Online shopping offers up images of a multitude of items that can beautify your property. From flowing water fountains and artistic bird baths to bird feeders, consumers are enticed to buy these products to achieve beautiful landscaping and to attract a variety of birds.
Unfortunately, when wildlife becomes an issue these items and other factors may be contributing to the problem.
What attracts wildlife to your property?
Wild animals, like humans, require both water and food. When a birdfeeder is present on a property, it is impossible to regulate which wildlife can access the seed — food — provided. Over 59 million Americans are reported to have bird feeders on their property.1
Mice, rats, racoons, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and bears are a few of the nighttime (and even daytime) visitors to the buffet that is provided by a birdfeeder. The birds at your birdfeeder can also be prey for cats, hawks, owls, snakes and other wildlife.
Are there ways to deter wildlife from a birdfeeder?
As difficult as it may seem, eliminating a birdfeeder as a food source on your property reduces the likelihood that these unwanted visitors will frequent your property. If you keep your birdfeeder, there are some steps you can take to minimize other wildlife from accessing your feeder.
- Use poles with predator guards to stop climbing animals.2
- Place feeders 5 to 6 feet above the ground to prevent cat attacks.3
- Keep the feeder more than 3 feet away from objects that wildlife can use to jump to the feeder. 4
- Clean up seed spilled on the ground to prevent mice, rat, squirrel, chipmunk and rabbit foraging.
- Bring feeders indoors during the night hours to reduce access by racoons and bears. If you use a suet feeder for birds, secure the closure with a piece of wire, twist-tie or string to make it harder for wildlife to steal the entire suet cake.
- Secure your trash, especially in a garage or outbuilding.
- If you feed pets or other domestic animals remove any left over food sources after feeding.
What about keeping wildlife out of a water source?
Besides eliminating food sources, getting rid of water sources is also a deterrent to wildlife visiting your property, or taking up permanent residency in your home or out-buildings.
Fountains, birdbaths, pools, ponds and other water sources are easy ways for wildlife to stay hydrated…and to stay nearby. Covering water sources at night, especially smaller ponds, fountains, birdbaths and pools, can be helpful in reducing wildlife activity on your property.
Brush, ground cover, bushes and tall grasses also help provide cover and homes for wildlife.
Keeping grasses cut, bushes trimmed and brush removed can be critical in reducing the wildlife on your property. If you store wood for fireplaces or campfires, make sure the wood is stacked away from your house or shed as rodents and mammals often use wood piles as shelter. Keep tree branches at least 6 feet away from your roof so animals don’t use them as a super highway to access your attic.5
What helps keep mice, rodents and other critters out?
Survey your home for any gaps or openings. Mice can get through a space that is a quarter of an inch in diameter.6 Snakes can also get into a vent, wall crack or other opening that is as small as a quarter inch in diameter.7
If wild animals are a problem on your property, contact a professional wildlife removal service to do an assessment of the situation. A wildlife removal professional will then be able to provide advice on the easiest and most economical ways to deter wildlife from making your home their home.
Fast, Humane Wildlife Removal in Maricopa County
When unwanted wildlife gets into your home or business, turn to Critter Evictors in Scottsdale for safe, effective removal. Our experienced team handles everything from raccoons and squirrels to birds, bats, and other nuisance wildlife—helping protect your property inside and out.
Serving homes and businesses throughout Maricopa County, we provide prompt response times, humane removal solutions, and practical exclusion recommendations to help keep wildlife from coming back. Call today to schedule a no-obligation inspection and estimate.
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1 To Feed or Not to Feed Wild Birds
Link: https://www.fws.gov/story/feed-or-not-feed-wild-birds
2, 3, 4 Do Feeders Attract Predators? The Truth Revealed by John James Audubon, 11/7/2025
Link: https://birdopedia.com/do-feeders-attract-predators/
5 How To Keep Wild Animals Out of Your House
Link: https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/how-keep-wild-animals-out-your
6 How Much Space Does a Mouse Need to Get In? 12/22/2025
Link: https://engineerfix.com/how-much-space-does-a-mouse-need-to-get-in/
7 How Small a Gap Can a Snake Fit Through? By Ezra Mushala, 11/20/2025
Link: https://snakeinformer.com/how-small-a-gap-can-a-snake-fit-through/