Home Exclusion Checklist: Where Animals Get Into a Texas House
Walk around your house with this list before you call anyone. Twenty minutes in daylight will tell you, and Michael, most of what you need to know.
Before you start
- Go out in good daylight, mid morning or late afternoon, when shadows show gaps under the roof edge.
- Bring a flashlight, your phone for photos, and binoculars if the roof is two stories.
- Stay on the ground. You do not need a ladder to spot most entry points.
- Write down where each sign is: front, back, which corner, which vent. That list is what the inspection starts from.
At the roofline
- Where two roof sections meet. The corner where a lower roof runs into a wall is the most common raccoon and squirrel entry. Look for a dark gap, bent shingles or chewed wood.
- Soffit and fascia. Soffit panels that sag, have pulled loose or show a round chewed hole at the corner.
- Gable and ridge vents. Torn or pushed-in screens behind the louvers.
- Plumbing vent pipes. The rubber boot around each pipe on the roof. Rats and squirrels chew the gap open.
- Chimney. No cap, a rusted cap, or a gap where the chimney meets the roof.
On the walls
- Dryer vent. A flap stuck open or missing. Birds and rats both use it.
- Bath and kitchen exhaust vents. Same check as the dryer vent.
- Where the AC lines enter the house. The opening around the copper lines is often larger than the lines and packed with foam that has been chewed.
- Cable, phone and utility holes. Any gap a pencil fits into is big enough for a young mouse.
- Siding and trim. Loose corner boards and gaps where siding meets brick.
At ground level
- Under decks, porches and slabs. Fresh digging or a worn path into a dark space is how skunks, opossums and armadillos move in.
- Garage door. A worn bottom seal or a gap at the corners. Snakes and rats come in this way.
- Crawl space doors and foundation vents. Missing covers or bent screens.
Signs an opening is in use right now
Marks
Dark greasy rub marks around the edge of a hole, fresh chew marks with light colored wood, or claw scratches on the downspout.
Droppings
Droppings on the roof, on the ground under a corner, or in the attic near the opening. Take a photo; the shape tells which animal it is.
Sounds and timing
Noise at dawn and dusk points to squirrels. Heavy movement late at night points to raccoons. Light scratching through the night points to rats.
What not to do
- Do not seal a hole that is in use. The animal will tear a new hole or die inside.
- Do not handle any wild animal, even one that looks calm or sick. The Texas Department of State Health Services says not to handle wildlife at all.
- If you find bats, do not block their exit between May 1 and August 15. Texas Parks and Wildlife discourages bat exclusion in that window because the young cannot fly yet and get trapped inside.
When your list is done, send it to Michael with photos at 713-775-8799. The exclusion service page on the main site explains how he seals each kind of opening.
Questions homeowners ask
Can I seal the holes myself?
You can close gaps where you are sure nothing is living, such as a torn vent screen on a wall the animal never touched. Do not close an active hole. If you see fresh droppings, grease marks or hear movement, the animal is likely still inside, and closing the hole traps it.
What material keeps animals out?
Anything an animal can chew or push aside will fail: foam, caulk alone, thin plastic and window screen. Exclusion work uses heavy gauge metal mesh, metal flashing and fasteners set into solid wood or masonry, then finished so it does not look patched.
I found a gap but nothing is getting in. Should I still close it?
Yes, if you are sure it is empty. A gap that is open today becomes a nest site in the spring when raccoons and squirrels look for a dry place to have young.
Found an opening? Get it closed the right way.
Cypress Critters and Pests is owner operated. Michael Gerbino answers the phone and does the work himself.
Call or Text Michael: 713-775-8799Exclusion service on the main site
