Critter Control of Athens
The city of Athens encounters plenty of humidity, heat, and rainfall, which help nuisance pests thrive. As home to the University of Georgia, it’s also bustling with people and activity, offering animals easy access to meals and shelter.
Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process
Critter Control is here for you every step of the way in the wildlife removal process. From inspection to removal—and even exclusion and repair—we have the services you need to get rid of raccoons, rodents, and other nuisances fast. First, we identify the animal on the property, then use humane methods to remove the animal and secure weak points where more could enter. If damage has been done, we can make those repairs for a complete restoration. Contact a Critter Control office near you today.
Wildlife Inspection
During the inspection we try to ascertain how many animals there are, where they are located, and how they got in. Based on what you have seen, heard and smelled, we start the inspection where you have noticed signs of animal activity. Evidence of animals inside your home include nests, dens, feces, and animal tracks. We investigate the exterior of your home looking for possible entry points, any evidence of animal damage, tracks, fur, animal waste, or rub marks.
Removal
We use several methods to humanely remove the animal from your home. Depending on the species, the number of animals, and the condition of your property, we develop a custom wildlife removal plan. Humane wildlife removal strategies include animal traps, one-way doors, and repellents. Once we guarantee all animals are gone, we implement exclusion techniques. Exclusion techniques provide a safe, long-term solution to nuisance wildlife in your home. We create barriers to prevent animals from getting to resources. We only apply exclusions once we are sure all animals are gone from your home.
Exclusion and Repair
Wildlife will damage your home. Exclusion techniques repair any damage the animal causes getting into your home. Inside your home, animals build nests and dens out of readily available material. They will create runs through the insulation. Rodents will gnaw on anything including electrical wires and pipes. Animals can also spread diseases. We apply sanitation agents to clean up feces and urine. Mammals can host pests like fleas, ticks, and mites. Ectoparasite treatments exterminate those pests so you don’t become their next host.
Raccoon Removal in Athens, GA
Athens is a comfortable home for raccoons, which often find food in unsecured trash cans and handouts from residents. Raccoons in Athens are commonly found in chimneys, sheds, or attics. While sometimes perceived as harmless animals, raccoons are capable of spreading deadly diseases, including raccoon roundworm and rabies.
Inspection
During the inspection, we determine the severity of the raccoon infestation. We look for physical evidence like footprints in or around the home, stains from raccoon feces and urine. On the exterior of the house, we look for damage like scratches on boards, broken vents and screens, ripped apart shingles, destroyed soffits, and every possible entry point.
Raccoon Trapping
Live trapping is one of the most efficient ways to get rid of a raccoon. Depending on the situation, a one-way door or excluder valve can be installed. An excluder valve works by allowing the raccoon to leave but blocks its reentry. The choice of device is largely dependent on the season and location of the raccoons on your property. Direct capture is not commonly used because raccoons are a rabies vector species. If we must trap, we place traps strategically to safely catch the raccoons and we check traps frequently, based on state laws.
Repairs
We provide a wide range of repair and restoration services. We can repair raccoon damage like broken screens on vents and chimneys and broken boards on decks and porches. It is essential to apply cleaning agents and ectoparasite treatments on areas inhabited by raccoons.
Pest Control for Rats and Mice
The warm climate of Athens allows house mice, Norway rats, and roof rats to thrive year-round. These rodents enter homes through holes in roofs and gaps under doors to nest in attics and wall voids.
Rats and mice contaminate stored foods in kitchens with their waste. They also may gnaw on wiring and rip up insulation.
Inspection
During a rodent inspection, we thoroughly inspect your attic and provide a complete exterior home inspection. The most common signs of rodent activity are gnaw marks, feces, rub marks, nesting material, runs in insulation material, and small entry points.
Rodent Trapping
A Critter Control wildlife specialist will create a strategic trapping plan to remove the rodents found in your home. Critter Control specialists may use snap traps and live traps to capture and remove mice and rats. Rodent trapping can usually takes between five to fourteen days.
Rodent Control
The best pest control for rats and mice is to reduce the possibility of letting unwanted rodents into homes by sealing all possible entrances. Exclusion methods include caulking cracks in foundations, capping chimneys, and installing mesh covers over vents and crawl space entrances. We also strongly recommend a maintenance service. Rodents have front teeth that continuously grow, which means they can gnaw a new way back into your home.
Squirrel Removal in Athens
As temperatures drop in the winter months, squirrels will look to homes and buildings to build nests. Squirrels are commonly found in attics, chimneys, or vents, where they hoard nuts, leaves, and even household items. They also can cause damage by chewing on electrical wiring or tearing up insulation.
Inspection
Wildlife specialists look for signs such as chewing on, in, or around your home, small openings leading to the attic or the crawl space, droppings, and debris like nuts or nesting material. Beams, wires, pipes, and insulation may all show signs of damage from squirrels.
Squirrel Trapping
Live trapping or one-way doors are the most effective and humane ways to get rid of squirrels. One-way doors should never be used during birthing seasons (Spring & Fall), so our specialists will decide which is the best tool for the job. If we have to trap, we place traps strategically to safely catch the squirrels and check those according to state laws.
Squirrel Control
We can restore your home or office after squirrel removal. The best squirrel pest control is keeping them out of your home or business. Exclusions seal all entry points after we have removed the offenders. We can also clean-up the nesting sites and remove any debris, food, feces and soiled insulation.
Bats are a common nuisance to residents of Athens, living in attics, cracks in roofs, or siding. While bats are not aggressive unless acting in self-defense, their ability to spread disease poses a significant threat to home and business owners. Bats can carry rabies, and their foul-smelling droppings can trigger allergies and encourage the growth of dangerous mold.
Inspection
We perform a full interior and exterior inspection and search for signs such as rub marks, guano, a strong scent of ammonia, and small openings. The most common sign is the accumulation of guano (feces).
Bat Removal
The most effective and humane way to remove bats is by utilizing a bat valve in conjunction with a full home exclusion. A bat valve allows for bats to exit your home but not re-enter. We follow all local ordinances for humane bat removal. We will never abandon flightless pups in your attic. Do not call an exterminator for bat control.
Bat Exclusions
After removing the bat valves, we seal the entrance hole(s) so bats can no longer enter your home. If there is substantial guano in your attic, you should consider taking advantage of our attic remediation services to remove the soiled insulation and replace it.
Opossum Control in Athens
The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial native to North America. Their natural habitat is in wooded areas, but they’ve become increasingly comfortable living with humans in suburban areas in Athens. Opossums, like many of the creatures we encounter, are nocturnal. Unless you see an opossum, it may be difficult to discern whether the critters in your attic or yard are opossums, raccoons, squirrels, or rodents. But, you know something’s causing damage or keeping you awake at night with its scampering and vocalizations.
When an opossum is living in your attic, under your deck, or in your shed, it is not advisable to try getting rid of opossums on your own. An opossum can become aggressive if cornered and can bite and scratch. Plus, they carry parasites and diseases that can be transmitted to people and pets.
Inspection
The local pest experts will look for signs of opossum infestations like tracks, droppings, and damage.
Opossum Removal
Critter Control specialists are educated in opossum behavior and can effectively and safely trap an opossum. Untrained individuals do not have the knowledge, resources, and certifications to safely and properly handle the marsupials as professionals do.
Armadillo Control in Athens
The nine-banded armadillo is the only species to live in the U.S. While their diet rids us of potentially harmful insects such as grubs, spiders, and termites, they will also eat root plants in the garden such as carrots and beets. They dig shallow holes in their search for food and shelter, which mars lawns and upturns garden beds, creating the need for armadillo removal.
Signs of Armadillo
Armadillos are mostly nocturnal, so they might be hard to spot on your own. A professional from Critter Control will be able to identify whether you have an armadillo problem based on signs like armadillo holes in the yard, uprooted plants, damaged pavement, and their distinct nose print.
Armadillo Trapping
Armadillos should never be touched as they can become aggressive. And these nuisance animals are known to carry the bacteria that causes leprosy. Trapping and removal of an armadillo should only be done by a Critter Control professional who can ensure the safety of you and the animal.
Armadillo Control
The best way to keep armadillos away is to keep your landscape free from heavy brush and wood piles that attract the pests they love to eat. Barriers like fences are helpful, but only when they go below the soil. Armadillos are known for their climbing skills, but they are able to climb. A yard free of the food sources that attract them will make climbing a fence less desirable to them.
Skunks are mostly known for the foul-smelling spray they emit to protect themselves from danger. They also ruin landscapes, raid gardens, and dig holes under homes and building foundations, making them unstable. Plus, they carry various diseases that are transmitted to humans. Skunk control removes the animal and implements exclusions to prevent them from returning.
If you suspect a skunk infestation, it’s important to ensure it is a skunk before attempting to remove it. Specific signs, like tracks, droppings, and odors, can help you confirm you have a skunk under the shed and the extent of the infestation.
Signs of Skunks
Armadillos are mostly nocturnal, so they might be hard to spot on your own. A professional from Critter Control will be able to identify whether you have an armadillo problem based on signs like armadillo holes in the yard, uprooted plants, damaged pavement, and their distinct nose print.
Skunk Trapping
Skunk trapping is the tactic used to get rid of skunks on your property. Critter Control technicians can quickly locate a skunk den and use trapping techniques to humanely capture and relocate the skunk in your yard.
Skunk Control
Since most lawns contain a wide variety of insects and worms, one of the best ways to deter a skunk from making its home in your yard is to make it difficult for them to find a good place to create a den by adding mesh around structures so they cannot get underneath and keep your yard free of brush.
Other Common Wildlife Issues
The Critter Control Difference
Critter Control Guarantee
Your satisfaction is always guaranteed. We provide reliable prevention from future intrusions. Resolving a nuisance wildlife issue calls for more than trapping and removing the critter. Our exclusion services offer immediate and long-term wildlife solutions.
Trained Specialists
Animal removal is a highly sophisticated job. As such, we vet and train our team members to ensure they have the knowledge and skill to remove any pest from your building. Our wildlife experts utilize advanced removal and exclusion techniques and damage repair.
Residential and Commerical
Invading nuisance wildlife can wreak havoc on property. If left unattended wildlife and pests can cause costly property damage. Whether a residential property, apartment buildings, retail stores, office buildings, industrial plants, medical facilities, or warehouses, our trained professionals can handle any wildlife removal problem.
What are some of the most common wildlife issues that homeowners face in your area?
Squirrels – The pests create serious problems by nesting in chimneys or invading attics and wall voids. In addition, a squirrel can carry fleas and ticks, which may spread to humans and domesticated animals. A squirrel nesting in an attic will gnaw on beams or wires, which can lead to costly repairs or fire hazards.
Raccoons– Active year around, these nocturnal animals can cause serious damage to yards and gardens and often create dens beneath a porch or worse yet, inside your crawl space.
Bats – Because bats feed at night, South Carolina residents rarely see them. However, these pests are dangerous when roosting in attics, chimneys, walls, or outbuildings. Homeowners should avoid exposure to bat waste, since their droppings may develop fungal spores that, when inhaled, can cause histoplasmosis. Bats inside your living space should be handled only by professionals because bats can carry rabies and will bite or scratch when they’re handled.
Rats/Mice – Because of their size, rats can gain access to your home through small holes in your roof or other means. They can pose a threat to your home by ripping out insulation, ruining walls, and chewing up belongings. They also may pose a health threat to your family.
How do the seasons affect wildlife activity in Athens, GA?
Squirrels are more active in fall and winter. Raccoons are active year-round. Bats are active in the summer months. Opossums are active year-round and snakes are typically more active in the summer.
What are some common signs of nuisance wildlife activity?
Exterior damage to your home. Noises in walls, attic, or crawlspace, typically louder at night. Damage to your yard/garden beds. Stains on ceiling or in walls. Strange odor(s) in the home.
Any prevention or exclusion tips for residents in your area?
Inspect your home regularly. Nuisance wildlife can enter through existing holes or create their own entry. Early detection is the key to limiting damage to the home. A Critter Control professional will perform a thorough inspection of your home or building and provide a solution to extract the nuisance wildlife. Once removed, Critter Control of Greenville guarantees all repair work.
When should homeowners call you?
You should call us at the first sign of suspected wildlife intrusion/damage. A trusted, experienced professional will perform a thorough inspection of your property and suggest legal and humane solutions to your nuisance wildlife problem.
This franchise is independently licensed and operated by Pest Solutions, LLC, dba Critter Control of Greater Athens, GA.
