What is a San Antonio one-way exclusion door?

In a perfect world, you could evict unwanted San Antonio rodents from your home by simply telling them to leave, and never hearing from them again. There’d be no need for poison, exterminators, or awful smells that linger for weeks at a time. The world is not perfect. Thankfully, there are times when we can get close – and when it comes to ridding your home of squirrels, birds, bats, or rodents, there’s at least one good solution: let them out, and don’t let them back in. It’s surprisingly easy when you have a door that only works one way. Just make sure that’s the only door left.



One-way exclusion doors are the preferred, humane way of getting Texas pests out of your home. They’re quite simple – small, metal pathways mounted over the preferred entrance to your home, with a door attached to a spring hinge at one end. Animals can push it open from the inside, and leave – but they can’t open it from the outside to get back in. As pests venture outside, they’re trapped, and your home slowly and humanely becomes pest free. If you’re going to use this method, however, you need to follow certain rules in order, lest all your effort be wasted.

First, make sure the exclusion door you install is the only opening left for pests to enter your home. It does you no good to install an exclusion door out front, when squirrels and rats are re-entering in back. Professionals can help you here – they’re trained to recognize common entry points in a home, and can plug them quickly. Make sure you do this before installing your exclusion door.

Second, know your pest. San Antonio squirrels usually require a steel door. Bats need a loose cylindrical fabric attached to the exit, allowing them to fly out with ease, but making it difficult to enter. Rats require a door or loose cylindrical mesh, one that stretches to let them leave, but which contracts to prohibit their entry. It’s always easier to squeeze out of something long and cylindrical than to squeeze into it.

Third, mount your exclusion door securely. This might seem like no-brainer advice, but more than a few of us have had our efforts wasted when one corner of our door wasn’t securely fastened, allowing pests to pry their way back into the attic. Don’t rush – if done right, this will save you weeks of effort. If done wrong, it will cost you weeks.

One-way exclusion doors prevent you and your Texas pests from interacting, which – speaking humanely – is best. You won’t be bitten. It keeps the animals in a familiar environment, and while out of your home, they’re still close to known food sources and shelters. It’s one of the kindest ways to remove pests from your home. Just don’t forget to eventually remove the door, and plug the hole.

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