Pennsylvania has 484 species of wildlife, with 414 of those being birds and 66 being mammals. Wildlife such as rabbits, deer, squirrels, raccoons, bats, rodents, birds, foxes, and beavers are examples of animals that are becoming more prevalent in Scranton-Wilkes Barre neighborhoods.
Watching wildlife forage for food in your backyard is captivating. You may even provide food for some wildlife, like squirrels and birds. If so, you are also attracting raccoons, bears, skunks, opossums, rats, mice, etc. They will adapt to your environment and ultimately become a nuisance.
Pennsylvania defines nuisance wildlife as any animal that poses a threat to you, farm animals, or pets. Also, nuisance wildlife cause damage to your home or property. Unless the wildlife is classified as migratory birds, big game, or threatened and endangered species, the property owner can get rid of it.
The best way to get rid of the nuisance wildlife is by using a wildlife control operator. They understand Pennsylvania laws regarding bait, traps, release, relocation, and exclusion. Below are examples of how Critter Control operators handle common wildlife problems.
Pennsylvania raccoons adapt well to most environments, including cities like Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Raccoons are about the size of a large cat. They have gray fur with black stripes on their tail and a black mask across their eyes.
If a raccoon is on your property, it is searching for food. Around your home, they may enjoy food scraps from your trash can, crops in your garden, bugs under your lawn, mice, pet feed, and bird seed in feeders.
Raccoons have acute senses of smell, sight, hearing, and touch. Their hands are human-like, allowing them to open doors, dig, and climb trees and buildings. If they can enter your home through a pet door or opening to the attic, they will. The damage they can produce is costly. Raccoons scratch walls, shred insulation, break screens, and leave feces and urine wherever they go.
The Critter Control team gets rid of raccoons by
Scranton-Wilkes Barre residents encounter squirrels almost daily. The gray, fox, red, and flying squirrels will scurry across your roof, nest in your chimney, and chew through your siding, vents, and screens. Squirrels hunt for nuts, seeds, grains, bird eggs, fruits, vegetables, and occasionally, bark.
Squirrels raid bird feeders, gardens, pet feed, and ornamental plants and bushes. They only see in black and white but have excellent eyesight, hearing, and smell. If you hear chirping or barking, it is likely a squirrel, which will happily build a nest in your attic, walls, and ceiling.
Because squirrels are considered a small game, a trapping permit is required during some seasons. If you have squirrels on your property, call us now to avoid having squirrels in your house. If you already have a squirrel living inside, we can get rid of them safely and humanely.
Pennsylvania bats, including the little brown, big brown, and Northern long-eared bats, are members of the Vespertilionidae family. They have small eyes but can see fine. They have large ears, and while flying, they make sounds that echo off objects and bounce back to their ears. This helps them avoid flying into trees, branches, fences, and other things.
Bats consume thousands of insects each night, scooping some off lights and leaves and some in mid-air. When winter arrives, some bat species migrate south. Some bats stay in Pennsylvania and hibernate. Mating and maternity seasons can begin in late fall, and pups are delivered in late spring or early summer. You cannot legally harass or remove bats from their roosting spot during this time.
If bats are roosting in your attic, you have a good source of insects nearby. You will likely know bats are roosting by stains from their guano that often runs down walls, staining them. Because bats are protected at the state and federal levels, call a professional to remove bats from your property.
The most common rats and mice in Scranton-Wilkes Barre you will see on your property include the house mouse and Norway rat. Mice and rats may not have the best eyesight, but all their other senses are extraordinary. They eat insects, leaves, nuts, garden crops, garbage, pet feed, and any crumbs they can find on your countertops, floors, and pantries. They have also been known to eat paper, soap, and glue.
Rats and mice chew and gnaw on everything, including wires, baseboards, carpets, insulation, and furniture. You may also find holes in food boxes in your pantry, scattered crumbs, and trails of droppings.
If you think you have a rat or mouse problem, call for help immediately. Rats and mice reproduce often and may have between six and eight litters a year. Each litter can have six or more babies. In less than one year, you will have a significant infestation. Here’s how we can help:
Striped skunks in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre are in the same family as badgers. Thankfully, they're nowhere near as aggressive, but they are armed with a potent defensive weapon: a pair of large scent glands found beneath the skin on either side of the rectum. These glands have nozzle-like ducts, which protrude through the anus. Skunks discharge their scent, or musk, through these nozzles, powering the stream with a strong hip muscle contraction.
Musk is an oily liquid, creamy or yellowish in color. Its active ingredient is a sulphide called mercaptan. Field guides refer to the musk as “highly repellent to all mammals.” In short, it stinks.
If threatened, a skunk drums its forefeet on the ground, snarls, arches its back and raises its tail. It can spray in any direction by twisting its rump toward the target. And, contrary to popular opinion, it can discharge when hoisted by the tail.
These animals are known for foraging for food in trash bins and pet food bowls. They're also profound and efficient diggers, and can mutilate an entire yard in a single night searching for grubs. They're distinctive black and white fur, and their pungent odor that can linger for days, are unmistakeable. 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.
This franchise is independently licensed and operated by SLA Rodent Control, LLC, dba Critter Control of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA.