Critter Control of Lake Tahoe

Get them out.
Keep them out.®
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(530) 328-1128

Lake Tahoe straddles the California and Nevada borders and is surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Sierra Nevada and Carson mountain ranges. Scientists flock to this lake to study its magnificent blue color, and more than 290 types of animals call this region home, 305 of which are on the endangered species list. Residents, government agencies, and environmentalists alike work to keep a delicate balance between people and wildlife whose habitats are slowly lessening.

Even with the large amount of natural habitat here, Critter Control is regularly called upon to get rid of, exclude, and repair the damage caused by animals that encroach upon residential and tourist areas for shelter. These include raccoons, bats, rodents, snakes, and more.

Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process

There are three important reasons to depend on Critter Control experts to identify, get rid of, and repair damage created by nuisance animals. Many of these creatures, while not dangerous, carry diseases and parasites you should not expose yourself to. In addition, some wildlife can become aggressive when cornered. And there are many laws and regulations that require adherence.

STEP 1

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.
STEP 2

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.
STEP 3

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.

Raccoon Removal

Raccoons are a common problem for Lake Tahoe property owners as these animals have become accustomed to raiding the trash cans of residents, businesses, and rental properties. Once they find a steady source of food, it won’t take long before they target a nearby attic, chimney, or crawlspace to settle down in and have their young. Unfortunately, they can cause a lot of damage to homes and businesses. They are also a host to diseases and carry parasites such as ticks, fleas, and mites.

Raccoons are neither endangered nor protected in Lake Tahoe. But there are regulations for trapping and relocating raccoons that make hiring a professional nuisance wildlife company the most advantageous way to get rid of raccoons.

Inspection

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

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

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.

Rodent Control

Rats and mice are considered to be the most abundant mammals on our planet, so a property owner’s chances of experiencing a rodent infestation are fairly high. Residential, business and investment property attics and basements are a few of the spaces these pests like to make their home. They reproduce quickly and often, making it imperative to get rid of rats and mice quickly. They can breed up to 12 times per year, having around five to six babies at a time. Having even one mouse or rat in a home can quickly turn into an infestation.

Rodents’ teeth grow throughout their lives. Gnawing is their method for filing down these teeth to a manageable length. While in your home, they will chew through electric wires, walls, and floors to create pathways to pantries, kitchens, and restaurant storage areas. Damage made to insulation, wires, and walls will be repaired. Their nesting area will be cleaned and sanitized. All holes and gaps into the home or business property where rodents can enter will be sealed.

Inspection

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

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

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.

Squirrel Removal

As in many regions of the nation, Lake Tahoe has a large population of both ground squirrels and tree squirrel species, including the Douglas squirrel, Chickaree, and Golden-mantled squirrel among them. The golden mantle is considered to be quite tame and unafraid of humans. They are often mistaken for chipmunks because of their similar coloring and markings. They especially love to hang around campsites and restaurants, hoping to be fed, so it’s best to remember that these rodents are best off lunching on their natural diet of pine cones, seeds, and nuts.

The more squirrels and humans interact, the more likely they will continue to move into residential, business, and vacation properties where they can damage structures and gardens. Should this happen to you, Critter Control is a full-service nuisance wildlife control company that can detect, remove, exclude, and repair the damage these mischievous creatures create.

Inspection

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 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

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. 

Bat Removal

There are a total of 11 species of bats living in the Lake Tahoe Basin, all of which are insectivores that can easily eat up to 1,000 small insects in a single hour. A nursing mother bat eats even more, sometimes up to 4,000 in a single night. While they are quite beneficial to our living environments and to the ecology of the globe, when roosting in the attic or chimney of your home or vacation rental, it is best to get rid of them in a humane way.

Even when not endangered, bats are protected across the nation, and Lake Tahoe is no exception. Sealing all gaps and holes is key to not allowing bats to re-enter the property and is part of the Critter Control process. While bats do not cause structural damage, it is important for the roost to be cleaned and sanitized completely, as bats often carry parasites such as mites, ticks, and fleas.

Inspection

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

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

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.

Skunk Control

Skunks are known for foraging for food in trash bins and pet food bowls. Skunks can dig up an entire yard in a single night searching for grubs. They're distinctive black and white fur, and their pungent odor that can linger for days, are unmistakeable. If you happen to cross paths with a skunk, do not try to scare it away. Please also remember that skunks can carry rabies; therefore, it’s best to let a professional handle removal for you.
Inspection

Inspection

In addition to noting any pungent odors that signal the presence of a skunk, we will inspect the condition of your landscaping, as skunks are known for tearing-up lawns and shredding grass while hunting for grubs and insects. We will also inspect the perimeter of your building's foundations and under decks, to locate burrows.
 

Trapping and Removal

Trapping and Removal

Never try to remove a skunk from your property yourself. Getting sprayed is a very unpleasant experience. Furthermore, these animals may carry diseases that can spread to humans and pets, such as rabies. Our specialists will use live traps to capture and remove skunks for you, or they'll use a one-way exclusion device to evict skunks from their harborage areas. The most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification.
Skunk Control

Skunk Control

The most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification. Methods like sealing foundation gaps, replacing and screening broken foundation vents and installing hardware cloth (rat walls) around unprotected sheds and decks are the most effective and permanent ways to keep skunks out.
We recommend keeping pet food inside and securing any trash bins.

Opossum Control

Opossums are fascinating animals. They are North America’s only marsupial, and they have more teeth (50) than any other North American mammal. Mostly insect eaters, they are also happy to forage through any food that is left outdoors in the form of trash, pet food, compost, and gardens. They are excellent climbers and will enter attics but most often will take over a basement, shed, or crawlspace.

Critter Control recommends getting rid of an opossum quickly as they can transmit disease and parasites to both humans and pets.

Inspection

Inspection

Opossums can be found inside attics and basements or outside under decks and sheds. Common signs include unique paw prints and feces. Opossums are docile and usually easy to spot.

Trapping & Removal

Trapping & Removal

Opossums can be lured into cages for live capture. If it is maternity season, we follow all guidelines for removing mother and newborn opossums. We will seal entryways into the building to prevent opossums from reentering in the future. Opossums can be kept from getting under sheds and decks by installing fencing around the bottom edges and burying the fence underground.
Repairs

Repairs

Broken screens on chimney and roof vents are replaced with sturdier materials, and we properly seal all entry points, including crawlspaces. We clean and deodorize areas of opossum activity. Exclusion may include eliminating sources that attract bugs, like nighttime lighting, stagnant water, and livestock poop.
Get them out.
Keep them out.®
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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.
Guaranteed Work Your satisfaction is always guaranteed. Critter Control® takes great pride in providing quality workmanship resulting in customer satisfaction.
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.
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