North Carolina residents likely don’t spend much of their fall season thinking about their crawl spaces under their homes. Well, they don’t think much about them until they get a hint that maybe new neighbors have moved in. It could be screeching or scratching coming from below that catches a homeowner’s attention. Sometimes it’s a foul odor with no apparent source in the main living space. Other times, residents will simply see the culprits with their own eyes when they enter the crawl space to retrieve Christmas decorations or something else stored there.

But once you become aware that you have unwanted guests, it’s probably best to contact pest control right away so they can be removed. Some common pests that you may encounter include rats, mice, raccoons, snakes and opossums. The mammals can have diseases, like rabies, and the snakes can be venomous, so trying to handle them yourself can end poorly.

Rats, mice and other rodents love crawl spaces and are among the most likely to be found beneath your home in the fall. They can be a problem for a number of reasons. One is that they have a habit of chewing through wires in your walls and flooring, which can leave dangerously exposed wiring. Another problem is that when the rodents are present, snakes and even foxes will move-in to take feast on them. It can often be a chain reaction that could lead to a whole ecosystem of animals making their homes beneath yours.

Other common crawl space invaders are raccoons and opossums. These two often behave similarly, although raccoons are a bit larger and more aggressive. Both are nocturnal and attracted to pet food and garbage, so making sure neither of these temptations are left outside anywhere near the home is important. In the fall they may look for dens to use for the winter and a crawl space is not a bad option. Neither of them hibernate but do look for more secure living arrangements.

In the fall, many animals look for a dry, warm place to hole-up that is safe and enclosed. A box underneath a well-heated home is a perfect place for many creatures. Snakes often hibernate in large groups, so some crawl spaces have been found to have over 70 snakes! In the summer or spring, snakes may also enter but to get to rodents or to lay eggs and then will stick around for the fall and winter if they feel the space is safe.

Suffice it to say, your crawl space is viewed like a five star hotel with plenty of vacancy to all kinds of creatures in your neighborhood. You may be lucky and have a perfectly-sealed space that is impenetrable to living things, but for most, from time to time there have been animals in their crawl space. A brief visit by a mouse or a raccoon is likely not a big deal, but if you suspect the space under your home is becoming a popular fall hangout for local wildlife, you should probably give us a call.

Call Critter Control of the Triangle in Raleigh, NC and Durham at 919.382.0651 or our contact page for more information or help with animal removal, cleanup and more.