Critter Control of Lancaster

Raccoons are primarily nocturnal. If you see a raccoon, their cute bandit-like masks may fool you into thinking they are safe. They aren't.

Raccoons can become aggressive when they feel threatened, especially when protecting their young. Being bitten by a raccoon puts you at risk of contracting rabies. The Department of Agriculture notes raccoons in Berks County have tested positive in the past.

Raccoons are like mini superheroes. They make over fifty sounds to communicate, can remember how to complete tasks for up to three years, run up to 15 mph, rotate their hind feet 180 degrees, and can fall over 130 feet without harm. Their human-like hands make it easy for them to climb buildings and trees, swim, and be mischievous.

Raccoons can open lids to garbage cans, pet feed bags, doorknobs, pet doors, and gates. They dig holes in your lawn, look for insects, steal chickens from the coop, and take advantage of weak spots in your house. Weak spots are cracks or damage that turn into entries to your attic or basement. Broken shingles, screens, caps, windows, and boards are a raccoon's dream come true.

Once inside, raccoons destroy insulation, ducts, pipes, drywall, and wires. Removing a raccoon can be tricky and may require a license, depending on the method. Because diseases can be transmitted to pets and humans, you must call a wildlife expert for help. They can safely get rid of a raccoon and ensure they do not return.

Like many other cities, Lancaster has a rodent problem, with the house mouse and the Norway rat exhibiting nuisance behaviors. Controlling them takes different techniques because they are very different species. House mice are small, weighing about 0.5 ounces, with beady eyes and pointed snouts. Norway rats are heavier, weighing 11 ounces or more, with a blunt nose and a two-toned tail.

Both rodents damage your home and property. Norway rats like to burrow and build tunnels under your home, driveway, or shed. House mice build nests in your walls, ceilings, and under appliances. Both create fire hazards by chewing electrical wires and building nests in ventilation systems.

The greatest risk associated with rodents is their ability to multiply quickly. One female mouse can breed up to eight times in one year, with litters of five or more babies. Female babies are ready to start breeding within six weeks. Rats start breeding within three months. They can give birth up to seven times a year and have up to 12 babies each time.

Rats and mice are excellent climbers and swimmers. They eat anything, but rats prefer fresh meat and grains, while mice prefer grains and cereals. Rats will even eat mice. Neither likes to travel too far away from their nest to get food. They create pathways or trails between the two, marking them with feces and urine, which can be an attractant to other rodents.

Rat traps and baits will not catch mice and vice versa. Rats are very cautious and will avoid anything new in their environment. Mice are more curious, but if the trap is not in their pathway, they may never see it. Wildlife control experts know how to get rid of these pests, no matter how many there are, and can teach you how to prevent them from returning.

Another rodent, squirrels, are viewed as cute creatures that are fun to watch. Watching them raid bird feeders, scurry across electrical wires, and steal fruits or vegetables from the garden can be fun. However, too much of this "cute" behavior becomes a nuisance. Squirrels do not fully hibernate during winter, so they spend so much time collecting and hoarding foods and nesting materials.

Squirrels in Pennsylvania include gray, fox, red, and flying squirrels, and they prefer nuts, grains, seeds, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms. They bury their findings in shallow holes close to their nests, often in tree hollows but may also be in your attic, chimney, crawlspace, or behind the siding. Squirrels can find food under a foot of snow, so their collecting doesn't end in winter.

Like rats and mice, squirrels' teeth are constantly growing. To keep them filed, they will chew on anything. They can chew vinyl, plastic, wood, wires, and more. If these materials are in your home, the damages can be costly. Squirrels also rip out insulation, changing your home's ventilation abilities. They clog pipes and ducts, creating fire hazards.

Signs you have a nuisance squirrel are seeing tracks, droppings, or piles of foods and items from the outdoors. Look for frayed or gnawed wiring, teeth marks in the wood, broken vents, holes in shingles, and water damage from the ceiling. If you hear chirping, squeaking, barking, scratching, and the pitter-patter of feet. Wherever squirrels are active, they will leave feces and urine, which have been associated with diseases like tularemia and salmonella.

Let the experts eliminate your squirrel problem safely and humanely, and follow Pennsylvania regulations.

Nine species of bats exist in Pennsylvania. The ones you may find in Lancaster homes are brown bats. Bats often have multiple roosting spots, including attics, eaves, chimneys, barn rafters, and sheds. Bats are the only true flying mammal, and they travel to areas with a good source of insects. If you watch them closely, they appear to be performing acrobats in the air.

Every bat consumes thousands of insects every night, making them crucial for the ecosystem. Although needed, they can become nuisances to some homeowners. Bats' biggest problem is their guano feces, which can leave stain marks wherever it lands.

Some bats roost alone, and some roost in colonies. The larger the colony, the more guano you will see on your property. Guano is toxic as it contains acids. It also can grow mold spores associated with histoplasmosis and other respiratory conditions if inhaled by humans. Additional problems associated with bat guano include the smell it emits as it decomposes.

Bat guano tends to pile up quickly and become heavy. It may cause weak boards to break. It will seep through gaps between floorboards, contaminating areas below. If these areas hold food or commercial products, it can be a costly problem to fix.

Bat guano attracts parasites and arthropods like cockroaches, mites, fleas, and ticks that can move to other parts of your home. They may even be sucked into your ventilation system, eventually entering your living area.

Bat urine crystalizes at room temperature, soaking wood beams, floors, and rafters. A white powder-like coating is a sign of urine saturation. When colonies of bats urinate in the same area, stalactites and stalagmites will form.

It is rare for a bat to have rabies. However, don't risk getting the other diseases a bat carries by trying to remove it yourself. Call a wildlife technician first.

Hundreds of bird species exist in Pennsylvania, both native and non-native. Lancaster's most common backyard birds include sparrows, starlings, bluebirds, bluejays, woodpeckers, and blackbirds. Birds seem harmless until you start paying for repairs like removing stains from bird droppings, fixing broken roof ledges, unclogging gutters that led to water damage, or cleaning out nests in chimneys that are fire hazards.

Birds, especially in swarms, do more damage than you may think. These "pest" birds tend to roost in large numbers, putting too much weight on parts of your home's structure. They also breed in large numbers. Colonies can mean large amounts of waste and a lot of noise.

Most birds are protected under the 1918 Migratory Bird Act, making exclusions the only way to get rid of nuisance birds. Wildlife technicians are experts in exclusions.

Woodchucks, groundhogs, or whistle pigs. No matter what you call it, you can bet money they are causing damage to someone's yard, fields, or crops with their long, curved claws. They are diggers that burrow a massive tunnel system underground. Some tunnels are six feet deep and 20 feet long.

Each groundhog tunnel has a space designated for specific tasks, including a toilet, sleeping, giving birth, etc.

Most damage by groundhogs involves crop destruction on farms, home gardens, and orchards. The holes dug by groundhogs are large enough to cause severe damage to tractors and farm equipment.

Depending on where they burrow, groundhogs can create costly home repairs. For example, burrowing under your home makes your foundation unstable. It also shifts how water drains, causing water to fill the area underneath your home.

Woodchucks' incisors continue to grow as they age. Typically, they file them by grinding teeth against one another while chewing. If they can't do this, an incisor will look more like a tusk.

To get rid of groundhogs, call a wildlife control operator. They know how to use deterrents and repellants to treat burrows and flush out the groundhog. They also have safe and humane traps. Once trapped, exclusions must be implemented immediately to prevent a return. And this must all happen before they go into hibernation.