What are the Major Wildlife Removal Concerns in Roanoke, Virginia?
The smallish city of Roanoke is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with the Roanoke River running through it. With a year-round average temperature of 57 degrees, both human citizens and wildlife can enjoy its temperate climate, mountain wilderness, and access to water.
Some of the most common wildlife species in the Roanoke area are raccoons, opossums, squirrels, snakes, groundhogs, and bats. Like many other cities across the nation, development is pushing many species of wildlife out of their natural habitats, forcing them into more populated areas to seek out food and shelter. Though these animals have learned to adapt, it leads to situations that are not advantageous to them and us.
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.
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.
Rat and Mice Pest Control
Although pretty small, these creatures cause not only significant damage, they also bring disease and parasites into homes. They enter homes through the tiniest of holes or gaps in your home. Once comfortable, they breed rapidly and are hard to get rid of. They are mostly nocturnal so you might not see them until an infestation is present, but you will see signs of rodents leaving their feces on kitchen counters and in pantries.
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
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
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.
The most common squirrel in the Roanoke area 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.
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.
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.
Groundhogs, also known as
woodchucks, were once a mostly rural-living animal. They are becoming more common in suburban areas because of declining places where they can create their burrows of connecting underground tunnels.
Groundhog burrows have several entrances that are mostly hidden, which is why one favorite place groundhogs choose to place an entrance is underneath a shed or porch. Their tunnels can then run underneath your
home or yard paths, causing weakness and potential collapse.
Groundhog Inspection
Groundhog nesting isn't hard to spot. Being the largest member of the squirrel family, they have a rather large entrance hole to their nesting spots and they leave a great amount of dirt at their front door.
Groundhog Removal
Once we've identified all burrow entrances, the next step is deciding what will work best for the situation at hand. Woodchucks may be excluded from denning under structures with one-way doors, if the structure they're living under can be sealed with a rat wall. If the area can't be sealed, then trapping and removing the animal is the best option.
Groundhog Repairs
We can install rat walls to keep groundhogs out of crawl spaces and from entering under decks, sheds, patios and many other locations. Please call us to discuss how this process is completed.
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.
How Professional Wildlife Control Services Can Help You
Wildlife control services provide a vital role for home and business owners who want to live side-by-side with animals but need to keep them out of their homes and buildings.
- Wildlife specialists come prepared with all the right tools and know-how to assess, rid, and repair your home efficiently and effectively.
- We will use humane methods for removing nuisance pests.
- You and your family will not be exposed to the potential health risks and parasites associated with a wildlife infestation.
Other Common Wildlife Issues
This franchise is independently licensed and operated by Mann Wildlife Control, LLC, dba Critter Control of Greater Roanoke.