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The best way to ward off roaches is to take preventative measures and stay on top of routine extermination services. Keep them away by cleaning your kitchen free from crumbs, properly storing away food, covering your pet’s food bowl, and reducing moisture in your home to make your house less tempting for roaming cockroaches. Remove clutter—especially cardboard boxes that roaches love to hide in, and replace them with plastic tubs.

According to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, no frightening devices are proven effective for squirrel control. This is likely because the squirrels quickly become habituated to the noises. However, strobe lights show some promise, so motion-activated lighting could be an option worth considering as part of your integrated pest management strategy.

Tree sap is not usually dangerous to humans or pets. But some trees do produce dangerous sap. Notably, ash, birch, cedar and similar saps can irritate the skin but aren’t dangerous. Sap from trees like the Brazilwood, Mahogany, Milky Mangrove or well-named Poison Walnut can be corrosive, cause nausea, or trigger those with asthma. But for most backyard trees, protective equipment like a sturdy pair of gloves should be fine.

It can be difficult to know what type of animal is in your attic until you see it. But several clues can help you narrow down the suspects:

• Sounds: Smaller animals like rats and mice make scurrying and tapping/gnawing sounds. Larger animals like raccoons and opossums make louder clambering noises. Also, note when animals are noisy: Squirrels are active during the day, while rats are busiest at night.

• Droppings: Rats and mice leave small, rice-shaped droppings (the rat’s version is significantly larger). Bigger droppings belong to larger critters like raccoons. As long as you’re not squeamish, an image search can help you identify what you’re seeing in your attic.

When in doubt, take photos of damage or other evidence and show them to an experienced pest control pro.