critters under our deck and connecting porch, how to deter them?

[bornthrifty]

my dog is always sniffing around the steps that lead up to our deck that is attached to a porch, I get the feeling something wants or does live there, there is plenty of room too so I am concerned, I know in the past cats have lived there in the winter, (could smell em) and maybe some mice or similar, raccoons have crawled up there to die also,

what can I put as a deterant, should I keep basement lights on that have windows to that area,
(did that once to get a raccoon to leave turned on music too... bout drove me nuts )

I haveused mint very successfully to deter mice

any other ideas to make the space less desirable to critters

part of the problem is that over the years the gravel that was laid on the ground seems to be sunk into the ground, or they just never used enough so nice soft dirt is probably inviting to some animals, and then having an interiour sort of corner made up by the foundation walls, must be warm...dryer vents near there and leaky hose, and garden remnants I am afraid makes it all look toooo good to critter looking...

thanks

 

[Mickey328]

Can you put some wire fencing around the deck from the bottom of it to the ground? We had a similar issue when we had the wooden lattice...part of it broke out and we had a skunk under there! Thank goodness it didn't spray and eventually wandered off. You might try actually putting a light under the porch...if it's not dark and snug feeling, most won't like it much.

 

[bornthrifty]

wire do you mean like chicken wire electric wire barbed wire?

that the problem we had lattice, but we can't keep it tight enough to deter critters,

we could definately do some sort of wire

and a light would be super easy

 

[Mickey328]

Yeah, though chicken wire wouldn't keep anything out that was determined to get in. Something sturdier like hardware cloth should do the trick, though. You could plant some nice vining plants around it to cover it up if you wanted to make it prettier

 

[bornthrifty]

oh ok thanks...that's a great idea

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I have heard - haven't tried it myself - that moth balls will deter 'critters'. Of course, IMO smelling the moth balls might be worse than the critters!

 

[Denim Deb]

Moths balls don't work. Ditto to the hardware cloth or something similar. You might want to dig down a couple of inches when you install it to discourage anything that might want to dig under.

 

[Beekissed]

Mothballs worked at our house for a number of unwanted critters in places they don't need to be. Mothballs kept the dog from getting under the back porch and digging a nice, cool spot to lie in. Kept the deer from chewing down the rose bush and also kept moles from building their own amusement park in the yard. They kept black snakes out of my chicken coop and we're going to see if they work on keeping squirrels out of the fruit trees next year.

 

[Denim Deb]

Maybe you got lucky. But I know they've changed what they make them out of, and it's done nothing for us. I've heard the same from other people.

 

[LilacSpring]

Moth balls are toxic to the environment, they poison the ground, and this poison will work its way into the water ways.

Place an ammonia soaked rag in the opening where the critter is living. Wild animals do not like the smell of ammonia, and will abandon the living space. If the animal is a noctural critter (up at night) place the rag during the daytime. If the animal is diural (up during the day), place the rag at night. Do this to 2 days in a row.

Mothballs worked at our house for a number of unwanted critters in places they don't need to be. Mothballs kept the dog from getting under the back porch and digging a nice, cool spot to lie in. Kept the deer from chewing down the rose bush and also kept moles from building their own amusement park in the yard. They kept black snakes out of my chicken coop and we're going to see if they work on keeping squirrels out of the fruit trees next year.