Washington has its share of unwanted and invasive species in our area. For example, White-nose syndrome, which is incredibly dangerous to bats, and could push some bat species towards extinction, has arrived in Washington and a drop in bat populations will mean a significant increase in populations of the insects that they prey on, some of which are agricultural pests.
Another example is the Asian Giant Hornets (Murder Hornets), which pose a serious threat to Washington honeybees and the honeybee industry. While the extent of possible damage to Washington’s honeybee industry is not yet known, a similar hornet in Europe has reduced beehives by 30 percent and up to two-thirds of the honey yield.
Lastly, European starlings and sparrows are aggressively taking over the nests of woodpeckers and other birds. These same birds like to invade other things, too, like your home. They aren’t the only wildlife trying to find food, water, and shelter in your home. Raccoons, snakes, squirrels, opossums, and skunks are just a few more examples of Olympia wildlife becoming a nuisance in developed areas.
Raccoons like to den near a water source, so frequent rainfall in Olympia provides a variety of comfortable habitats. Raccoons are well adapted to urban and suburban environments and attracted to unsealed trash cans and outdoor pet food. In colder months, raccoons will attempt to access a home through the chimney or den under a deck. These pests come with the risk of disease and property damage and should be removed immediately.
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.
Opossums are the only marsupials native to North America. They are nocturnal; therefore, residents rarely see opossum damage until the next morning. Tipped-over garbage cans and trash strewn across lawns are common sights when opossums are around. These pests also raid gardens and dig through compost bins to find food. Opossums are also capable of spreading disease through the parasites they carry, including fleas and ticks.
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.
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.
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.
Squirrels are so fun to watch. They fill up their cheeks with acorns and race up and down trees. It’s all fun and games until your bird feeders are destroyed, the siding on your home has been chewed through, and nests are built in your chimney. The Eastern Gray squirrel is a particular nuisance since it is the one to most likely enter your home. They are most active in the early mornings and evenings.
Native squirrels in our area include the Western Gray Squirrel, Douglas Squirrel, Red Squirrel, Northern Flying Squirrel. Non-native squirrels are the Eastern Gray Squirrel and the Eastern Fox Squirrel. Squirrels have also been known to chew on wires lying on the roof of homes, causing power lines to droop, digging holes in your garden, and chewing holes in your attic where they may build a nest.
Squirrels mate from late winter to early spring, with litters arriving from March to June. All squirrels except flying squirrels and the western gray squirrel can produce a second litter in the Fall.
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.
Skunks carry rabies and other diseases, making them dangerous to humans and pets. Female skunks seek a quiet, safe place to have baby skunks. Many find places underneath your home, porch, or decks. If the mama skunk feels threatened at any time, it will release an odor that repels any living creature.
Suppose they spray while living underneath your home; those odors can rise and enter your home, taking weeks for the odors to fade.
Skunks like to chew wood, tear screens, or burrow to find the right spot under your home. Don’t risk being sprayed by a skunk in trying to remove it by yourself. Call us instead.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The most common wildlife issues we face here are Raccoons, Squirrels, Opossum, Skunks, and rodents.
Wildlife activity will vary depending on season, with a large spike in activity in Spring when the babies are born. Squirrels have 2 litters per year, so we get an additional uptick of squirrel activity in the fall. Rodents like rats and mice are steady all year long around.
Common signs of wildlife activity range from subtle things like strange smells coming from the attic or crawlspace, scurrying or scratching sounds at night, or blatant like new holes chewed in your house or seeing a raccoon go through one of your foundation vents.
Eliminating easy food sources like garbage or pet food will decrease the likelihood of wildlife coming to your home, as well as cleaning up debris and other garbage that can hide them.
Homeowners should call us at the first sign that something out of the ordinary is happening. The earlier an issue is found, the easier it is to fix.
