Salt Lake City, sandwiched between the southern end of the Great Salt Lake and the snow-capped Wasatch Mountain Range, is the most populous city in Utah. Four thousand three hundred feet above sea level, it has a thriving tourist industry with more than a dozen ski areas located right outside the city.
Salt Lake City and its surroundings have their share of wildlife that range from small birds to huge bison. While all wild animals survive best in their own habitats, urban growth has diminished these habitats. So, in most metropolitan areas, nuisance wildlife has learned that where there are people, there is also ready access to food and shelter. Species common to Salt Lake City are raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, bats, armadillos, rodents, and snakes.
When you call Critter Control, we will detect, locate, get rid of, repair your property to its original state, and exclude future nuisance animals for choosing to make their home in your space.
Raccoons have adapted well to the Salt Lake City urban lifestyle. They prefer making a nest in a cozy place, like your attic, chimney, basement or garage. They use insulation, papers, carpeting and any other items they can find. You can hear them growling, squealing and whining while scavenging.
Rather than try to remove a raccoon from your home, call an expert. They have the equipment to ensure safety for you and the animal. Our process involves:
Salt Lake City is overpopulated with rats and mice. Because they reach sexual maturity as early as six to eight weeks old, they reproduce several times a year. This makes controlling them a challenge. One family of rodents can quickly turn into an infestation.
The high population means that rats and mice in Utah seek food, shelter and water in places like your home and property. The most common rodents trying to cohabitate are the Norway rats, house mice, white-footed mice and harvest mice.
Rats and mice can enter tiny openings. They can climb anything vertically and jump up to 18 inches. They will gnaw on and chew through wood, window screens, shingles and siding. Rats burrow in the ground beneath your home, trees and gardens.
Rat and mouse feces and urine can grow molds that may be dangerous to humans. Let us do the dirty work of getting rid of all your rodent problems.
Squirrels are everywhere in Salt Lake City. They eat garden crops, nuts, fruit seeds, grains, bark and leaves. They spend a lot of their time collecting foods and nesting items for the winter months, which they store in holes that they dig in your yard or your walls or attic.
Squirrels chew through shingles, siding and screens to get into your home. They will hurry down chimneys, up spouting and across gutters. Once indoors, squirrels will gather insulation, drywall and other items to make a cozy den. Some squirrels may build nests in places that can create a fire hazard, like ducts and chimneys.
Other ways squirrels become nuisance wildlife include:
- Chewing on power lines
- Urinating and defecating on your floors and walls
- Destroying trees by stripping bark
- Preventing you from sleeping with their chatter
In Utah, there are 18 bat species. Bats can eat a thousand insects in an hour. If you have bats living in your attic, barn, shed or trees, then you have a source of insects for the bats to eat. Stagnant water, manure, fountains, ponds and pole lights attract insects.
All species of bats are protected in Utah because they are endangered or facing extinction due to diseases. Bats are nocturnal, so while you're sleeping, they are working. Even if you don't see bats, you can tell you have a bat problem if you have stains on your buildings caused by bat guano. It can also have an awful smell. Bat guano can grow mold, and if you inhale mold spores, it may cause respiratory problems.
Our experts provide many services to remove and exclude bats.
We have two species of skunks in Salt Lake City, the western spotted and the striped, the larger of the two. Everyone knows skunks by their spray, which contains sulfur, ejected from glands near the rectum. Spotted and striped skunks have different removal laws set by the state. Skunks are like all other nuisance wildlife: They are searching for food, water and shelter.
They raid bird feeders, trash cans and pet feed. While they don't climb well, they can dig and will dig to get food. Skunks will eat squirrels, rabbits, moles, eggs, rats and mice.
The good news is that you won't likely find a skunk in your attic. The bad news is that you may find one in your crawlspace, basement, garage, and areas under decks and porches. They also like to hide in piles of debris, logs or rocks outdoors. They burrow and tunnel under structures and foundations, putting your safety at risk.
Let us take the risks that go with getting rid of a skunk.
Few people think of birds as a nuisance. They are beautiful in their diversity of colors and songs. But some species, when they descend in large numbers, can cause extensive damage and create an unhealthy environment.
In Utah, mud swallows like to build mud nests on man-made structures. Pigeons are known for roosting on buildings and for their highly corrosive excrement that damages many surfaces it comes in contact with. European starlings are an invasive species that travel in large flocks. They can damage crops, and their waste not only spreads invasive seeds but can transit disease. House sparrows are also invasive and congregate in flocks to feed on the ground and to roost on buildings.
All of these species create unsanitary conditions when roosting around buildings and produce a loud chatter that is quite annoying. In addition, they harbor parasites such as fleas, lice, and mites.
Chipmunks are part of the squirrel family, although there are some significant differences. Smaller than squirrels, chipmunks primarily live on the ground and in long burrows. Chipmunks can cause structural damage when they burrow under patios, outdoor stairs, foundations, and retaining walls. They will also eat seedlings and flower bulbs. Because chipmunks do not hibernate, they will occasionally enter homes in an especially cold winter. One curious fact is that chipmunks that live in urban areas have been documented to have a lower level of both locomotion and grooming. The ready availability of food has left less need for them to explore their environment.
Snakes are opportunists and usually only enter a home or other building if they are on the hunt for rodents. They do not have the physical means to create an opening and so can only seek out available cracks in a foundation, gaps around doors and windows, or even an open door. The most likely spot for snakes to hide is under a porch or crawl space. Snakes depend on their environment to regulate their body temperature. So when it is too hot outside, they like the cool of the underside of a porch. In colder weather, they seek out warmer places, and the combination of warmth and rodents in a house provides both temperature control and a meal.