Critter Control in Newport News

In February 2022, a raccoon in the area of River Point Circle and Flax Mill Road tested positive for rabies. Have you found scattered trash, holes in sod, or unusual scat on your property? Do you hear chirps, growls, screeches, or purrs in your attic or chimney? Are you missing chickens or other small animals? Are you constantly restocking bird feeders?

Any of these complaints describe raccoon behaviors occurring now in Newport News neighborhoods. Some families with swimming pools complain they find scat floating near the steps, a clear sign that a raccoon has been enjoying a swim.   Raccoons may likely be the most well-adapted wildlife to urban living. They are omnivorous, meaning they will eat whatever they can find — fruits, vegetables, small rodents, chickens, reptiles, junk food, garbage, table scraps, eggs, and pet feed.

Raccoons will enter your home, whether through an unlocked pet door, uncapped chimney, vent, or opening into your attic. Raccoons have dexterous hands that help them break into and enter your home or other structure on your property. They can turn doorknobs, push through screens, and climb chimneys and trees. Once inside, raccoons will shred insulation, break wood beams, clog vents, and chew wires. They also create a specific space where they will leave their feces, which can grow mold spores. They raid gardens, ponds, bird feeders, and nests in your yard.

Raccoons, with their permanent masks across their eyes, can weigh up to 35 pounds, about the size of a large house cat. Their fur is filthy, and they often leave greasy smudges on places like walls and siding. Because they are fur-bearing, special permits and licenses are required inside and outside hunting seasons. There are usually local ordinances to follow when getting rid of raccoons.

The City of Norfolk lists the Norway rat, house mouse, and roof rat as public health concerns in our area. They recognize the rodent population is growing too fast and that something must be done to control it. If you see one mouse or rat on your property, there are likely ten or more living nearby. Rats and mice reproduce often and can have six or more litters in twelve months. With each litter, six or more newborns can arrive. The math is frightening. Just one female rodent can have at least 36 babies in a year.

Even worse, female rodents can begin reproducing after six weeks. If the original litter has at least three females, six weeks later, you could have four rodents pregnant with six or more babies simultaneously. Most rodents will only travel up to 300 feet away from their nest to find food and water. They travel this same route repeatedly, making them extremely wary of anything new, like a bait trap.

Because rats and mice spread multiple diseases directly and indirectly, it is essential to know the right baits and traps to use and how and where to place them when getting rid of rats and mice. Type, size, location, preferred baits, and number must all be considered. Rat and mouse removal can take weeks or months when done correctly, longer if not.

You will know if you have a mouse or rat problem if you notice nests, droppings and urine trails, scattered food pieces, gnawed or chewed wood, plastic, carpet, drywall, etc. Rats and mice have teeth that continue to grow as they age. They chew on anything, even siding and metal screens, to keep them filed. Do not wait to contact a wildlife control expert when you see rat or mouse activity signs.

Squirrels are rodents too, but there are significant differences. Squirrels can be seen any time, day or night. They can be cute to watch as they gather foods and nesting materials to store near their nests. They collect bird seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, twigs, and bark.

Occasionally, squirrels like to build nests in your home and will use your chimney, crawlspaces, gutters, lawn, vents, and ductwork as nesting spots.   Newport News residents may see flying, gray, or fox squirrels. The ones that like to build nests in your attic or eave are the flying squirrels, which are primarily nocturnal. Squirrels have teeth that never stop growing throughout their lifetime. To prevent their teeth from becoming too large and causing much pain, squirrels chew and gnaw on anything they can.

It is common for a squirrel to chew through vinyl siding, wood, mesh screens, and plastics. They will make a small hole much larger if it means they can enter your house. Squirrels will build nests in your chimneys and ductwork, both fire hazards. When inside your home, they chew wires, shred insulation, use it for nesting materials, and leave feces and urine trails in their travels.

Outside your home, squirrels damage roof shingles, cause sagging in electrical wires, steal garden crops, dig holes in your yard, and strip bark from your trees.   Local and state regulations exist for squirrels, or fur-bearing, game animals in Virginia. Squirrels can carry diseases, and it may be necessary to have a squirrel tested, depending on the recommendations of the Department of Wildlife Resources.

At least 17 bat species have been documented in Virginia. It is illegal to transport, release, or relocate a bat to any other property than where it was found. It is against federal law to harass, hunt, capture, or harm a bat on a state or federal protection list. Currently, seven bats are federal or state-protected. For example, the little brown bat is on Virginia’s endangered species list due to the white-nose syndrome killing many of them.

The most common bats in Norfolk neighborhoods are the big brown, little brown, Brazilian free-tailed, and evening bats. Some roost alone, and others roost in colonies mostly made of mothers and their babies. During maternity season, which begins in the Spring and ends in the Fall, you must leave bats alone.

Bats are essential for the ecosystem. Every bat can eat thousands of insects a night. If you have bats on your property, start searching for sources of insects, like outdoor lighting that comes on at night, stagnant water, and animal manure.

The problem with bats is their guano and the fact that they can grow mold spores that, if inhaled by humans, can cause respiratory problems. Guano also contains an acid that can erode wood and metal and leaves ugly stains on walls, floors, and siding.

Removing a bat on your own is not recommended for several reasons. One is to prevent being bitten. While less than 1% of bats carry rabies, they can harbor bacteria that will cause an infection. Bats roost upside down, meaning their guano runs down their entire body, covering their fur, before landing on the floor. If you touch a bat, you will be handling the guano. You are right; it’s gross.

All coastal towns have snakes. In Virginia, 34 types of snakes exist, but only three are venomous. Snakes are generally non-threatening and are mostly known for their benefits. They are given a bad reputation in horror movies, but snakes help control the insect and rodent population. They are essential and, when possible, should be left alone.

Snakes in Virginia don’t build nests in your home or stay longer than a few days unless you have an abundant supply of food, like a rodent infestation. Snakes roaming near homes usually means there are rats, mice, voles, and moles.

Understandably, many people fear snakes, and because one definition of nuisance wildlife is its ability to annoy you, it is okay to call a wildlife control expert to remove it from your property using their safe and humane tools.

Like raccoons and skunks, opossums will eat most anything they can catch, including insects nuts, grains, fruits, vegetables, small rodents, reptiles, and amphibians.

Opossums don’t usually stay in one place too long unless you have an excellent resource for food. Backyard ponds and outdoor night lights attract insects. Also, unfenced gardens, birdseed, free-range chickens and unprotected eggs, open trash cans, and accessible pet or livestock feed.

Opossums do not hibernate, so you may find them creating a den under your porch, deck, or in your basement or crawlspace throughout the year. They can carry diseases that can be transmitted to you or your pets.

Both spotted and striped skunks are found in the state of Virginia. While the less common eastern spotted skunk is found in the western part of the state, the striped skunk is commonly found in the eastern part of the state and is the species Virginia Beach homeowners could encounter. These adaptable, nocturnal creatures known for their pungent spray can wreak havoc if one too many discover a consistent food source on your property. If you smell a skunk on your property, please do not attempt to remove it yourself, as these animals can become aggressive and spray when threatened.

Birds are an important part of our natural environment in the area.

• As predators, they feed on insects, rodents, worms, fish and countless other animals.
• Game birds, song birds, hawks and other bird species contribute to outdoor recreation and the overall enjoyment of nature.

Birds may be beneficial, neutral, or harmful to man’s interests, depending upon time, location and activity, and certain birds (sparrows, woodpeckers, waterfowl, pigeons and black birds) are more likely to become pests and require bird-proofing and bird control. Pest bird situations that require bird control and bird proofing include:

• Feeding on agricultural products
• Roosting or nesting around human habitations
• Destroying vegetation and contaminating foods
• Noise, droppings, odor and feathers
• Diseases or ectoparasites affecting man including histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis
• Unpleasant or hazardous working conditions

According to news reports, living in the Hampton Roads area can mean seeing a lot of Canadian Geese droppings on the sidewalks, streets, driveways, and rooftops of homes. Geese can release a pound of dropping every day. If you have 20 geese in your area, that’s 20 pounds of waste daily. Where are residents supposed to put all this waste, and how do they keep up with getting rid of it?

Unlike some other animal feces, goose excrement is not a good fertilizer. It can contaminate water sources. Geese can spread diseases and parasites, destroy landscaping, and deter people from visiting an area overrun with them.

Currently, there are 180,000 Canadian geese in Virginia. They exist in four populations: the Atlantic Flyway Resident, North Atlantic, Southern James Bay, and the Atlantic.

Virginia adopted depredation orders, like hunting seasons, the Nest and Egg, or the Agricultural orders, but only if you register with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. For many, these actions seem cruel and unnecessary. Other options include hiring a wildlife control services expert to teach you how to exclude Canadian geese from your property.