Is something turning over your trash bins while you sleep? Digging holes in your ground? Do you hear chirping in your ceiling or walls? Is there an unfamiliar odor coming from your attic?
You are not alone. Many residents of Cobb County are experiencing the nuisance side of our local wildlife. Raccoons, opossums, rodents, squirrels, bats, skunks, birds, snakes, and many more animals are moving in and taking over. You’re ready to take action.
Because so many wild animals carry diseases, you mustn’t try to solve the problem yourself. It’s best to have professionals who can evict the animals properly, fix damages, and prevent them from coming back. Below are some examples of how we use our inspection, removal, and repair process to handle the most common Marietta nuisance wildlife.
Pests and Nuisance Wildlife in Metro Atlanta
- Raccoon Removal
- Squirrel Removal
- Rats and Mice Control
- Bats Removal
- Snake Control
- Opossum Control
- Bird Control
Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process
Removal
Exclusion and Repair
Raccoons are masked bandits who love the urban lifestyle. They will eat just about anything, from junk food to your backyard chicks. Raccoons can climb trees and spouting to get on your roof. If there is an opening in a vent or chimney, they will enter your attic.
Typical signs of raccoon activity include greasy smudge marks, broken wires, damaged crops, and claw scratches.
They will steal your insulation to pad their nest, chew through wood and wires, scatter trash and debris in your yard, and leave behind loads of feces and urine, which they pile up in one spot referred to as a latrine spot
.
We follow all Georgia laws and work with the Department of Natural Resources when necessary.
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.
Exclusions for Control
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.
No one likes to think they have bats in their attic, shed, or barn — or anywhere else for that matter. But in Marietta, it’s not that uncommon.
Georgia is home to 16 species of bats, all of which can carry diseases, so please do not try to interact with a bat. Here’s why: Bats poop and pee a lot. A bat’s guano is so toxic it can degrade metal and wood. Also, they defecate while sleeping upside down, letting the toxic waste run over their bodies. If you touch the fur, you will be handling their waste.
If you have a bat problem, whether it is one bat or an infestation, call Critter Control for a free bat removal inspection.
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.
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.
There are three species of rats and mice commonly found in homes and buildings throughout Marietta: the house mouse, the Norway rat, and the roof rat. Each one scavenges at night to find food and water. During the day, they hunker down in the nest they created, likely in your attic or walls. To make a nest, they will use any materials nearby, including insulation and clothing.
You will rarely see them, but rodents can travel anywhere, which means they can cause damage anywhere. Often found are sagging electrical wires, chewed boards, and a trail of droppings and smelly urine. They also scurry across your countertops and into your pantry, where they chew through food boxes and ruin groceries.
We can get rid of rats and mice in your home.
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 way to reduce the possibility of letting unwanted rodents into homes is to seal 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.
There are four types of squirrels living in our Marietta neighborhoods: the Fox squirrel, the Eastern gray squirrel, the flying squirrel, and the red squirrel. In Georgia, squirrels are considered both a nuisance and game animals. Always seek the services of a nuisance wildlife removal company to ensure you follow the proper measures.
Squirrels love to collect and store their treasures. Your home may be the perfect storage facility. They can keep watch over their items by building a nest nearby. You will know they are there when you hear them moving around in your attic or running across your roof, anytime day or night.
Squirrels eat nuts, pinecones, bark, bird eggs, seeds, roots, and garden crops. If you’ve got any of these on your property, or if you keep bird feeders stocked, you’ve got squirrels. Before they do too much damage, call us.
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 by squirrel proofing 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.
Birds are everywhere in metro Atlanta. Sparrows, starlings, and pigeons are the only ones not protected by state and federal laws simply because they are not native to our state. All birds can become nuisance birds. They perch on roof ledges, poop on cars and windows, and build nests in eaves and attics. Their poop is acidic and causes corrosion. It carries many toxins that can lead to respiratory diseases in humans.
Birds like to find small spaces to call home, like ventilation ducts, gutters, and soffits. When it rains, water that is supposed to flow away from your home doesn’t. Water is not the only issue, however. The nesting materials they use can clog vents, creating fire hazards.
Let us help!
Inspection
We thoroughly inspect the area for things that attract birds, like harborage and loafing areas, as well as food and water sources. Also, we look for where birds may be entering your home or business. We also inspect for damage caused by birds, whether it’s by nesting, or by droppings.
Bird Removal Services
After identifying the bird species, we may start by physically removing the species in question. In rescue situations, such as chimneys or basements, birds can be released on-site if the entrance has been secured properly. Occasionally, live traps will be used, especially if flocks of birds are involved. For persistent birds and larger flocks, several advanced techniques may be applied simultaneously including netting, spikes, ledge products, scare tactics, misting and more. The most effective method of bird control is prevention and exclusion.
Bird Control Services
We can repair the damage that is allowing birds entry to your home, like broken siding, weakened gutters, rotted soffits and fascia. We can also install protective screens on chimneys and vents. We can also remove nesting materials and accumulated droppings, then clean surface stains. We can use netting over fruit and vegetable crops and water basins. Netting can also be used in car ports, building overhangs and food courts. We also install a large number of different types of roof ledge barriers too.
With nearly 50 species of snakes in Georgia, only six are venomous. That doesn’t stop everyone from being fearful, though.
Snakes easily enter crawlspaces below decks, barns, sheds, coops, and even cars. Snakes enter homes for one of two reason. One is to escape weather conditions. The other is to hunt for food. Rodents like rats and mice make up the bulk of snakes diets. So if you find a snake in your home, you need to investigate for a rodent infestation.
Inspection
Snakes are excellent at avoiding detection. We inspect your home for potential entry points and look for signs like snake skin and feces. Because a snake typically enters a home hunting for food, our wildlife inspector also looks for signs of a rodent infestation.
Removal & Control
Depending on the location, we can set a live trap or direct capture. Exclusion is the most effective way to keep snakes out of your home. If rodents are present, it is essential to exterminate the rodent infestation. Their presence will continue to attract snakes.
Repairs
In addition to dealing with any possible rodent problem drawing snakes to your property, a specialist will assist with sealing possible entry points and also encourage you to remove any debris where snakes can easily take up residence.