Wildlife Removal in Fredericksburg, VA
Fredericksburg is known for some extraordinary historical landmarks, but there are also some hidden gems. We’re talking about the local wildlife roaming our neighborhoods and damaging our yards and homes. The three B’s: bats, birds, and bees are common culprits in Fredericksburg. We also see skunks, opossums, snakes, raccoons, and rodents.
If you are bothered by any local wildlife, we can take care of it. Below are a few examples of how we inspect, remove the animal, and repair your property.
Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process
Critter Control is here for you every step of the way in the wildlife removal process. From inspection to removal—and even exclusion and repair—we have the services you need to get rid of raccoons, rodents, and other nuisances fast. First, we identify the animal on the property, then use humane methods to remove the animal and secure weak points where more could enter. If damage has been done, we can make those repairs for a complete restoration. Contact a Critter Control office near you today.
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.
One of the most common squirrel in the Fredericksburg to take up residence in your attic is the flying squirrel. Because their agility gives them easy access to your roof from tree branches and utility wires, they can take advantage of a vulnerability to squeeze through a hole or make one.
Tree squirrels have two litters per year, in late summer and winter when they give birth to three to four young. They are nocturnal and can be discovered as they scamper about above your head as you try to sleep.
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.
Raccoons are one of the most common nuisance animals found throughout the nation. Raccoons normally make their homes in trees where they feel safe from predators, but as habitats shrink, homeowner attics and chimneys are taking the place of trees. These agile creatures create large holes in roofing and soffits to gain entry, causing significant damage.
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.
Let’s say you wake up one morning to find your basement flooded with water. You check all the pipes and water lines but see nothing broken. You are shocked to learn the flooding was caused by a beaver who dammed up a nearby creek.
Beavers are mini architects and engineers and like to build homes in, around, and under waterscapes. While the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources reports a landowner can legally kill a beaver that has damaged property, we have a better way of getting rid of the wildlife.
Inspection
We not only inspect the areas damaged in your home, but we also inspect your yard and surrounding properties, as well as nearby water sources. We want to find the dams, holes, and nests created by the beaver.
Trapping and Removal
We use specific wildlife exclusion methods to safely and humanely trap and relocate beavers back into the wild, far away from your property.
Repairs
We are happy to repair the damage caused by beavers. This can mean cleaning out flooded areas, filling in holes in the ground, and installing a better drainage system to redirect water away from your home.
The most common rodents found in Fredericksburg are the field mouse, house mouse, Norway rat, and roof rat. If you find one of these in your home, many more are likely nearby. Because a rodent infestation can multiply, call us for help at the first sign. Here’s why calling us is better than trying to get rid of them yourself.
Inspection
Our inspection involves looking into all the nooks and crannies inside, on the roof, in crawl spaces, and in the yard of your home. We can identify mouse droppings, examine pantries for invasion, and check wires and wood for signs of chewing. We also locate entry points. Because mice can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter, we find those too.
Trapping and Removal
We create a custom trapping system that will attract every species of rodent. When possible, we remove and relocate the animal.
Repairs
Rodents, even the smallest ones, can do severe damage. We can repair wiring, patch holes, remove nests, fill in ground burrows, remove debris, and close all entry points, even the ones the size of a quarter.
Virginia is for lovers and love
birds and nuisance birds. Pigeons, sparrows, European starlings, and woodpeckers are a few examples. They seem harmless until they wipe out a fruit crop, leave droppings that can carry disease, and build nests that clog your gutters. If you have a woodpecker near your home, you get to wake up each morning to constant pecking noises, the ones that represent hundreds of
holes in your wood home or trees.
We can help
stop the madness.
Inspection
The inspection requires a little more for birds than other animals because of the many different species in Fredericksburg. We conduct an extensive investigation of the birds living on your property, including inside and outside your home and in the trees in your yard. We find their nests, identify droppings, locate entry points, and examine the damage in your landscape.
Trapping and Removal
Removing birds from your home and property is more about implementing deterrents, like spikes, netting, wire, electrical or acoustic solutions. Each bird may require a different answer.
Repairs
A primary goal in repairing bird damage is to clean and sanitize, remove nests, and secure entry points. We also improve food and water sources to attract the right birds to your area.
Virginia is home to over 15 species of bats, including the gray, Indiana, and Virginia Big-Eared bats that are protected under the Federal Endangered Species act. Plus, in Virginia, it is illegal to transport or relocate a bat anywhere other than the property on which it was caught.
Most people are repulsed by bats, but these creatures are predominantly beneficial and can eat enormous quantities of insects in a single night. In your attic or behind your shutters, they pose health risks to you and your family that require their removal.
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.
Now that the cicadas are appearing, snakes are coming out in droves in Fredericksburg. They love to
eat cicadas and are bothered by the sound the insects make. While snakes don’t do too much damage to your home or property, they don’t mind hanging out wherever they choose. They can make
appearances at the neighborhood barbecue, in the basement laundry room, or even your vehicle.
If the snake in your yard is
poisonous, you and your pets are in danger. We can take away your worries by
removing snakes from your property.
Inspection
Snakes are excellent at avoiding detection. We inspect your home for potential entry points and look for signs like snake skin and feces. Because a snake typically enters a home hunting for food, our wildlife inspector also looks for signs of a rodent infestation.
Removal & Control
Depending on the location, we can set a live trap or direct capture. Exclusion is the most effective way to keep snakes out of your home. If rodents are present, it is essential to exterminate the rodent infestation. Their presence will continue to attract snakes.
Repairs
In addition to dealing with any possible rodent problem drawing snakes to your property, a specialist will assist with sealing possible entry points and also encourage you to remove any debris where snakes can easily take up residence.
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.
Guaranteed Work
Your satisfaction is always guaranteed. Critter Control® takes great pride in providing quality workmanship resulting in customer satisfaction.
Other Common Wildlife Issues