Critter Control of Reading

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Pennsylvania officials recognize that wildlife in the area is encroaching on homeowners. Their natural behaviors aren’t always welcome in Reading. Wildlife damage property, create disturbances, and threaten the public in their search for food, water, and shelter.

Pennsylvania has laws regarding how to get rid of nuisance wildlife. Animals who meet the criteria are not protected and can be “taken humanely and lawfully” unless they are protected for other reasons. You must follow regulations on removing wildlife from your property. For example, you cannot transport or relocate the wildlife once removed to avoid spreading diseases.

In Reading, wildlife likely to be a nuisance include raccoons, bats, squirrels, moles, beavers, skunks, opossums, mice, rats, rabbits, blackbirds, and more. More information is provided below on nuisance wildlife in Reading.

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.
STEP 1

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.
STEP 2

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.
STEP 3

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.

Raccoon Removal

The Department of Agriculture reports raccoons in Berks County have tested positive for rabies in the past. Rabies can be transmitted to humans via a bite. When protecting their young, they may become more aggressive.

Raccoons in Reading are the size of large cats. They have beady eyes, black masks, striped tails, and sharp claws on their nimble hands. They can be mischievous, damaging property and raiding food sources.

Raccoons are nocturnal omnivores that like to eat fruits, nuts, vegetables, table scraps, birdseed, insects, rodents, chickens, pet feed, fish, bird eggs, and much more. Their human-like hands help them dig holes in your yard, climb trees and chimneys, unlatch gates, tip garbage cans, and raid animal feed bags.

Raccoons build nests in attics and basements if accessible. To get into your home, they will look for weak spots, like missing or damaged shingles, torn vents and screens, or loose soffits. They turn these weak spots into major openings. Once inside, raccoons shred insulation, damage ventilation systems, tear through walls, and leave scat and urine piles.

All these damages can cost a lot of money to repair, so calling a wildlife expert for help at the first sign of raccoon activity is recommended, especially if babies are in the nest

Inspection

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

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

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.

Rodent Control

The house mouse and the Norway rat cause the most damage to Reading homes. The house mouse is small with a pointed nose, tiny dark eyes, a semi-hairless tail, and large ears. They can fit through a hole the size of a quarter.

A Norway rat has a blunt nose, bald ears, and gray and white bellies. They have beady eyes and may have hair that is brown, black, or a mixture of both. Their tails are hairless, scaly, and shorter than their bodies.

Norway rats enter your home through any opening larger than ½ inch. Some may build a nest inside, but some prefer burrowing underground, creating tunnels that can alter the stability of structures like your home, barn, or shed.

Mice and rats gnaw on many objects, including papers, books, carpets, electrical wires, cabinets, stored groceries, baseboards, drywall, and screens.

A noticeable sign of rodent activity is the trail of droppings along their path between their nest and food source. They also leave urine trails. The smell of urine attracts other rodents. It signals that your home is a great place to find food, water, and shelter.

Female rodents can breed after a month of birth and then again shortly after they deliver a litter. One litter can grow into hundreds if not appropriately controlled. Wildlife pest control technicians can get rid of mice and rats and implement exclusions to avoid future infestations.

Inspection

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

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

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.

Squirrel Removal

The gray squirrel is the cute creature you see all over Reading, dashing in front of cars, racing up and down trees, and scavenging food and nesting materials. Squirrels have good eyesight despite being born blind and can only see in black and white.

Squirrels eat flower buds and leaves from sugar maples, nuts, bird seeds, berries, bird eggs, bark, garden crops, and insects. The gray squirrel likes to remain alone until mating season, typically in December, January, or June.

When looking for a den to give birth or to get out of cold weather, squirrels take advantage of holes and cracks in your home. They chew until it is big enough for entry. Chewing is a squirrel’s trademark. Their four front teeth continue growing and can get up to six inches. To prevent this, squirrels chew and gnaw on hard materials. A persistent squirrel can chew through your vinyl siding, wood structural beams, and drywall to enter your home.

Other hard materials are siding, soffits, electrical wires, drywall, wood beams, ducts, pipes, screens, and more. Squirrels have sharp claws, too, and will shred insulation, strip bark from trees, break shingles, and dig holes in your yard.

Fox and gray squirrels are listed as game animals that require a license for hunting unless they are a nuisance. However, you don’t want to get rid of squirrels alone. They can become aggressive and attack when they feel threatened. Squirrels carry Lyme disease, tularemia, salmonella, and leptospirosis.

Wildlife experts have safe and humane equipment, know the regulations to follow, and know if squirrel species have protection in Pennsylvania, such as the Northern flying squirrel.

Inspection

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

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

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. 

Bat Removal

Out of the nine bat species in Pennsylvania, the little and big brown bats reside in attics, barns, and sheds throughout Reading. Six species hibernate in winter, three migrate South, and brown bats tend to partially hibernate on rural and urban properties.

Bats are misunderstood and underappreciated. They are not blind, don’t want to suck your blood, and don’t get tangled in long hair.

They are a crucial part of our ecosystem, however. Bats choose roosting spots based on their proximity to a good source of insects. Things like outdoor lights, manure, and stagnant water attract insects. As the only mammal that can fly, it swoops in to capture a bug in its wing or eat it on the fly.

They have sharp teeth for digesting the thousands of bugs they consume every night. Eating so many insects helps bats build an extra layer of fat for winter when insects aren’t as prevalent.

Many people think bats are filthy and covered in their feces. It is true their guano, or feces, runs down their bodies while roosting upside down. But the cleaner a bat is, the better it flies. Therefore, it spends all its awake time cleaning itself before feeding at night.

The guano piles multiply when you have a colony of bats roosting in your space. Because guano contains uric acid and can produce mold spores, it is best to avoid handling it.

Bats are classified as endangered species. One reason is that 75% of migrating bat deaths are attributed to wind turbines. Another threat is white-nose syndrome, a fungal infection. Calling a wildlife control tech to get rid of bats is smart and helps you avoid breaking laws, like the one that states bats cannot be harassed or removed during their maternity season. Maternity season often begins in May and ends when babies can fly out on their own, usually in the Fall.

Inspection

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

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

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.

Opossum Control

The only marsupial in North America is the opossum, which plays dead to trick predators. Opossums have many of the same characteristics as raccoons and skunks. They are omnivores with a broad range of preferred foods, primarily nocturnal and about the size of a large cat.

Opossums differ in that they have long, pointy noses and fifty teeth. Their tail is hairless and scaly, with five toes on each foot. They can climb, dig, scratch, grip, and balance.

One fact about opossums is that females have 13 mammary glands, so if she gives birth to more than 13 offspring, they will die. The average number in a litter is eight. Opossums will enter your basement, crawlspace, or attic to find a warm, safe space for themselves and their babies. Trying to remove a mother and her babies can be dangerous.

Signs of an opossum include damage to your siding, shingles, soffits, or gutters. They tip over trash cans, dig holes in your yard, and steal pet feed. Because they defecate more than other animals, it is easier to smell them.

In your attic, they can destroy air ducts, drywall, wires, and any sentimental items. Because they carry many diseases, ticks, fleas, and other parasites, do not try to remove them yourself. Call a pro who can keep you and the animal safe.

Inspection

Inspection

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.

Trapping & Removal

Trapping & Removal

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.
Repairs

Repairs

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.

Mole Control

Three species of moles exist in Pennsylvania, including the Eastern, hairy-tailed, and star-nosed. Moles are built for underground living. They have small eyes and ears that are covered by fur. Their front feet resemble paddles with claws for digging tunnels with numerous exit spots. Their back feet are much smaller.

You may notice mole hills in your garden or lawn created by moles searching for grubs, worms, and insects to eat now and store for colder months. They do not hibernate and are only around other moles when it is time to breed.

Moles damage your yard, which can cause damage to your lawn mower, tractor, or other equipment. Their digging also damages and kills grass, plants, flowers, and garden crops. Moles are best removed using a trapping system followed immediately by exclusions. Wildlife experts have humane traps that work and can put together a plan that keeps voles away from your property.

Mole Inspections

Mole Inspections

During our inspection process, we look for the travel tunnels and the feeding areas. Travel tunnels are long, straight pathways, usually occurring along sidewalks, edging, home foundations, etc. Feeding areas are usually those areas that zig-zag in a close proximity. 
Mole Control

Mole Control

We use an exclusive process to treat your mole problem, so no unsightly traps need to remain in your yard. This procees prevents the possible endangerment of pets and children that some mole traps may present. Call us and we can tell you more.
Mole Repairs

Mole Repairs

We rid your yard of the unightly tunnels and mounds that moles create, by leveling your yard. We also provide monthly services for yard maintenance.
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The Critter Control Difference

Guaranteed Work Your satisfaction is always guaranteed. Critter Control® takes great pride in providing quality workmanship resulting in customer satisfaction.
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.
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