Cincinnati is located at the southern border of Ohio near both Kentucky and Indiana, with the Ohio River running through its southern border. It has a fairly temperate climate with hot, humid summers and rainy, gray winters.
It is ranked 9th on the Forbes list of “Best Cities for Raising a Family” because of its schools, cultural activities, recreation, sports, and restaurants. And, it seems some of the local wildlife like raccoons, squirrels, opossums, and bats, among others, read that article too.
Fall is a busy season for nuisance wildlife looking to find a warm winter home in which to nest. Spring is busy as well, as animals get ready to give birth and raise their young in homeowners’ attics, chimneys, soffits, and crawl spaces.
Raccoons are found in all parts of Ohio, and their numbers have been growing. Mating from February through March, their average litter size is four. Born in spring, these babies will stay with their mother through the fall. Although they prefer to live in wooded areas with trees for them to climb and nest in, when there is no longer enough natural habitat for them, climbing up into homeowner attics seems just as nice to them.
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.
Rats and mice can be found in every city and town across the country. It is estimated that there is one rat for every person. These rodents are only seen during the day if their population is excessively large.
Rodents carry diseases and parasites, so it is important to act quickly if you see one or if you see signs of their presence in your home or business.
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.
Squirrels are plentiful in Cincinnati, thriving alongside humans without much ado unless they decide to make your home theirs. The most common squirrel in Ohio is the nocturnal southern flying squirrel. They can’t really fly, but the extra skin at their wrists and ankles allows them to glide through the trees easier than other squirrel varieties. Unfortunately, this can make your roof more vulnerable to a break-in.
The most significant reason squirrels break into homes is the loss of habitat. This is common, especially in cities that are growing and expanding.
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.
Bats are best viewed at the Cincinnati Zoo rather than in your attic or chimney. But, man-made structures make excellent places for them to roost and sleep. Regrettably, for them, their urine, guano, and high-pitched chirping make them undesirable housemates.
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.
Skunks are abundant in the United States and are best known for their ability to spray an unpleasant and long-lasting liquid. Becoming active in spring, when they find mates and look for places to build their den and raise their young, skunks often choose the porches, sheds, and decks of unwitting homeowners for shelter. They are burrowing animals, digging down deep to create their dens.
They are mostly docile creatures that do not pose an immediate threat to humans. However, they can carry diseases that can spread to humans and pets, including roundworm, rabies, and distemper.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Raccoons, squirrels, skunks, opossums, bats, groundhogs, birds, and mice, Norway rats and moles.
Raccoons, squirrels and opossums are active year-round. Occasional mole issues on warm days in winter. Most other animals hibernate during the winter. Fall is busy due to raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and other rodents looking for a winter home. Spring is busy because animals such as raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and other rodents like to utilize attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces to give birth and raise their young.
Damaged foundation/gable/louvered attic vents, roof vents, holes in soffits, and burrows outside along foundation walls. Matted insulation and animal feces in attics. Crawl space insulation pulled down and damaged. Bird droppings on walls on or below dryer vent covers.
Take a look around your home to see if you notice any areas that may have been damaged by nuisance wildlife. Contact Critter Control to perform a thorough inspection of the home so we can identify common primary and secondary points of entry or potential entry into the home.
Anytime they notice damage or hear noises in the walls, attics, or crawl spaces; if they see animals on the roof or inside their living spaces; they notice burrows in the ground outside along the foundation wall or in the yard (moles/chipmunks). We have trained technicians on call overnight and on weekends, and we are available 24/7.
