Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday Closed
By County: Los Angeles
Finding evidence of pests or nuisance wildlife is alarming. Pests and animals disrupt your life, damage your home, and introduce health risks to you and your family.
Nuisance wildlife like raccoons, squirrels, rats, mice, opossums, bats, and birds are some of the most common household pests. Typical signs of pests and nuisance wildlife include unusual noises, strange odors, damage to the exterior of buildings, and paw prints or tracks.
For over forty years, we have been trusted to solve nuisance wildlife infestations, restore and repair their property, and protect their home from future infestations.
Critter Control is here for you every step of the way in the wildlife removal process. We were instrumental in defining the humane process to get rid of pests and wildlife. Over four decades, we have refined the process to safely and humanely remove wildlife from people’s property. We have the services you need to get rid of raccoons, squirrels, bats, rodents, and other pests effectively and efficiently.
Our inspections cover the entire house. Based on what you have seen, heard and smelled, we start the inspection where you have noticed signs of animal activity. The inspection process identifies the target pests, the size of the infestation, and animal entry points.
We develop a custom animal trapping and removal plan based on our whole home inspection. Humane wildlife strategies include animal traps, one-way doors, harassments techniques, pest repellents, and habitat modifications. Once we guarantee the animal is gone, we install exclusions for long-lasting pest control.
Exclusion techniques repair animal entry holes and strengthen potential ones. Exclusions provide immediate animal and pest control to your home.
Pests and nuisance wildlife damage your home. Inside your home, animals build nests and dens. They will create runs through the insulation and gnaw on 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 prevalent throughout Torrance and Western Los Angeles county, CA. They are nocturnal masked bandits. They can cause significant damage to homes, offices, retail shops, restaurants, and other buildings. Their goal is to enter your home or building and create a safe place to sleep and have baby raccoons.
Raccoon maternity season is February to March so residents are most likely to notice raccoons in their attic from March to October.
They break vents, fencing, and screens that lead to the interior of your home. Once inside, they can destroy ductwork, rip insulation, scratch, and shred drywall and wood. They also leave large amounts of feces and urine that can stain the floors and walls.
Raccoons dig up your yard looking for insects, raid your garden, tip over trash cans and root through your garbage, and steal pet food that is not stored correctly. Here’s how we can help.
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.
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.
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.
Torrance home and business owners owners are susceptible to rat and mouse infestations. Attics, basements, restaurants, and sheds are sought out spaces for these nuisance animals to make their home. Rodents’ teeth grow throughout their lives, and they are notorious for chewing through electric wires, walls, and floors to create pathways to pantries, horse stalls, and restaurant storage areas. Rats and mice will contaminate food in pantries, and they also carry diseases including hantavirus, salmonella, and leptospirosis. They reproduce quickly and often, making it imperative to get rid of rats and mice quickly.
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.
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.
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.
Various species of squirrel can be seen daily in our area: the Eastern gray squirrel, Eastern fox squirrel, Douglas squirrel, and the Western gray squirrel, which are the only native squirrels. Even squirrels like the west coast better.
Squirrels can do a lot of damage to your yard and home. Squirrels stay busy collecting items to build their nest or to store for the winter months. The problem is that too often, they are using your home as a nesting and storage site.
In their hoarding activities, squirrels break vents and screens climbing in and out of your chimney or attic. They tear shingles, dent gutters and spouting, raid your garden, gnaw on cables, strip bark from trees, and dig holes. Inside your home, they gnaw on wood, wires and use insulation for nests. They also leave feces and urine wherever they travel. We can get rid of your squirrel problem.
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.
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.
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.
Opossums are more of a nuisance than a real danger. They are very common in urban and suburban settings and will eat practically anything. Opossums will use attics, crawlspaces and the areas under sheds and porches as dens.
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.
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.
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.
With 25 species of bats in California, there are plenty of places you can go to watch them. Sometimes you can walk outside at night, and there they are, flying around pole lights, consuming insects. They eat thousands of insects every night, which is why they are an essential factor in our ecosystem.
You might not notice bats living in your attic, barn or outbuildings if it weren’t for two major flaws: their loud noises and their guano. One bat is not that noisy, but it will become a nuisance if you have a colony on your property. Bat guano, or feces, is heavy and smells awful. Bats allow guano to run down their bodies as they roost upside down. Because guano can grow mold spores, it can be harmful to humans if inhaled.
Touching a bat puts you in direct contact with guano since their fur is covered in it. Instead of trying to remove a bat yourself and putting yourself at risk, call our experts.
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).
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.
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 with a new layer of fresh insulation, which also can increase the R-value of your attic insulation.
In Torrance and the surrounding Southern California communities, homeowners most frequently encounter issues with:
Rodents (Rats and Mice): Norway rats and Roof rats are extremely common. They seek food, water, and shelter indoors, often nesting in attics, crawl spaces, wall voids, and kitchens. They can cause significant damage by gnawing on wires (creating fire hazards), insulation, and structures, and can contaminate food and spread diseases.
Raccoons: Highly adaptable and intelligent, raccoons often den in attics, chimneys, or under decks. They are notorious for raiding trash cans, damaging soffits or vents to gain entry, destroying insulation for nesting, and carrying diseases like distemper and roundworm.
Opossums: Often found seeking shelter under porches, decks, or sheds, and sometimes entering garages or attics. While generally non-aggressive, they are known for raiding trash, stealing pet food, and can carry parasites.
Skunks: Primarily known for their potent defensive spray, skunks often burrow under homes, decks, or sheds, which can lead to persistent odors. They may also dig up lawns looking for grubs.
Birds (Pigeons, Sparrows): Pigeons frequently roost and nest on ledges, eaves, and commercial signage, creating unsightly messes with their droppings, which can damage property and pose health risks. Sparrows may nest inside vents (dryer vents, stove vents), causing blockages and fire hazards.
Squirrels: Tree squirrels can become a nuisance if they enter attics or crawl spaces to nest, often gnawing on wood, wires, and insulation.
Southern California’s relatively mild climate means wildlife is active year-round, but their behaviors shift with the seasons:
Spring (March-May): This is peak breeding season for many animals like raccoons, opossums, and squirrels. Expect increased activity as they seek safe, quiet places (like your attic or crawl space) to raise their young. Noise complaints often rise during this time.
Summer (June-August): Young animals born in the spring begin to venture out. Extreme heat can drive wildlife to seek cooler, shaded areas, sometimes leading them under decks or into garages. Focus shifts towards finding reliable water sources. Insects are abundant, attracting skunks and other insectivores.
Fall (September-November): As temperatures begin to slightly cool and food sources potentially change, animals may look for warm, secure places to spend the winter months. Rodent activity often increases indoors during this period as they seek shelter and stockpile food. Raccoons and squirrels are actively foraging.
Winter (December-February): While Torrance winters are mild, cooler temperatures and rain can still drive wildlife indoors seeking warmth and shelter. Rodents, raccoons, and opossums are common intruders during this time. Food may be scarcer, leading them to explore human structures more readily.
Be alert for these tell-tale signs:
Noises: Scratching, scurrying, gnawing, thumping, or chirping sounds, especially in walls, ceilings, attics, or under floors. Often heard at night (raccoons, rodents, opossums) or early morning/dusk (squirrels).
Droppings & Urine: Feces or urine stains found in attics, crawl spaces, garages, kitchens, along walls, or near nesting sites. Odors may also be present.
Damage: Gnaw marks on wood, wires, pipes, or stored items. Torn insulation, damaged soffits, vents, or screens. Holes in walls or foundations. Tipped-over trash cans. Dug-up areas in the lawn or garden.
Nests: Accumulations of shredded materials like insulation, paper, leaves, or twigs in secluded areas (attics, wall voids, under appliances, behind boxes).
Tracks & Smudges: Footprints on dusty surfaces or grease marks/rub stains along walls or near entry points where animals frequently travel.
Odors: Persistent musky smells (raccoons, rodents), ammonia-like odors (urine), or the distinct smell of a skunk. A foul odor could indicate a deceased animal.
Visual Sightings: Seeing animals frequently on your roof, near potential entry points, or repeatedly in your yard, especially nocturnal animals seen during the day.
Proactive prevention is key to keeping wildlife out:
Seal Entry Points: Regularly inspect your home’s exterior for gaps or holes. Seal cracks in the foundation, gaps around utility pipes/wires, and openings in eaves or soffits using sturdy materials like steel wool, hardware cloth (1/4 inch mesh), metal flashing, or expanding foam sealant.
Cap Chimneys & Vents: Install chimney caps and secure screens over attic, roof, kitchen, and dryer vents to prevent animal entry. Ensure vent covers are intact and functioning.
Secure Trash: Use trash cans with tight-fitting, secured lids. Store bins in a garage or shed if possible, and only put them out on collection day. Clean bins regularly.
Eliminate Food Sources: Don’t leave pet food or water bowls outside overnight. Clean up fallen fruit from trees promptly. If using bird feeders, keep the area underneath clean or consider removing them if they attract nuisance wildlife like rodents or raccoons.
Maintain Landscaping: Trim tree branches at least 6-8 feet away from your roofline to prevent easy access for squirrels and raccoons. Keep shrubs and vegetation near the foundation trimmed back. Store firewood piles away from the house.
Secure Under Decks/Porches: Install sturdy hardware cloth around the base of decks, porches, and sheds, burying it several inches below ground level to prevent animals from digging underneath.
While prevention is ideal, sometimes wildlife problems require professional help. Call Critter Control of Torrance if:
– You suspect wildlife is living in your attic, walls, chimney, or crawl space.
– You hear persistent noises (scratching, scurrying, thumping) inside your home.
– You find signs of damage (gnawing, torn vents, damaged insulation).
– You discover droppings or notice strong, unusual odors.
– You feel unsafe or unsure how to handle the situation (especially with animals like skunks or raccoons).
– DIY trapping or exclusion methods have failed.
– You need help identifying entry points and implementing permanent exclusion solutions.
– You require cleanup and decontamination of affected areas.
Our trained technicians can safely and humanely remove nuisance wildlife, repair damage, and implement effective strategies to prevent future intrusions.
This franchise is independently licensed and operated by Critter Solutions Group, LLC, dba Critter Control of Torrance.
