Critter Control of Morgantown

Raccoons living in Morgantown have black masks and striped tails. They can weigh up to 35 pounds, about the size of a large house cat. Raccoons adapt well to residential living. They have no trouble finding food, water, and shelter. They are omnivores and enjoy a variety of nuts, grains, fish, pet food, chickens, eggs, vegetables, junk food, and table scraps.

Raccoons also have dexterous hands. They have a thumb, too, making their hands much like that of humans. The myth of raccoons washing their food underwater before eating is not strictly true. A raccoon’s hand has a lot of nerve endings, and feeling its food helps its brain process what it has a hold of. Its hands have a thin layer of skin that protects them, and when in water, this skin becomes soft, further enhancing the senses in their hands.

Another way you can know raccoons are not washing their food is because they are filthy animals. They don’t care if their food is dirty. They poop in the same water where they feel food. They love being in the water and are excellent swimmers. Raccoons are known to take dips in residential swimming pools and leave feces by the steps on their way out.

Raccoons become a nuisance when they inhabit your attic, chimney, basement, or crawlspace. They will enter your home through a pet door if accessible. Once inside, they gnaw wires, chew wood beams, and contaminate areas where they leave feces and urine. To build nests, they shred insulation, drywall and take any items they find lying around, even your sentimental items.

Raccoons are mostly nocturnal but sometimes sun themselves in the open during the day. They are opportunistic eaters and won’t miss out on good food, so seeing them during the day is possible. However, if you see a raccoon staggering and coming straight toward you, it may be sick, and you should avoid it.

Raccoons will travel several miles for food and, while searching, may cause damage. They can open trash cans and scatter garbage. They dig holes in your lawn, leave greasy smudge marks on siding and walls, and strip bark from trees. They raid gardens, chicken coops, and ponds. Raccoons also carry diseases like rabies.

Avoid the risks of getting rid of a raccoon yourself by hiring a professional to do the job. Experts know how to obtain correct permits for raccoon removal due to its status as a fur-bearing small game animal, and they know how to correctly trap and extract a raccoon safely.

Nine species of rats and mice live in West Virginia. The house mouse and Norway rat are common invaders of local residences. Both adapt well to living among humans and are happy to take up space in and under your home. Rats and mice rely on their sense of smell, which is quite powerful, to help them find food. They don’t typically travel more than 300 feet from their nests, so you can follow them to their nests if you see mouse or rat droppings along baseboards, under appliances, or on countertops.

Rat and mice damage includes gnawed electrical wires, carpets, cabinets, baseboards, and furniture. They gnaw on every type of material because their teeth never stop growing. Their incisors can grow as much as five inches in a year and be painful if not filed down. Gnawing keeps rodent teeth short and pain-free. In addition to gnawing, Norway rats like to burrow underground, specifically under your home. Burrows create gaps in soil that lead to unstable foundations. If you notice your driveway or sidewalks cracking, it may be due to rat activity.

Rodents have no problems entering a home that is not adequately sealed. Mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime, and rats through holes the size of a quarter. If they are denning in your attic or walls, rats will build nests from insulation, drywall pieces, and anything else they find. You will likely hear them scratching, clawing, squeaking, squealing, and rummaging. Rats and mice usually enter the kitchen and pantry, contaminating expensive groceries.

The biggest threat to your home is the ability of rats and mice to reproduce. These animals give birth to a new litter seven or more times yearly. With each delivery, an average of six pups are born. Females are ready to reproduce three months after birth, meaning the number of rodents will continue to grow at an alarming rate. Rats and mice do not live alone. If you see one, you must figure out if you have one family or ten or more living in your home.

Because rats and mice carry diseases and mold spores can grow on their feces, making it harmful to humans if inhaled, call the wildlife experts for help removing them. They know how to set the correct traps and bait for each species, which can differ greatly. They also know where to place traps based on rat and mouse behaviors.

Five total squirrel species exist in West Virginia, but two of the three tree squirrels are commonly caught misbehaving on your property in Morgantown. The Eastern gray and fox squirrels can wreak havoc on your lawn, your home’s exterior, and inside your attic or your walls.

Squirrels are in the rodent family and share traits with rats and mice, like chewing through hard materials to keep their ever-growing teeth filed. They are also commonly found in attics and walls, which can cause a lot of destruction while building nests, leaving feces and urine piles. Squirrels can enter your home through a hole the size of a golf ball.

Squirrels are active during the day. You can see them scurry around your yard, up and down trees, and across your roof. They may appear not to have a purpose, but they are on a mission to collect food and materials for the winter months. They pack the pouches in their cheeks full of nuts, grains, berries, fruits, twigs, buds, bark, insects, bird eggs, smaller rodents, and bird seed.

Collectors must find places to store their treasures. Squirrels choose multiple locations to hide the food they scavenge, including holes in the ground, tree hollows, and your pipes, vents, or wall cavities. They may also use gutters, soffits, fascia, siding, and eaves as mini-storage units. Plugging up these areas creates water and fire hazards for your home.

Squirrels leave their feces and urine near their nests. This waste can contain diseases that may be contracted by humans if mishandled. Squirrels can short out transformers by running and gnawing on utility lines. Call a professional to get rid of squirrels to avoid getting bit or scratched or handling feces.

Fourteen bat species are in West Virginia, some native and some non-native. Bats are one of the most essential parts of our ecosystem. The gray, Indiana, and Virginia big-eared bats are deemed federally endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

Recent years have seen a reduction in the number of living bats. One reason is human disturbance, causing bats to come out of hibernation earlier than they should. Waking up too early causes their fat reserves to deplete too quickly and often results in the death of these animals.

Other bat species are listed as threatened or vulnerable due to diseases spreading through colonies, like the white-nose syndrome. Other factors threatening their existence include climate change, wind turbines, and deforestation.

Bats are fascinating creatures. Bats eat insects, thousands of them every night. This act alone saves America billions in money that would need to be spent on insecticides. They save our crops and our peace of mind. Bats pollinate tropical plants like bananas and mangoes, which would not be available without the help bats provide. Bats also disperse seeds for reforestation.

Two factors make bats a nuisance to homeowners, rabies and guano or feces. One bat tested positive for rabies in Monongalia County last year. That’s one too many for the residents of Morgantown. It is rare for a human to contract rabies but not impossible.

Bats expel much guano both when they are active and when roosting upside down. Although bats clean themselves, they are constantly covered in guano. Bat guano consists of uric acids that corrode wood and metals. Guano also grows mold spores; if humans inhale these spores, respiratory issues can develop.

If you have one bat living in your attic, barn, shed, or other structure, it will take longer for guano to cause damage versus if you have a colony roosting there. Guano is thick and heavy, and piles of it can threaten the stability of beams and flooring. It can leak through floors, down your walls, and into your living space. Mold spores can travel through HVAC ducts and vents into your bedrooms, kitchen, and den.

Contact a wildlife control professional if you suspect a bat is roosting in your home. Don’t risk breaking laws, receiving hefty fines, or getting bit or scratched. Let the experts remove the bat and its guano and sanitize the affected area.

At least twenty snake species live in West Virginia, with only two being venomous: the Northern Copperhead and Timber Rattlesnake. However, most snakes carry bacteria and can pass it on to humans through a bite.

Snake bites are rare since they don’t typically happen unless the snake feels threatened in some way. If you leave a snake alone, it will typically leave you alone. Unfortunately, coming upon a snake can surprise you, and many homeowners have snake phobias.

Snakes are incredibly beneficial to the planet and to humans. They consume rodents, including rats and mice. Without snakes, the rodent population would be much higher. If you see a snake on your property, it is most likely searching for food sources like rats, mice, chipmunks, baby birds, or chicken eggs.

Snakes prefer cool, damp, dark areas so you may find one in your basement or crawlspace, though again, it is probably there to chase a rodent. It may also be looking for a place to shed skin. Most snakes will leave an area shortly after arriving or consuming all the food they can find.

A snake that causes fear is annoying; a professional can certainly remove it from your property. You do not have to live in fear. Experts have catch poles and snake traps to extract snakes quickly. They can also check your home for rodent infestations that attract snakes and create a plan for removal if one exists.