Get matched with top animal fencing pros in Baker, MT

While cats are great at rodent control, it is their second nature to use the soft dirt of your garden as a litter box. This can lead to the contamination of your food and the spread of disease in humans.

Some stores sell smoke bombs to drive animals out of spaces, but we don’t recommend you use them, especially in an attic. The smoke can be toxic to humans or pets that may accidentally inhale it. Meanwhile, critters can easily escape the smoke by temporarily leaving the attic, only to return via their usual entry points after the smoke clears.

Small animals, particularly rats and mice, like to burrow inside pool heaters. To keep them out, seal any entry points with caulk or steel wool. Then, place mothballs inside or around your pool heater. As a final measure of protection, you can cover the pool heater in hardware cloth or wood paneling to further block entry points.

Using chemicals with harsh odors is a natural way to repel bears. While the animal’s strong sense of smell is an asset in the animal kingdom, it’s a weakness here. Simply place bleach or ammonia in a bucket and leave it outside day or night. Ironically, bears also dislike the smell of pine, so you can use pine oil or a pine-based cleaning agent. Avoid using cleaning products with fruit or citrus smells, however.