Critter Control of Spokane

Raccoons are plentiful throughout Washington state. Although they prefer to live in the woods near a stream, they have adapted well to living among the humans who have spread into their habitat. It is not uncommon for raccoons to be seen in the urban and suburban parts of Spokane.

Their populations have grown considerably because of hunting and trapping restrictions because there are few predators in populated areas and because of the food humans supply to them. Raccoons are not great hunters, but they will eat about anything they find, making populated areas an easy place to find a continuous supply of food from trash cans and pet food left outside.

Raccoons are wily, strong, and determined animals that can easily rip through your roof to make your attic its home. Their hands have thumb-like digits that can claw and tear their way into your home. And, once inside, the damage they do can be even more serious and costly.

Raccoons are mostly solitary animals. Chances are, if you have a raccoon, it is a female looking to raise her young.These nuisance animals are not subtle. The telltale signs include a hole in your roof larger than one a squirrel or rat might make. They are most active at dusk and dawn, so they will also create a bit of noise thumping around. In addition, their footprints are pretty distinct and can easily be recognized by a Critter Control technician.

Raccoons like to create a singular place to use as a bathroom, so you can expect to find a pile of feces. Roundworm is a common parasite in Washington state raccoons that can cause illness in pets and people.

Critter Control rids your house of your resident raccoon by live trapping and returning it to a more natural, wooded habitat. If there are kits, they will be transported with them. If the kits are too young, a wildlife rehabilitator is called in to help.

Never try to get rid of a raccoon on your own. They become aggressive when cornered, especially if kits are present. In addition, they are carriers of rabies and parasites. Other viruses and bacteria that are of concern to both people and pets include canine distemper, canine parvovirus, salmonella, tularemia, and leptospirosis.

Mice are one of the worst pest infestations one can have because of the costly damage they create, the health risks they pose, and how quickly they reproduce..

The incisor teeth of rodents grow continuously throughout their lives. They are voracious gnawers because that is their way of keeping these teeth at a manageable length. This trait is what makes them so successful at gnawing their way into homes. Once comfortably inside, they will continue to gnaw pathways, chewing through wood, floorboards, and even electric wires, creating a fire hazard.

These gnaw marks are one of the sure signs of a rodent problem. Other signs to look out for are feces and urine in your pantry, drawers, and counters, and greasy smudge marks left behind along walls and floorboards where they travel often. By the time you see an actual mouse or rat, you could already have an infestation, as these creatures are nocturnal and like to move about under the cover of night.

Depending on the size of the infestation and where the rodents are nesting, your wildlife technician will put together a custom plan for eradication. The process can take anywhere from seven to ten days. Once rats and mice are gone, the gaps through which these mice entered will be sealed. Then repairs and sanitation can take place.

Most people think of squirrels as cute, energetic, and bushy-tailed animals. They are found all over the world except Australia and Antarctica. Opinions about squirrels differ vastly. There are those who think they are adorable and love to watch them in the park or even feed them. Then there are those who only consider them a nuisance.

Even though we don’t think of them as rodents, squirrels are in the rodent family but in a different suborder than rats and mice. They are closely related to prairie dogs, chipmunks, and marmots. Unlike rats and mice, which are nocturnal, squirrels are diurnal. They are active by day and are most active at dawn and dusk.

There are more than 200 species of squirrels categorized into three types. Tree squirrels make nests in trees. Ground squirrels dig systems of tunnels underground, and flying squirrels live in tree holes or in nests they make in crooks of branches. It is a myth that flying squirrels can fly. They spread a muscle membrane between their legs and body to glide up to 160 feet in the air, making it look like they are flying.

Squirrels are all around us, so it’s hard not to have some on your property. The trees around us contain the acorns and other nuts in a squirrel’s diet, and the trees provide them with a home and cover from predators.

It isn’t a far stretch for squirrels on your property to come inside your house. Your home is a safe haven from predators and a warm home for them and their young in harsh temperatures.

Signs of squirrels in your attic or chimney include

• Scurrying and squeaking noises in the walls early in the morning and again at dusk.
• Squirrel droppings in and around the house.
• Chewing damage on the outside of your home on the roofline, soffits, or shingles.
• A foul smell coming from the attic, chimney, or crawlspace. If a squirrel has made a nest in your home, the smell of the accumulation of urine and feces will penetrate into your living area.
• Yard damage, such as a dug-up lawn or bulbs, chewed bark, and eaten fruits and vegetables from the garden.

If you suspect you have squirrels in your house, it’s imperative to get rid of them as quickly as possible because the damage they create is costly and sometimes dangerous. They will gnaw on wood, tear insulation to use for their nests, and chew on wires. In addition, they will defecate, and this causes rot as well as a health issue. Squirrels also carry parasites such as ticks, mites, and fleas that can infest your home.

Few mammals have been as misunderstood as bats. They are extremely beneficial to our environment and economy, yet they instill fear and horror. The theory is that bats appeared on Earth about the same time as dinosaurs, about 65 to 100 million years ago. There are around 1,300 bat species worldwide. They account for about one in every five mammals living on the planet, yet they are mostly invisible to us.

Bats live on almost every continent, but there are only about 15 species living in Washington state. All of them are insectivores. Bats can eat up to 600 to 1,000 flying insects, such as mosquitoes, beetles, and stink bugs, in just one hour. They also help farmers by eating tomato hornworms, cucumber beetles, and earworms from our crops.

In the rainforest, bats pollinate the flowers of countless trees important to our continuing existence. And in Africa, the baobab is an important ecosystem that depends almost exclusively on bats for pollination. Without bats, the baobab ecosystem would collapse. Bats are also key to maintaining pollination for many of the foods we love: bananas, mangoes, cashews, dates, avocados, and much more. All in all, the U.S. pollination of agricultural crops by bats is valued at $10 billion and $3.7 billion in pest control services per year, according to biological diversity.org.

Bats are all around us in Spokane and every other city in the nation. Because they are nocturnal, we may not notice them. And it’s hard to notice them when they decide to roost in your chimney or attic—or behind shutters. While we love the good bats do, they pose health risks when roosting in our homes.

Bats don’t have the physical capability to create an entrance into our homes, but they do take advantage of the weak spots that exist. Once within our walls, the guano they produce is the real danger as it carries parasites and can cause disease.

Signs of bats include an ammonia smell of their urine, smudge marks along areas where they fly in and out, and squeaking noises within the walls. Bats are federally protected and cannot be harmed. In addition, their young, born in spring, are helpless until fall. So if you have bats in your attic, fall is when you can get rid of them. Critter Control will install a one-way door or bat valve that lets the bats fly out but does not let them return once the bats have left. The bat valve is removed, and the entryway is sealed.