Animal Living Under Shed

Animal Living Under Shed

Animal living under shed is more common than you think!

Raccoon living under deck, and fox living under deck are examples of the type of animals that may find refuge under decks. However, one thing homeowners forget about is under their shed since there’s barely any room. However, you’ll read stories of animals that live under sheds as well. From rats living under shed to rabbits and skunk living under shed. In this article, we’ll tell you our story on how we resolved the issue.

It began with our Shed

Last summer, we decided to install a shed as an additional storage for all the things we couldn’t fit in our garage. One thing we didn’t take into consideration are the animals that could find shelter under the shed. It was not long until we discovered small pathways being dug under the shed so we lifted up the plywood flooring and found a family of mice running around. They were able to escape from other holes which was not visible at first glance.

Unwanted Pathway Discovered

A pathway indicating an animal is living under the shed.

Right away, we started doing some research and there were plenty of information on the Internet.

Among the most popular animals for living under your deck and shed:
  • Rats, mice and other rodents.
  • Raccoons.
  • Opossums or possums.
  • Chipmunks.
  • Feral and stray cats.
  • Woodchucks.
  • Skunks.
  • Otters.

 



Plan A – Dig & Pour Concrete Mix around the edges

There was only option which we thought would be reasonable for us to accomplish. We ended digging about 1-2 inches and filling the borders with concrete mix.

Exposing the areas on where to pour the concrete mix.

Once this was done, we waited a week and inspected under the plywood again and saw that there were holes exposed due to the concrete mix falling apart and the gap of the hole being too large.

Holes where animals can sneak under the shed.

Discover rodent's nest location under the shed.

We quickly came up with a plan B, which was to cover those holes with All-purpose Stone and large support rocks.

At Last

Since then, we have checked two more times over the course of 8 months, and there are no more intruders.

 



Alternative Solutions

Obviously, what we did was not the most effective solution, but it was optimal for us. Here are some alternatives methods that are proven very effective and may work for you.

Another option would be the No Dig solution and to cover the holes with hardware cloth and put Patio blocks to block any holes.

Ideally, we would have liked to setup the Trench-and-Screen Method, which is most effective,  but it was more labor and time involved. Here are the steps for those interested.

  1. Start by digging a trench about 12 inches deep around the opening and install 1/4 to 1/2 inch wire mesh, hardware cloth or strips of lattice. The material must be at least 12 inches wider than the area you intend to cover.
  2. Bend the material into an L-Shape, which helps prevent animals digging under the material. For lattice, bury the bottom at least 2 feet deep to ensure animals can’t dig under it.
  3. Fill the trench with soil and pack it so it’s tight
  4. Secure the top edge of the mesh to the underside, using nails or garden staples for wooden shed/decks or garden stakes if you have a shed/deck that is made of plastic or metal.

Prevention

The best thing is to avoid creating an environment for any animals to feel like it’s habitable. If the areas are dark and closed in, it will entice any of them to build their home. Make sure all openings are covered and before you cover up any holes, make sure you confirm there are nothing living there now. Animals like dark, dry and quiet areas so making some adjustments to your current setup such as letting more light into the area and/or closing up the holes would help.

Final Thoughts on Animal living under shed

We may not always know what we’re dealing with and it may be best to leave it to the professionals such as the wild life authorities to handle any animal evictions or even build out the solution listed above.  Avoid using poisons or traps, because these may kill non-targeted animals or kill an animal that would be difficult to reach and remove.




Items Frequently Bought for this Project

Note: These sizes may differ from your project needs, carefully review the specs before purchasing 

(Garden Staples, Mesh)

Staples for holding things down.Landscape staples for keeping things down.The fence to keep animals out from your shed.

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