Primarily, animals choose to get under the house for the shelter it can provide them. Rats, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and foxes are the most common animals you’ll find under your deck in the Bay Area. They are likely making their way there to create a burrow or nest.
Beyond simple shelter, the space under your house provides close proximity to the food opportunities that come with human presence. For example, they may be chowing down on the food in your garden, eating the food left outside for pets, or taking advantage of any food available in your garbage.
How to Get Rid of Animals Burrowing Under Your Deck or Porch
The most effective way to get rid of animals from nesting under your house is exclusion. Deterrents like radios and repellents like essential oils have limited effectiveness. The animals can grow accoustomed to them. Before we install an exclusion to your deck, we do make sure the animal is gone. For large animals like skunks and raccoons that means a cage trap. Depending on the population size, we need to use different trapping strategies to get rid of rats from under your house.
| Supplies | Tools |
|---|---|
| ¼” hardware cloth | Shovel |
| ½” hardware cloth | Hammer |
| Nails or Garden Staples | Aviation snips |
How to Install Animal Exclusion Around Deck
1. Mark the trench line around the deck.
2. Dig 12 inches deep and out 12 inches.
3. Bend 1/4” hardware cloth at 90 degrees to create an L-shape.
4. Install first layer ¼” hardware cloth to keep out rodents. Fasten to porch with nails or garden snips.
5. Install second layer of ½” hardware cloth to keep out raccoons, skunks, opossums and foxes. Fasten to porch with nails or garden snips
6. Fill dirt back into trench.
