As the third-largest inland area in the nation, it’s no wonder Oklahoma City has so much wildlife. We have beloved animals, like the Bison, the scissor-tailed flycatcher, the European honeybee, and the North American bullfrog. We also have wildlife considered a nuisance. They may look cute but can damage your home and property. The most common around Oklahoma City include squirrels, rodents, bats, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and snakes.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife has established rules on how to capture and remove nuisance wildlife. Because you, the property owner, are solely responsible for solving your nuisance wildlife problem, you may want to call Critter Control.
Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process
Animal Trapping and Removal
Exclusion and Repair
In Oklahoma, we have gray, fox, ground, and flying squirrels active in every season. They love to scurry along power lines and the roof of your home, then scavenge on the ground. Squirrels constantly collect items to build nests, usually in your attic or under eaves.
Squirrels chew on power lines, wires, walls, and insulation. They dig holes in your yard and damage everything from roof shingles to garden crops. To get rid of squirrels, it may be best to call professionals who have the permits and equipment.
We can help. Here’s how:
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
Squirrel Exclusions
Call immediately if you are noticing small holes around your yard during the summer! Armadillos will destroy your lawn and dig up your gardens. They become a bigger problem if their burrows (usually 7 or 8 inches in diameter and up to 15 feet in length) start to undermine structures on your property.
Armadillos generally pose no direct threat to people. More than 90 percent of the armadillo’s diet is insect matter so having one on your property can help with pest control.
Inspection
Call immediately if you are noticing small holes around your yard! During the inspection, our professionals look for signs of armadillos such as: shallow holes, uprooted plants, damaged pipes or wires, burrow entrances near structures, and cracks in sidewalks, driveways, and foundations.
Armadillo Trapping
Cage traps with a funnel is an effective removal strategy. Armadillos can be unpredictable so cage placement needs to be strategic. Armadillos have strong front legs and sharp claws that can destroy certain types of traps.
There are no fumigants, toxicants or repellents registered for the control of armadillos.
Exclusion Control
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 Exclusion
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.
When you see their cute faces with natural masks, you don’t think about your attic walls stained with feces and urine or the torn vents and gnawed beams. But you should. Raccoons can do a lot of damage with their strong hands and feet, claws, and lack of care for your property.
Raccoons carry diseases that are present in their feces. They use any materials they find to build nests, including your drywall, insulation, or treasured family photos left out in the open in the attic.
We can help. Here’s how:
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.
Raccoon Control
We provide a wide range of repair and restoration services. We repair exterior damage and seal raccoon entry points. Blocking the raccoons is the best form of raccoon pest control. 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.
Where there is one, there are more. Whether you see the local Norway rat, roof rat, or the house mouse, call us. Many homeowners try to DIY rodent removal but calling the experts is still a good idea because rats and mice multiply at high rates and can fit through holes the size of a pen. Plus, rodent removal can be gross. We have protective gear to keep everyone safe.
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.