With the Sandia-Manzano Mountains to the east, high desert grasslands to the west, and the Rio Grande cutting through the center of the city, Albuquerque offers plenty of habitat for a variety of wild animals. As the most populous city in the state of New Mexico with a population of 560,000, residents should not be surprised to encounter animals that also call the city home, including raccoons, bats, squirrels, and snakes. If you are a property owner having one too many of these encounters, please reach out to Critter Control, and we will remove the animals from your own and make sure they stay away.
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.
Well-known for seeking out trash cans and causing nightly disturbances, raccoons can be fun to observe but a nuisance if they get too close to your home. In New Mexico, raccoons are protected furbearers and can’t be hunted. However, raccoons have also been known to carry diseases. So if there’s one or more on your property, please stay away from them and contact your Critter Control office as soon as possible.
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.
Like most cities, Albuquerque has its share of rodent issues. The city offers a warm climate and plenty of habitats favorable to rats and mice. The most common rodents you’ll find in your New Mexico home are house mice, roof rats, and Norway rats. While not as common, pack rats are also in Albuquerque.
Regardless of the type of house you have, rodents can find a way inside of it. Rodents stick to the places people can’t go like wall cavities, behind cabinets, and attics. They can even get into the space under tile roofs.
Please do not try to handle rodents, nor attempt to clean up after them yourself, as rodents in the area are known for spreading illnesses such as tularemia and plague. Instead, call your Albuquerque Critter control office as soon as you notice any signs of a rodent infestation, and we will send one of our trained technicians to eradicate the problem for you.
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.
There are four species of squirrel in New Mexico: Abert’s, fox, grey, and red. Both Albuquerque’s parks and surrounding mountain forests provide the perfect habitat for squirrels. When these animals get too close to home, however, they can become a nuisance. If you are experiencing a squirrel problem on your property, it’s best to leave removal to a trained specialist who will humanely trap and remove squirrels.
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.
There are 29 bat species in New Mexico. Bats are insectivores and can consume more than one-half their body weight in insects each night. In New Mexico, bats raise pups May through August and should not be excluded from roosts during this time. Some property owners may attempt to remove a bat themselves; however, this is not advisable. Rather than reach for a broom and try to remove them yourself, please allow a Critter Control specialist to humanely remove all bats for you.
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.
Skunks are a common pest in the Albuquerque area. These animals, known for their black and white coloring, for foraging for food in trash bins and pet food bowls, and for their pungent odor that can linger for days. If you happen to cross paths with a skunk, do not try to scare it away. Please also remember that skunks can carry rabies; therefore, it’s best to let a professional handle removal for you.
Inspection
In addition to noting any pungent odors that signal the presence of a skunk, we will inspect the condition of your landscaping, as skunks are known for tearing-up lawns and shredding grass while hunting for grubs and insects. We will also inspect the perimeter of your building’s foundations and under decks, to locate burrows.
Trapping and Removal
Never try to remove a skunk from your property yourself. Getting sprayed is a very unpleasant experience. Furthermore, these animals may carry diseases that can spread to humans and pets, such as rabies. Our specialists will use live traps to capture and remove skunks for you, or they’ll use a one-way exclusion device to evict skunks from their harborage areas. The most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification.
Skunk Control
The most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification. Methods like sealing foundation gaps, replacing and screening broken foundation vents and installing hardware cloth (rat walls) around unprotected sheds and decks are the most effective and permanent ways to keep skunks out.
We recommend keeping pet food inside and securing any trash bins.
You hardly see a gopher in your yard, but you will see the gopher mounds. Mounds are at the entrances to their tunnels, and they are typically fan-shaped and plugged.
Gophers love the sandy soil in Albuquerque. Breeding season happens between June to July. Homeowners usually notice gopher activity in September because the gophers born during the summer are now mature enough to be on their own.
New Mexico Wildlife Questions
Wild animal intrusions are not only stressful for property owners, but they can also be quite dangerous. While attempting to remove an animal yourself, or at least chase it away, may seem like the quickest way to resolve your issue, it’s usually not the best solution. Raccoons, squirrels, skunks, and other critters can cause significant property damage and threaten the health and safety of humans.
What does Critter Control do? Critter Control offers safe and humane solutions to wildlife issues in your home or on your property.
What are some of the most common issues that homeowners face in New Mexico? Mice, pack rats, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, pocket gopher, bats and pigeons.
How do the seasons affect wildlife activity in Albuquerque? Odors, droppings, and property damage.
Any prevention tips for residents in Albuquerque? Clean up debris spilled by feeding birds. If you have compost piles, they encourage animal activity.
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.
Financing Available
Critter Control offers in-house financing. Both standard and 90-day same as cash financing options have 12-,18-,24-, or 36-month options. Some projects might qualify for a budgeted plan up to 60 months.
Critter Control Guarantee
Your satisfaction is always guaranteed. We provide reliable prevention from future intrusions. Resolving a nuisance wildlife issue calls for more than trapping and removing the critter. Our exclusion services offer immediate and long-term wildlife solutions.
Other Common Wildlife Issues