer

A sturdy fence 7 to 8 feet high, fitted to the ground, is the most effective control. Repellents must be reapplied often and may fail when deer have preferred food nearby. Deer traps and poisons are illegal.^[7]

Pocket gophers

• Gopher mounds are half-moon shaped with a plugged hole off to one side; mole mounds are circular with the plug in the middle, and ground squirrel holes are open with no mound.^[9]
• Set pincer or box traps in pairs in an active tunnel near a fresh mound, cover the hole to block light, and keep trapping until new mounds stop; no bait is needed.^[9]
• Protect raised beds with hardware cloth or 3/4-inch poultry wire underneath, and plant trees and shrubs in wire baskets.^[9]
• Owl boxes, repellents, 'gopher purge' and other plants, vibrating stakes, ultrasonic devices, pinwheels and smoke cartridges haven't proven effective.^[9]

Ground squirrels

• When frightened, ground squirrels run to a burrow, while tree squirrels climb; ground squirrels have less bushy tails and live in colonial burrow systems.^[10]
• Fleas on ground squirrels can transmit bubonic plague to people and pets, which is a particular concern when squirrel numbers are high.^[10]
• Trapping works when numbers are low to moderate; put box traps inside a covered box with a 3-inch entrance to protect children, pets and other animals, and keep kids and pets away while trapping.^[10]

Opossums

• Opossums visit gardens, compost, garbage cans and pet food dishes at night; barking dogs and pet food that disappears overnight are often the first clues.^[11]
• Bring pet food in by nightfall, use garbage cans with tight lids, and screen or block openings under stairs, porches, decks and sheds.^[11]
• They can carry diseases including leptospirosis and tularemia, so avoid handling them.^[11]

Coyotes

• Never feed or water coyotes, intentionally or not; it makes them lose their fear of people and puts neighborhood pets and children at risk.^[12]
• Store pet food indoors or in sealed heavy-duty containers, use garbage cans with tight lids, and manage bird feeders and compost so they don't draw rodents and rabbits.^[12]
• Walk dogs on a leash in busy areas, and teach children to recognize coyotes and what to do if they meet one.^[12]
• A fence that discourages coyotes is at least 5-1/2 feet tall with a buried wire-mesh apron extending outward at least 15 inches to stop digging.^[12]

Flying squirrels

• Flying squirrels are smaller and darker than other squirrels, with large dark eyes, and are active at night; they nest socially in groups and mate twice a year.^[14]
• Signs include urine, droppings or dead-animal odors in walls or the attic, entry holes, moved insulation, and noise at night. They fit through very small gaps and often reach eaves from overhanging branches.^[14]
• A one-way door lets them leave but not return; trapping only works in combination with exclusion. They often carry lice or fleas, so handle with caution.^[14]

Woodchucks (groundhogs)

• Woodchucks are strict herbivores that feed early and late in the day on garden crops such as beans, peas, squash and tomatoes; their burrows have a large mound of dirt at the main entrance. They hibernate from about late October to March.^[15]
• Fencing is the most permanent fix: at least 3 feet of heavy poultry wire or 2-inch mesh, with the bottom edge buried 12 inches and the lower 6 inches bent outward.^[15]
• Live traps should be at least 10 by 10 by 24 inches, baited with apple, carrot tops, cantaloupe, lettuce or fresh peas. Woodchucks are a potential rabies vector; Pennsylvania, for example, doesn't allow relocating them to other properties, so check your state's rules.^[15]
• Gas cartridges are registered for burrows but are a fire hazard under sheds, buildings or near combustibles, and are toxic to any other animal in the burrow.^[15]

Muskrats in ponds

• Muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents, about 2.5 pounds with a flattened, scaly tail. Their bank burrows, with entrances a few inches to 3 feet below the waterline, can cause leaks and collapses in pond banks and dams.^[16][17]
• Signs include muddy water, floating vegetation and pellet-sized droppings on shoreline rocks. Act early, before a population establishes.^[16]
• Riprap a 6-inch layer of coarse stone, or lay 1- to 2-inch galvanized wire flat on the bank, from 1 foot above to 3 feet below the waterline. Trapping is the most effective control, under your state's furbearer rules.^[16][17]

Pigeons, starlings and house sparrows

These three non-native birds aren't protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but native birds are, so identify the species before doing anything. All three host diseases that can harm people, including encephalitis and the fungus that causes histoplasmosis.^[18]

• Close openings larger than 3/4 inch to exclude house sparrows and 1 inch for starlings, using sheet metal, 1/4-inch wire mesh, netting or masonry; screen bathroom and exhaust vents with 1/2-inch mesh, taking care with dryer vents, where lint can catch fire.^[19][18]
• Spikes, coils and wires keep pigeons off ledges; smaller birds need denser spikes. Sticky gels work best applied to tape or a temporary surface rather than directly to the building.^[18]
• At feeders, black oil sunflower seed instead of mixes, and tube feeders without perches, discourage house sparrows. Frightening devices generally give little lasting relief.^[19]
• Relocating pigeons rarely works: they often return even when released 50 miles or more away.^[19]

Woodpeckers on houses

• Woodpeckers peck buildings to find insects, to drum on resonant surfaces such as metal gutters and chimney caps to claim territory, or to nest. Rows of small holes usually mean they're hunting insects in the siding.^[20]
• All woodpeckers are protected as migratory birds, but they can be legally excluded. Lightweight 3/4-inch bird netting over the affected wall is the most effective fix; act as soon as pecking starts.^[20]

Snakes

• Most rattlesnake bites happen when someone tries to pick up, move or kill the snake; never handle a rattlesnake, even a dead one.^[8]
• Make yards less attractive: clear brush, tall grass, rock and lumber piles, keep rodents under control, and fill rodent burrows.^[8]
• Seal cracks and openings larger than 1/4 inch in buildings, including gaps under garage doors.^[8]
• Nonvenomous snakes should be left alone; they help control rodents.^[8]
• Venomous snakes in the U.S. are rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths (water moccasins) and coral snakes. Never handle one, even a dead one or its severed head.^[13]
• If bitten, get emergency care right away, wash the bite, and mark the edge of swelling with the time; don't use a tourniquet, electric shock or folk remedies, and don't try to catch the snake.^[13]

Sources

1. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Raccoons (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/raccoons/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Tree Squirrels (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/tree-squirrels/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
3. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Bats (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/bats/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Skunks (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/skunks/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Moles (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/moles/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
6. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Voles (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/voles/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
7. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Deer (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/deer/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
8. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Rattlesnakes (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/rattlesnakes/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
9. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pocket Gophers (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/pocket-gophers/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
10. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Ground Squirrel, Publication 7438 (revised June 2025).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pngroundsquirrel.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
11. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Opossum (October 2015).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnopossum.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
12. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Coyotes (March 2007).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pncoyote.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
13. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH, “Venomous Snakes at Work (reviewed September 23, 2026).” www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/venomous-snakes.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
14. Mississippi State University Extension Service, “Flying squirrels require extra efforts to eliminate (Extension Outdoors, April 27, 2018).” web.archive.org/web/20250618160817/extension.msstate.edu/news/extension-outdoors/2018/flying-squirrels-require-extra-efforts-eliminate (accessed 2026-10-06). Archived copy (Internet Archive, captured 2025-06-18); the original page https://extension.msstate.edu/news/extension-outdoors/2018/flying-squirrels-require-extra-efforts-eliminate now returns 404.
15. Penn State Extension, “Woodchucks (wildlife damage control fact sheet).” extension.psu.edu/woodchucks (accessed 2026-10-06)
16. University of Missouri Extension, “G9400: Controlling Muskrat Damage in Missouri Ponds.” extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9400 (accessed 2026-10-06)
17. Penn State Extension, “Pond and Lake Wildlife: Muskrats (updated December 18, 2023).” extension.psu.edu/pond-and-lake-wildlife-muskrats (accessed 2026-10-06)
18. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, “G2024: Urban Pest Birds: Controlling Damage.” extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g2024/html/view (accessed 2026-10-06)
19. New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension, “Guide L-212: Controlling Nuisance Birds in New Mexico.” pubs.nmsu.edu/_l/L212/index.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
20. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Woodpeckers (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/woodpeckers/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
21. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Rats, Publication 74106 (revised June 2024).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnrats.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)