If you own or manage an apartment building, you have a lot of responsibilities. Fixing appliances, maintaining the landscaping, general building repairs — there’s always plenty to do to keep your building in good shape and your tenants happy.
You’re also responsible for pest control and handling nuisance wildlife problems. And that’s a tall order; after all, it’s hard enough to keep wildlife out of a single home, let alone an entire complex. Critter damage can cause costly damage, all of which is your responsibility.
And that’s why stopping these critters before they can even get in is so important.
At HY-C, we manufacture an entire line of wildlife exclusion products under our HY-GUARD EXCLUSION brand name. And in this guide, we’re going to explain how these solutions are essential for apartment buildings of any size or location.
We’ll cover what kind of critters tend to give apartment buildings problems, common entry points the animals use, products that can help protect those entry points, and much more.
By the time you’re finished here, you’ll be able to decide whether wildlife exclusion is right for your apartment building.
Common Nuisance Wildlife in Apartment Buildings
There’s no limit to the kinds of animals that can get into your complex and start wreaking havoc. Some are more common than others, though, especially when it comes to apartments.
Birds (and European starlings in particular) are likely the most common culprit when it comes to wildlife issues in apartment buildings. Apartments are typically multiple stories tall, providing plenty of access points like vents, gutters, and simple structural damage.
Mice and rats are common apartment invaders, too. Their small size allows them to enter through very, very small holes — in a mouse’s case, sometimes holes as small as the diameter of your finger. It’s tough to check every square inch of your building for damage, making apartments an easy target for these rodents.
Finally, there’s squirrels. Most apartments have trees and shrubbery as a nice feature for tenants to enjoy. The problem, though, is that trees and bushes are scaffolding for squirrels. When limbs overhang apartment units, squirrels can gain access to the roof (and, from there, just about anywhere else inside the building, too).
While these critters are the most common, they’re certainly not the only nuisance wildlife landlords have to deal with. Apartment buildings are huge climate-controlled spaces just begging for critters to live in their attics, vents, and walls.
Nuisance Wildlife Entry Points on Apartments
When it comes to houses, critters almost always come in through the vents. And apartment buildings have several dozen more vents than a house, making them much more likely to encounter a wildlife issue.
Here are some common spots on apartment buildings critters like to exploit, and some tools you can use to prevent them from getting in.
Bathroom Vents
Bathroom vents are designed to suck out moisture produced by a hot shower or bath. When they’re in use, they vent out warm, moist air that feels great to any critter near the vent. They’ll quickly crawl inside, build a nest, and clog up the works.
The Solution: Universal Vent Covers
So, how do you keep out the critters? Products like HY-GUARD EXCLUSION’s Universal VentGuards are perfect for bathroom vents. Made of solid stainless steel, they’re tamper-proof and bite-proof, locking out critters completely while still allowing the vent to work uninhibited.
It’s worth noting that there are thousands of these guards installed on apartment bathroom vents throughout the country.
Discover HY-GUARD EXCLUSION’s Universal VentGuards
Dryer Vents
Apartment complexes usually have several dryers, and each dryer needs a vent. These vents suffer from the same problem that bathroom vents do: they release hot air that feels welcoming to nearby critters. Birds in particular like to build nests inside dryer vents.
The Solution: Dryer Vent Covers
Similar to Universal VentGuards, dryer vent covers are an excellent way to keep out the birds. They’re available in plastic and steel to support any budgetary needs, and they even have tamper-proof openings that allow for regular dryer cleaning and maintenance.
Discover HY-GUARD EXCLUSION’s Dryer Vent Covers
Roof Vents
The roof of an apartment building provides plenty of surface area for critters to explore. On these roofs are several vents that allow for much-needed air circulation in the apartment’s attic space. Nuisance wildlife chew through these vents all the time, gaining access to make a home in the attic.
The Solution: Roof Vent Covers
Fabricated from galvanized steel or stainless steel, roof vent covers provide an extra layer of protection over the roof vent while still promoting proper circulation. Available in sizes from 7” x 7” to 30” x 30” (and several in between), they’ll stop virtually any critter right in their tracks.
Discover HY-GUARD EXCLUSION’s Roof Vent Covers
Siding Gaps
It’s not at all uncommon for a gap to exist in a building where the siding meets the foundation. Because this spot is so close to the ground, animals like mice, rats, and squirrels have very easy access. With this access, they can build nests inside a building’s walls.
The Solution: Pest Armor
An easy, effective way to seal these gaps while still allowing them to vent is by using Pest Armor. These fabricated lengths of metal mesh come in three different profiles to suit the needs of nearly any building. All an installer needs to do to attach them is add fasteners.
Discover HY-GUARD EXCLUSION’s Pest Armor
Reasons to Add Wildlife Exclusion Solutions to Your Apartment Building
We’ve covered what kinds of animals get in, where they get in, and even some solutions you can use (with the help of a wildlife control professional) to keep them out.
But why should you add wildlife exclusion products to your building, anyway?
It’s a good question. And we’ve come up with four reasons as to how it will help you.
1. Apartment Building Managers are Responsible for Pest and Wildlife Control
As the building owner, in most cases, managing and preventing insect and wildlife infestations is your responsibility. Of course there are exceptions (for instance, if a tenant’s actions directly contribute to the problem). But most of the time, it’s on the building owner.
So instead of dealing with wildlife on a case-by-case basis or using stop-gap solutions, do what you can to eliminate the problem altogether. Wildlife exclusion will greatly minimize future wildlife conflicts to ensure you’re living up to your duties.
2. Wildlife Exclusion can Save You Time and Money
For nearly every building, a wildlife issue is not a matter of “if,” but “when.” And when your building eventually has a wildlife problem, the next consideration is how bad the damage will get.
Critters in buildings cause damage of all kinds. They ruin the siding, peck or bite holes into the walls, chew through electrical wires, and, given enough time, their urine and feces can weaken the structure of walls and ceilings.
Depending on where they’re nested, they can also ruin wires and power sources to stoves, dishwashers, microwaves, and other appliances for which you’re responsible.
There’s no doubt that adding wildlife exclusion devices to your building costs money. But there’s a great chance that the investment will save you money, time, and headaches in the future.
3. Wildlife Exclusion Increases the Overall Appeal of the Property
Running an apartment building is all about attracting tenants. After all, there’s a lot of residential turnover, and you want to make a good impression when you’re giving tours to prospective occupants.
Professionally-fabricated wildlife exclusion solutions are designed to keep critters out without subtracting from the aesthetic value of the building. The metal is extruded, bent, and painted with visual appeal in mind, both blending into the architecture and complimenting it.
Plus, adding whole-building wildlife exclusion solutions is a feature you can tout to potential residents. People choose apartments for the perks, and protection from pests and nuisance wildlife is something that can help your building stand out against other options.
4. Wildlife Exclusion will Keep Your Tenants Safe
You can’t put a price on safety, and with wild animals come diseases and illnesses of all kinds. The last thing you or your inhabitants want is a raccoon with roundworms living right above their heads or bats with histoplasmosis hanging in the rafters above them.
Plus, on a legal level, you may be liable if nuisance wildlife causes any of your residents to get sick. It’s better to avoid these ugly problems altogether and rely on solid, tried-and-tested solutions that will keep your building safe, clean, and critter-free.
How Do You Add Wildlife Exclusion to Your Apartment Building?
By now, the benefits of adding wildlife exclusion to your building should be clear. These products can protect you and your tenants from a host of problems, saving you money and time and providing peace-of-mind for the people who pay you rent.
But how do you get started?
The best thing you can do is reach out to a wildlife control operator in your area. They’ll be well familiar with the kinds of roof-to-foundation solutions offered by brands like HY-GUARD EXCLUSION, and they should be able to provide you with a quote for the job.
Or, if you’d like, feel free to get in touch with us here at HY-C. We have a strong relationship with the National Wildlife Control Operators Association, and we’d be more than happy to help you find a company that can help protect your building against nuisance wildlife.
