Charleston is a beautiful city. The beaches and ocean are one of the reasons people flock to the city. The proximity to water poses some risks. Most of Charleston County is in a floodplain. When heavy rain and high tide combine, an additional foot or two of water can rush toward your house.
Many homes have a crawl space. The additional space under the house can provide a buffer from floodwaters. Crawl spaces also provide a cost-efficient way to grade the land for the foundation, an easy-to-use place to hide pipes and wires, and provides a way to vent to the outside air.
Charleston Animals in Crawlspaces
There are some drawbacks to crawlspaces. They provide an ideal place for wildlife in Charleston to shelter, and the temperature stays consistent.
The most common animals that get into a crawlspace in Charleston are raccoons, opossums, armadillos, and rats. Unlike basements, crawlspaces vent to the outside air. These vents provide potential animal entry points. Depending on the animal, it can be easy to miss the entry hole.
Rat Removal from Crawlspace
The Norway rat’s ideal habitat is near marshes and fields with ponds and streams, so Norway rats are abundant in Charleston County. Norway rats are burrowing pests so crawlspaces and cellars make perfect rat nests.
This homeowner in Charleston noticed rat droppings along the baseboards in her house. During the inspection, we found this unsecured crawlspace vent. Norway rats can grow as large as fifteen inches but only need a gap the size of a quarter to get into your house.
Rat trapping typically takes five to fourteen days. We installed hardware cloth over the vent to keep the rats out. Before we left, we set up a few rat bait stations around the house. Rats can breed at a tremendous rate, and rats can follow pheromone trails from other rats. An ongoing rat control plan can protect your house from future rat problems.
Custom Wildlife Exclusions
The humidity and salt water can wear down any part of the home. The entrance to this crawlspace was not secure. There were gaps large enough for a variety of different animals to get into it. Our technicians built a custom entrance to the crawlspace.
Pest Control and Animal Removal from Crawlspaces
Whether you live in Charleston, John’s Island, Hilton Head, or Savannah, your crawlspace offers a secure place for nuisance wildlife to nest.
If you find an animal living in your crawlspace, it is critical to determine where the animal made its way. As you look for entry points, you might be surprised how small the hole is. Mice only need a quarter of an inch size gap. Raccoons can squeeze through grapefruit-sized entry points.
Once you realize how small animal entry points are, you will see the importance of calling a professional. At Trutech, we’re trained and equipped to identify all potential entry points and seal them from future animal infestations. We’ll get the animals out of your crawlspace and make sure they can’t come back.
