Critter Control of Columbus

Raccoons in Ohio are born mischievous. They’ve got the cute masks and banded, bushy tails to prove it. Primarily nocturnal, raccoons look forward to scavenging for food. Their human-like paws aid in their adventures. They can turn doorknobs, lift dumpster and trash can lids, open feed bags, and dig holes in your yard. They search for nuts, grains, insects, chickens, table scraps, fish, and practically anything else.

Raccoons will also steal garden crops and fish from a small pond. Don’t be surprised to catch a raccoon enjoying floating around if you have a swimming pool. They love water. They also love pooping in water and will leave feces behind in your pool.

Raccoons are about the size of a house cat. If you leave your cat door open, it will enter your house to find food and shelter. They prefer nesting in vacant spots, like chimneys, attics, basements, and under decks or porches. If they build a nest in your home, they will use surrounding insulation, drywall, and items not stored properly to make their new home comfortable. They will also scratch wood beams and clog ductwork.

Critter Control experts have a lot of experience with the local raccoons.

Columbus area rats and mice include the Norway rat and the house mice. Do you know those small spaces around wires that run from one room to another? How about that small crack around your window because it no longer closes tightly? Or the teeny-tiny space between your door and the floor? Rats and mice can squeeze through those cracks and holes and more. They will also chew around the area to make it bigger.

Rats and mice are attracted to your property for food first. When they find it, they build a nest nearby. Rats like to burrow underground also. Food found in your yard may be pet poop, feed, nuts, fruit, garden crops, compost, birdseed, and garbage.

Once inside your home, expect to see trails of feces and urine, scattered groceries, and gnaw marks on wires, wood, carpet, and furniture. These tiny critters can cause significant damage. We can help. Call us at the first sign of rat or mice activity. Rodents reproduce five to seven times a year and give birth to five or more babies each time. In less than one year, you could have a severe infestation.

The City of Columbus offers some great tips on rat and mice control, like calling a local animal control company for help.

Everywhere you look in your Columbus neighborhood, you can find a squirrel collecting items and scurrying off to store them. They fill their cheeks with fruits, nuts, bird eggs, grains, vegetables, leaves, bark, and more. Pay attention to where they take their treasures. It may be in your home, like the attic, chimney, ducts, or vents. This can be dangerous, leading to clogs and, in some cases, fires.

Squirrels have teeth that are constantly growing. They must gnaw and chew on hard things to keep them filed down and pain-free. They may chew on the shingles, vent screens, siding, wood, etc., that separates the inside of your home from the outside.

Expect your drywall, insulation, ventilation, electrical wiring, and personal items to be destroyed if they get inside. Our experts know precisely how to get rid of squirrels and prevent them from returning.

We need bats, like the little brown bat, in Columbus. We do. They are essential for our ecosystem. One reason is that they consume thousands of insects each night. Bats are protected in Ohio and throughout the United States due to the threat of extinction from, among other dangers, the white-nose syndrome, a wildlife disease known for killing many bats.

While we need bats, we don’t need them in our attics or chimneys. They are loud, especially when traveling in colonies. They leave large amounts of guano, or feces, wherever they roost. They even poop while roosting, allowing their feces to run down their fur before hitting the floor. Guano grows mold spores that can cause histoplasmosis if humans inhale the spores.

It’s essential never to try to remove a bat by yourself. You don’t want guano on your hands, and some bats carry diseases that can be transmitted through a bite, which may happen if a bat feels threatened. If you have a bat issue, call us. We have the right equipment to get rid of bats.