Thanks to Memphis’s mild climate, long summers, and easy access to water from the Mississippi and Wolf Rivers, wildlife stays active nearly year-round. Combined with abundant food sources—from backyard gardens and restaurant dumpsters to livestock and grain storage—it’s no wonder these animals often find their way into homes and neighborhoods.
When that happens, it’s more than just an inconvenience. It’s a threat to your property, your health, and your family’s peace of mind. That’s where Critter Control steps in.
Typical Nuisance Wildlife in Memphis
At Critter Control, we do more than remove animals—we restore the safety and comfort of your home. After removal, our experts inspect for damage caused by wildlife, such as chewed wires, torn insulation, and contaminated nesting areas. These issues pose serious risks to your home’s integrity and your family’s health.
Our trained specialists seal all entry points using durable materials that prevent animals from coming back. We also clean, sanitize, and apply ectoparasite treatments to eliminate pests like fleas and ticks. With every repair, we take care to do the job right—the first time—so you can feel confident your home is secure, healthy, and protected long-term.
There are sixteen species of bats in Tennessee, the Little Brown Bat is the most common. Bat guano is the surest sign you have bats and the greatest risk to your health. A large accumulation of guano can lead to structural issues and spread two fungal diseases.
Only a handful of bat species are likely to enter your attic to roost, but they could form large maternity colonies during the summer. Tennessee regulates bat removal. From May 1st to August 1st, you cannot remove a colony with flightless pups. Bat extermination is illegal.
We perform a full interior and exterior inspection, looking for signs such as rub marks, guano, a strong ammonia scent, and small openings. The most common sign is the accumulation of guano.
Bat removal is a delicate process that should only be handled by trained professionals. At Critter Control, we use a humane, effective method that includes installing a one-way bat valve, which allows bats to exit safely but prevents them from reentering. Once the bats are gone, we seal all entry points to keep your home protected.
Bat colonies in Tennessee are legally protected, especially during their maternity season, making it both unsafe and unlawful to attempt removal on your own. Our team adheres to all local and state wildlife regulations, ensuring every step is done safely and responsibly. Trust Critter Control to handle the job with care, confidence, and legal compliance.
Rodent infestations are common in most cities across the United States, and Memphis is no exception. Since they can slip through an opening the size of a dime, most homes and businesses are susceptible to rodents looking for a cozy residence in which to breed with easy access to food and water.
The two most common rodents in the Memphis metro area are house mice and rats, including roof rats and brown rats. Rodents are active breeders year-round, but fall is their peak breeding season. As the weather turns cooler, these rodents will find their way indoors.
Rodents are harmful to your house and your health, and should be eradicated by a professional to ensure they are fully gone. Rodents’ teeth grow throughout their lives, and they are notorious for chewing through electric wires, walls, and floors to create pathways to pantries and restaurant storage areas. Rats and mice will contaminate food in pantries, and they also carry diseases, including hantavirus, salmonella, and leptospirosis.
If you see signs of a rodent infestation, such as gnaw marks and feces, Critter Control will expertly conduct rat control or mouse control to eliminate the entire population.
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.
Squirrels may seem harmless, but once inside your home, they can become a serious threat to your property and your family’s safety. These animals are known for gnawing on wood, insulation, and even electrical wiring, creating fire hazards and costly damage. In addition to their destructive behavior, squirrels can carry parasites like fleas and spread diseases such as leptospirosis, which poses health risks to both people and pets.
In Tennessee, squirrels typically seek shelter indoors during the fall to breed and raise their young. The Eastern Gray Squirrel is the most common species found in West Tennessee homes, along with Eastern Fox and Southern Flying Squirrels. While tree squirrels are active during the day, flying squirrels are nocturnal, making it easier to identify the species based on when you hear activity.
A squirrel in your attic isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a hazard. That’s why professional removal is essential. Squirrels will tear up attic insulation to build nests, bring in food, and leave behind waste that contaminates your home. Critter Control uses safe, humane methods to remove squirrels and prevent them from returning, helping you protect your home and fulfill your responsibility to keep your family safe.
Our 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.
Once the squirrels have been removed, Critter Control takes care of the cleanup and ensures your home is fully secured against future intrusions. Our team will thoroughly inspect and squirrel-proof all potential entry points, including vents, rooflines, soffits, fascia, eaves, and crawl space openings. We use durable materials such as steel mesh, flashing, and sealants designed to withstand gnawing and weather damage.
Inside, we handle full cleanup and sanitation of nesting sites. This includes removing food debris, feces, urine-soaked insulation, and any contaminated materials left behind. If insulation has been damaged, we can replace it to restore your home’s energy efficiency and cleanliness. By combining expert exclusion work with professional restoration, we give you peace of mind that your home is clean, secure, and protected long-term.
Raccoons are native to North America and are found throughout most of the United States, including right here in Tennessee, where the raccoon is officially recognized as the state’s wild animal.
Raccoons are smart and destructive animals that will rip a hole through your roof or soffits to gain entry. Once inside, they will damage insulation and wires and contaminate the area with their feces.
Spring is the most common time to experience a raccoon infestation, but they can be a problem year round in Memphis.
The peak of the breeding season is in February in Tennessee. Females will seek out shelter to give birth in March and April. There are usually 3-4 kits (baby raccoons) in a litter. If you see a raccoon during the day in the spring, you might have a raccoon family.
Raccoons do not hibernate. When it gets especially cold, raccoons will retreat to their dens. A raccoon denning in your attic could lead to a long, noisy winter.
Since they can become quite aggressive, a wildlife specialist such as Critter Control is needed to effectively and humanely get rid of them using live trapping or one-way doors
During the inspection, we determine the severity of the raccoon infestation. We look for physical evidence, like footprints in or around the home and 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 removal should always be left to trained professionals. At Critter Control, we handle every step of the trapping process using humane, effective techniques that comply with all local and state regulations. Depending on the season and severity of the infestation, our specialists may use live traps, one-way doors, or excluder valves—devices that let raccoons exit safely but prevent them from reentering.
Because raccoons can be aggressive and are considered a rabies vector species, it is unsafe for homeowners to attempt removal on their own. Our team is equipped to trap and remove raccoons safely, checking traps frequently in accordance with Tennessee law. You can trust Critter Control to resolve the issue with professionalism and compassion, keeping your family’s safety in mind.
Opossums are prevalent around Memphis. If you see an opossum in your yard, it is best to ignore it. They usually move on from a location within a few days. In the meantime, they will probably eat pests like ticks or rodents.
If you’ve got an opossum in your home, you know it’s there. They are noisy animals. They scream, hiss, thump, and bump. They can truly be annoying at any time during the day or night. Opossums will also leave feces and urine wherever they go.
If you have a nuisance opossum in your house or under a deck, call us to evict the opossum early.
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.
Birds are prevalent in Memphis. Any birds can become nuisance birds. They perch on roof ledges, poop on cars and windows, and build nests in eaves and attics. Their poop is acidic and causes corrosion. It carries many toxins that can lead to respiratory diseases in humans.
Birds like to find small spaces to call home, such as ventilation ducts, gutters, and soffits. When these areas are blocked, water can no longer flow properly, leading to moisture damage and costly repairs. Nesting materials can also clog vents, creating serious fire hazards, not to mention the health risks from droppings and debris.
At Critter Control, we’re committed to protecting your home and family from the dangers nuisance birds can cause. Our experts will assess the situation, remove the birds safely, and put long-term prevention methods in place. If you’re dealing with unwanted birds around your home or business, call Critter Control today—we’ll help you reclaim a safe, clean space with solutions you can trust.
We thoroughly inspect the area for things that attract birds, like harborage and loafing areas, as well as food and water sources. Also, we look for where birds may be entering your home or business. We also inspect for damage caused by birds, whether it’s by nesting or by droppings.
After identifying the bird species, we may start by physically removing the species in question. In rescue situations, such as in chimneys or basements, birds can be released on-site if the entrance has been secured properly. Critter Control may use live traps, especially when dealing with larger flocks or persistent birds. In more complex situations, our specialists will apply advanced techniques such as netting, spikes, ledge deterrents, scare tactics, and misting systems. While every case is unique, our team will always prioritize prevention and exclusion as the most effective and lasting bird control methods.
Skunks typically invade yards in Memphis in search of food and a safe place to burrow. Sheds, porches, and foundations make ideal burrowing locations, which can lead to structural damage. To avoid a skunk’s spray, rely on professional handling and skunk trapping. Removing food supplies is one of the most effective ways to prevent a skunk from entering your property.
Skunk mating season starts in February when males begin wandering in search of females in heat. During this time, they’re more likely to spray—especially when competing with other males. What may start as a minor nuisance can quickly become a larger issue during breeding season.
If you suspect skunks are on your property, don’t wait for the problem to escalate. Critter Control is here to help with safe, humane removal and long-term prevention. Our specialists will protect your home and family by addressing the issue quickly and thoroughly so you can enjoy your space without the risk of unwanted surprises.
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.
Critter Control installs proven exclusion and prevention methods to keep skunks out for good. Our team will seal foundation gaps, replace or screen broken foundation vents, and install hardware cloth (also known as rat walls) around sheds, porches, and decks to block access to burrowing areas. We also advise keeping pet food indoors and securing trash bins to remove common attractants. These long-term solutions help protect your home from future skunk problems—without the mess or stress.
At Critter Control, we believe that resolving a wildlife issue is about more than just removing an animal—it’s about restoring peace of mind and protecting what matters most. That’s why we approach every job with professionalism, respect, and a deep understanding of the responsibility you place in our hands when inviting us into your home or business.
