What Animals Like to Live in a Crawl Space?

March 15, 2023   |   Wildlife

A crawl space is an attractive home to many forms of wildlife, especially in densely populated areas. When the weather is rough or there isn’t much left of a critter’s natural habitat, animals in crawl spaces are to be expected. Sometimes, they will even choose a crawl space when the weather is good and there are plenty of natural homes around. It’s hard to say why an animal has chosen your crawl space. However, just because they made a home under your home doesn’t mean they have to move in permanently, or that you need to deal with the issue alone. In fact, attempting to remove animals without a professional can put you in danger of disease or injury! Wildlife removal services can extract these creatures from your home and keep them out. 

Animals That Can Get Into Your House Via Crawl Spaces

Animals that can get into your house through a crawl space include rodents, reptiles, and mammals. In part, it depends on how big your crawl space is and the size of opening available for the animal to enter through. Here’s a list of some of the most common animals Turner Pest Control sees in crawl spaces.

• Mice: Mice can enter your house through a gap the size of a pencil, only ¼ of an inch, and once they are in the crawl space, they can usually find access to the whole house. 
• Rats: Rats can enter your house through a ½ inch wide hole. Since they tend to live in communities, if you see one, it means you likely have even more out of sight. 
• Squirrels: Squirrels can nest in your crawl space, and may also use it to store food and chew on things to file down their teeth. 
• Bats: Bats can colonize a crawl space just like a cave or under a bridge. Because they are a protected species, their exclusion needs to be carefully managed. 
• Snakes: Since snakes are cold-blooded, the warmth of your home that extends into the crawl space can be quite attractive. Even if they are not venomous, they are still unpredictable and should be removed by an expert. 
• Opossums: Opossums love dark and damp burrows, which is a great description of many crawl spaces. They are most active at night, meaning you might not notice them until you’re trying to sleep. 
• Armadillos: If your house is surrounded by heavy vegetation or a garden, it will be very appealing to armadillos. 
• Racoons: Racoons are one of the boldest creatures you might have in your crawl space. If you’re trying to figure out how to tell what animal is in a wall, racoons are the ones who ignore you even when you knock on the wall right next to them. Every other animal on the list, like mice and squirrels, will get quiet if they hear you. 

Should I Let a Possum Live Under My House? Or Any Other Animal? 

If you’re an animal lover, it can feel wrong to exclude an animal from under your home. But you really shouldn’t let wildlife live there. Remember, the animal is not just settling down in one corner of your crawl space. They are digging, chewing, breeding, and leaving behind waste. Not only that, but the urine and feces of many wild animals contains bacteria and germs that can get you sick just by breathing it. In fact, the smell or sight of these waste materials might be how you figured out there is an animal in the crawl space to begin with. 

If you want to see the animal evicted without causing it harm, that may very well be possible. But you won’t know unless you consult with an expert. If you try to catch and relocate the animal yourself…

• It could harm you.
• It will put both you and the animal through additional stress as you try to catch it.
• It is highly likely to return unless follow-up steps are taken.

All these are great reasons to consult a wildlife removal specialist!

How Do I Keep Animals Out Of My Crawl Space? 

Keeping animals out of your crawl space is a multi-step process. Physically removing the creature may be part of it, but it isn’t always that simple. With species like bats, they can only be removed during the approved exclusion season (which is from August 15th to April 15th for bats). Whenever the time is right for removal, the access to the crawl space also needs to be blocked so the animal (or their cousins) can’t return. Additionally, changes to your property like securing garbage cans and not putting out food for your pets might be required to keep animals out. Consulting with wildlife removal experts like Turner Pest Control means you get full perspective on all the steps necessary to keep wildlife in the wild where it belongs. 

Florida: Reclaim Your Crawl Spaces Fast! 

Turner Pest Control’s team of wildlife exclusion experts works locally across Florida to help owners preserve and protect their property. We are on call to come to you and help remedy your unique situation, removing the wildlife in question and consulting on how to keep them out. Whether the crawl space in question is under your home or on a commercial property, we have the experience and confidence to address your needs. We are proud to treat our customers like family and protect your property as though we owned it ourselves!