When surveying buildings and their immediate surroundings we need to think like an animal. Raccoons and squirrels will use their remarkable climbing capabilities to scale trees or vines in an attempt to investigate a roof for potential entry points.
To prevent these animals from gaining easy access to the roof, all tree limbs should be cut back 3 meters from the roof edge. While raccoons cannot jump, squirrels are acrobats and are able to leap a horizontal distance of approximately 2 meters. As to vines, they need to be trimmed to 1.5 meters below the overhang. Implementing this approach will eliminate the most common access.
Occasionally, determined animals may use the more difficult route of climbing up outside walls and downspouts to get onto the roof.
By Brad Gates, B.Sc.
Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.
