Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process
Not only can wild animals be extremely noisy and emit strong odors, but nuisance wildlife can also damage your house and introduce health risks to you and your family.
Critter Control provides professional wildlife control services in St. Louis. Our team of skilled professionals is trained to identify and handle a wide range of critters like raccoons, squirrels, bats, rats, mice, snakes, and birds.
Our wildlife experts provide safe and humane removal of all nuisance wildlife from residential and commercial properties. We prioritize the safety and well-being of our clients by employing humane and environmentally friendly techniques to address wildlife issues. Our long-term animal control solutions include animal trapping, removal, exclusion, and repairs.
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.
Typical Nuisance Wildlife in St. Louis
Located along the Mississippi River and with more than two dozen national and state parks and green spaces, St. Louis is home to a variety of wildlife that can become a nuisance for the metropolitan area’s 2.8 million residents.
There are plenty of the usual suspects, including raccoons, bats, and squirrels, as well as other animals unique to the region, such as moles and snakes. Whether you own a business in downtown St. Louis or live in one of the surrounding suburbs, Critter Control specialists are ready to address your nuisance wildlife issue and remove all unwelcome animals from your property.
Raccoons find plenty of natural habitat—and plenty of food—in the St. Louis area. These clever animals are known to gain easy access to garbage cans, pet food. It’s especially important for St. Louis homeowners to keep their dogs and cats away from raccoons in the backyard, which are infamous for spreading distemper to pets.
Raccoons breed in winter and give birth in spring. Female raccoons will look for safe places to give birth. Attics and roofs make ideal denning locations for pregnant raccoons. Homeowners will hear loud noises like thumping or scratching in the middle of the night. Baby raccoons will make noises like mewing, whining, and chattering.
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.
Squirrels are one of the most visible animals in any urban and suburban setting across the nation. People have become comfortable with these creatures scampering about and they serve the useful ecological function of planting seeds.
Squirrels in attics are a common animal nuisance problem in St. Louis, where the squirrel population is on the rise. The eastern gray squirrel is the critter most prevalent in St. Louis. While they can be entertaining when scurrying about outside, they are no fun to find in your attic or crawl space where they have been known to make a mess and cause electrical fires. They are also carriers of ticks, mange mites, fleas, and internal parasites. Unlike their rodent cousins – rats and mice – squirrels are not nocturnal. So, if you hear scampering noises in your attic in the morning, it’s most likely a squirrel.
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.
Repairs
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.
St. Louis’ location along the Mississippi River means residents and business owners should not be surprised if they find rodents on their properties at some point. As the snow melts into the Mississippi and nearby Missouri Rivers, rising water often forces rats and mice to leave their burrows and seek shelter indoors.
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.
Repairs
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.
Bats are mostly fascinating creatures and the only mammal able to sustain flight. Missouri has 14 species of insect-eating bats, and they are federally and locally protected from harm.
They are not aggressive animals unless threatened, but they do carry a variety of parasites, including fleas, a bat bug (closely related to the bed bug), ticks, and mites. Despite their benefits, the mold that grows in bat guano is a potential danger for diseases such as Histoplasma.
Missouri’s mild climate is perfect for bats. During the winter months, bats that do not migrate to warmer areas may be found hibernating inside buildings. If you have hibernating bats, we will not remove them. But we can start the bat removal process.
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.
Repairs
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.
Birds are mostly endearing creatures, known for their beautiful colors, graceful flight, and lovely songs. But there are some species of birds that make themselves impossible to love such as Canadian geese, starlings, pigeons, and even woodpeckers!
When geese descend upon a yard or field, they can smother it with feces within very short order. Protected by federal laws, adult geese, their nests, eggs, and young cannot be harmed without a permit.
Woodpeckers are sometimes a nuisance when they peck incessantly on the siding of a house. This behavior, done mostly as a mating call, can result in chipped siding and paint, and dents and holes along the trim that is costly to repair.
Starlings are quite common, too, and their large flocks create a lot of noise. Their droppings smell foul, and they can build their nests on home or barn exteriors.
While it is hard to get rid of birds, Critter Control experts can deter these birds from your property and advise on habit modifications that will make your property less attractive to them.
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.
Trapping & Removal
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.
Repairs & Prevention
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.
Groundhogs and woodchucks are the same critter and are the most common marmot in the United States. Woodchucks create extensive burrows with many escape routes and they are not averse to sharing these underground routes with other mammals, such as rabbits, skunks, snakes, or chipmunks.
Their extensive burrowing can weaken foundations and harm paved areas of your yard, such as pathways and driveways. Groundhogs will also eat garden fruits and vegetables and their burrows can dry out the roots of trees.
Groundhog Inspection
Groundhog nesting isn’t hard to spot. Being the largest member of the squirrel family, they have a rather large entrance hole to their nesting spots and they leave a great amount of dirt at their front door.
Groundhog Removal
Once we’ve identified all burrow entrances, the next step is deciding what will work best for the situation at hand. Woodchucks may be excluded from denning under structures with one-way doors, if the structure they’re living under can be sealed with a rat wall. If the area can’t be sealed, then trapping and removing the animal is the best option.
Groundhog Repairs
We can install rat walls to keep groundhogs out of crawl spaces and from entering under decks, sheds, patios and many other locations. Please call us to discuss how this process is completed.
The Critter Control Difference
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.
Financing Available
Critter Control offers in-house financing. Both standard and 90-day same as cash financing options have 12-,18-,24-, or 36-month options. Some projects might qualify for a budgeted plan up to 60 months.
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.
FAQ St. Louis Wildlife
What are some of the most common wildlife issues that homeowners face in St. Louis? We address a lot of bat situations in the metropolitan area along with squirrels and raccoons in attic spaces. We also do a fair amount of rodents (mice/rats) and bird control. We receive many calls on moles, skunks, and groundhogs damaging landscaping around homes.
How do the seasons in Missouri affect wildlife activity? Call volumes generally increase in the spring due to the “critters” waking up from hibernation. Young are also born in the spring, which increases the opportunity for customers to hear or see more activity in both residential and commercial accounts. During the summer and fall months, bats, stinging insects, and burrowing animals such as moles, groundhogs, and skunks keep us busy. In the winter, our primary “critter” calls are squirrels and raccoons in attic spaces. These animals are trying to find warm areas to get out of the weather.
Any prevention tips for St. Louis residents? Animals generally access homes through louvre vents, soffit roof interface gaps, roof vents, power fan vents, general foundation construction gaps, foundation vents, and open chimney flues, which should all be secured. Make sure any critter-related issues are addressed promptly.
When should homeowners call Critter Control? When a homeowner has any concerns of unusual noises or odors coming from their attic or crawl space or if a homeowner notices any unusual activity in or around the yard and landscaping that might have been caused by a critter, give us a call. It could also be that a homeowner just wants an inspection by a trained professional to give them peace of mind that their home is secured and animal-free.
Other Common Wildlife Issues
