What Is Burrowing Under My Deck, Porch, or Patio, and How Does Huntsman Wildlife Solve the Problem?
You've noticed a hole appearing alongside your patio, disturbed soil beneath your deck, or perhaps an animal disappearing underneath your front porch. Now you're wondering two things: What is living under there, and is it damaging my home?
At Huntsman Wildlife, we approach these situations with a little detective work before we ever begin removing animals.
Step 1: Identifying What's Living Under Your Structure
Skunks, groundhogs, raccoons, opossums, and other wildlife may utilize the protected spaces beneath decks, porches, patios, and other structures for shelter or denning.
But just because you've seen a particular animal in your yard doesn't necessarily mean it's responsible for the burrow.
That's why our first step is typically setting up a wildlife monitoring camera near the suspected entrance.
Camera monitoring allows us to determine:
Species: What type of animal is actually using the space?
Numbers: Are we dealing with one animal or multiple animals?
Activity levels: How frequently are animals entering and exiting?
Behavior: Is the space being used as a temporary shelter, a regularly occupied den, or potentially a location for dependent offspring?
Understanding what's happening beneath your structure allows us to develop a removal strategy based on actual evidence rather than assumptions.
Step 2: Developing a Removal or Eviction Plan
Once we've identified the animals utilizing the space, we can determine the most appropriate course of action.
Depending on the species, circumstances, and time of year, this may involve:
Trapping: Strategically capturing animals utilizing the space.
One-way exclusion devices: Allowing animals to exit while preventing their return.
Hazing: Using appropriate deterrent techniques to encourage animals to voluntarily vacate the area.
Not every animal requires the same approach, and not every situation can be resolved using the same equipment or techniques.
Our goal is to remove the animals ethically, effectively, and without creating additional problems beneath your structure.
Step 3: Making Sure the Animals Are Gone
One of the biggest mistakes in wildlife exclusion is closing an entrance before confirming the space is unoccupied.
Simply because we haven't seen an animal for a day or two doesn't necessarily mean it has left permanently.
During the fall and winter months, once removal or eviction work has been completed, we typically look for a minimum of 72 consecutive hours without documented activity before proceeding with closure.
Camera monitoring helps us verify that animals are no longer utilizing the entrance.
While no monitoring method can guarantee that every concealed space is empty, this verification period provides important evidence that the area has been vacated.
Once we're satisfied the space is unoccupied, we can proceed with closing the access point using an appropriate exclusion method.
Step 4: Why Spring and Summer Can Be Different
Wildlife breeding seasons introduce additional complications.
During spring and summer, some species may be utilizing the space beneath your porch or deck to shelter dependent offspring.
Removing an adult animal and immediately sealing the entrance could leave those offspring trapped beneath the structure.
That's why we pay particular attention to:
Signs of lactation in captured adult females.
Camera activity suggesting dependent offspring may be present.
Vocalizations or other evidence of concealed juveniles.
Species-specific breeding and developmental timelines.
If we suspect dependent offspring are present, we may need to modify our removal strategy, delay exclusion, or take additional steps to ensure the space is properly vacated.
The fastest solution isn't always the correct solution.
Step 5: Closing the Entrance and Preventing Future Problems
Once the animals have been removed and we've verified the space is no longer being utilized, we can address the original access point.
Depending on the construction of your deck, porch, or patio, this may involve installing appropriate exclusion materials or barriers to discourage future wildlife activity.
However, it's important to understand that closing one hole doesn't necessarily prevent another animal from digging a new one nearby.
Soil conditions, available shelter, construction features, and surrounding habitat all influence the likelihood of future burrowing activity.
We'll discuss practical prevention options and any limitations associated with your particular structure.
What About Damage to My Foundation or Structural Concerns?
This is one of the most important questions homeowners ask us.
Animals excavating soil near foundations, footings, patios, and other structures can understandably raise concerns about settling, erosion, or structural stability.
However, Huntsman Wildlife is a wildlife control and exclusion company, not a structural engineering firm.
While our technicians can identify visible burrowing activity and explain how wildlife may be utilizing the area, we cannot determine whether excavation has compromised your foundation or the structural integrity of your home.
If you have concerns about foundation movement, cracking, settling, undermined footings, or other structural issues, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified, licensed professional with expertise in foundation evaluation and structural engineering.
Foundations are complicated systems, and determining whether a burrow has caused damage requires expertise beyond wildlife removal.
Likewise, simply filling an animal burrow with dirt or gravel does not necessarily correct underlying soil or structural problems.
Our responsibility is to address the wildlife activity. A qualified structural professional should evaluate and recommend repairs for any suspected structural damage.
The Huntsman Approach: Identify, Remove, Verify, Exclude
When something starts digging beneath your home, guessing at the species or immediately filling the hole can make a manageable wildlife issue considerably more complicated.
At Huntsman Wildlife, we believe in understanding the problem before attempting to solve it.
By identifying the animals, developing an appropriate removal strategy, verifying that the space has been vacated, and addressing access points, we can provide a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to wildlife activity beneath your structures.
Have something digging beneath your deck, porch, or patio?
Contact Huntsman Wildlife to schedule an inspection. We'll help determine what's utilizing the space, explain your removal options, and identify appropriate next steps.
Huntsman Wildlife — Real solutions start with understanding the problem.