The Critter Control FAQ page is your source for answers to some of the most frequent wildlife control questions our customers ask. Here, you’ll find information about common pest problems, the wildlife removal process, and our various services. Browse these FAQs to find the answers you’ve been looking for, and contact your local Critter Control branch if you have additional questions or need more information about what we do and how we operate.
CRITTER CONTROL FAQS
What do you do with trapped animals?
Does Critter Control kill animals?
How much does the service cost?
I hear scratching noises, what could it be?
I think I have birds in my chimney, can you get them out?
SERVICE RELATED QUESTIONS
I’m not going to be home, can you still do the work?
Can I make an appointment for a specific time?
Do you sell traps so I can do this myself?
Q: What do you do with the animals you trap?
A: That answer depends on the state in which you live. Each state has their own laws that dictate what we must do when it comes to controlling wildlife on your property. In some states, we can trap, transfer and release the animals. In some states we can trap the animals, but we can only release them back onto your own property. If you don’t want the animal released on your property, it must be humanely euthanized. Sometimes we don’t even need to trap the animal and a simple exclusion device (one-way door) can be installed to allow the animal to exit your home and be locked out.
Please contact your local Critter Control® office at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) to see what can be done in your state.
Q: Does Critter Control kill animals?
A: It is in our mission statement to treat animals ethically and humanely. We use only humane trapping and prevention services. The goal of our exclusion services is to prevent not to kill. Each state has its own laws that dictate what we must do when it comes to controlling wildlife on your property.
Q: How much does it cost to remove an animal?
A: There are a number of factors that determine pricing; location of the animal (i.e. – chimney, attic, crawl, wall void, living area), condition of the animal (i.e. – sick, aggressive, dead), location and condition of the property and time of year (i.e. – weather condition, offspring present?). Generally speaking, pricing will vary by location and species for just the animal removal and that pricing usually does not include the entry repair.
Please contact your local office at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) to get an estimate.
Q: I hear scratching noises. What could those be?
A: It’s nearly impossible to properly identify what animal you have invading your space over the phone, which is why we prefer to do a complete home inspection to properly identify what animal you’re dealing with and how it entered. Here are some of the tell tale signs we can offer you, that may indicate you have following animals:
- Light scratching/chewing on your wall/ceiling any time of the day/night that sounds identical to you scratching the wall with your fingernail and if you tap on the wall/ceiling and the activity ceases for a short period of time and begins again, this is typically mouse activity.
- Scratching/scampering or rolling noises in your attic in the morning, or early evening, and nothing at night, this is typically squirrel activity.
- Footsteps and heavy rolling in the attic, possible “chirping bird” sounds in April-June, this is typically raccoons.
Please contact your local franchise at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) for proper animal identification.
Q: I think I have birds in my chimney, can you get them out?
A: The answer to that question is most likely “Yes”, but are you sure what you’re hearing is birds? Raccoons easily invade chimneys and they have their litters on the smoke shelf of fireplaces. The sounds baby raccoons make are often mistaken for birds in chimneys and removal can be difficult. The only birds that nest in chimneys are chimney swifts and they’re federally protected, so removal can’t be performed, but exclusion can be – once they depart. If you have a pre-fabricated chimney and birds fall between the cooling tubes, removal is nearly impossible.
Please contact your local franchise at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) to have your chimney/fireplace inspected and have them install a professionally-built chimney cap, to prevent animals from entering the single largest hole in your home.
Q: How soon can you get here?
A: Office hours vary from franchise to franchise, but generally speaking, office hours are 8am – 6pm M-F and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays. Some offices offer 24/7/365 service, but you should contact your local franchise at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) to get their service hours.
Q: Do you service my area?
A: We have 100+ offices coast-to-coast, in every major market in the U.S. Each of our offices service several counties in their marketplace, so if you see one close to you in our Office Finder, chances are they’ll service you. We also have sister companies that expands our coverage even further. Please contact your local franchise at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) to see if you’re in their service area.
Q: Do you guarantee your work?
A: Critter Control takes great pride in providing quality workmanship resulting in customer satisfaction. Our many customer ratings published by satisfied customers across the U.S. and Canada prove this statement true. We’ve been solving nuisance wildlife issues for residential and commercial customers for over 30 years. Nuisance wildlife and related issues can vary greatly market-to-market, therefore each Critter Control location has a satisfaction guarantee tailored to the market they serve. When contacting your local Critter Control office for services, be sure to ask about the satisfaction guarantee they offer.
Q: I’m not going to be home, can you still do the work?
A: We prefer that somebody is at your location when we arrive, so we may discuss options after our inspection, but we understand that isn’t always possible. In those rare circumstances, we can take pictures of what we find and email them to you. You’ll then have the opportunity to discuss the next steps to solving your problem. Please contact your local franchise at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) to schedule your appointment today.
Q: Do you accept credit cards?
A: Most of our 100+ locations do accept most major credit/debit cards. Please contact your local franchise at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) to see what payment options they accept.
Q: Can I make an appointment for a specific time?
A: The answer to that question is only “Yes” if you’re the first appointment in the day. Let us explain. Wildlife control involves dealing with living, thinking creatures, that often don’t want to cooperate, so we never know how long each job will take. We tend to book 60-90 minutes for each stop, but any number of things can make that time too short. The best we can do is give you a window of time when we should arrive, and we’ll do our best to make that, but we generally can’t guarantee late-day scheduled appointment times and we ask for your patience if your technician is late.
Q: Do you sell traps so I can do this myself?
A: Yes, we have a complete supply store and you can find all of our products online here. If you need help removing trapped animals, or your do-it-yourself project goes awry, please contact your local franchise at 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837) for assistance.