Category: wildlife removal

A healthy garden and well-maintained yard can quickly become a target for hungry or curious wildlife. Squirrels, rodents, groundhogs, raccoons and other animals may feed on plants, dig through soil or damage landscaping while searching for food and shelter. Choosing the right wildlife fencing can help create a physical barrier that keeps animals from reaching your plants and your home. Here are some wildlife fencing solutions to help keep critters out of your garden.

Wildlife Fencing Strategies

The right fence depends on the type of wildlife you want to deter. Choosing a fence designed for the animals commonly found in your area can greatly reduce damage to gardens and landscaping.

1. Install tall fencing for larger animals: Larger critters can easily clear short fences, so taller fencing provides a better barrier. For larger animals, construct the fence between 6-8 feet tall.
2. Use wire mesh with small openings: Rodents and similar animals can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps. Fine wire mesh helps prevent them from reaching vegetables, flowers and other vulnerable plants.
3. Extend fencing below ground: Some nuisance wildlife prefer to tunnel underneath barriers. Burying the bottom portion of wildlife fencing helps discourage digging and creates a more secure perimeter.
4. Keep gates tightly secured: Even the strongest fence becomes less effective if dexterous animals like raccoons can unlatch a gate or enter through an open door. Regular inspections help identify gaps or damaged sections before wildlife can find and access them.

Additional Wildlife Prevention Tips

Fencing works best when combined with other preventive measures that make your property less attractive to wildlife. Maintaining a clean garden and reducing food sources can help discourage repeated visits. Helpful practices include:

• Promptly harvest fruits and vegetables.
• Remove fallen produce and plant debris.
• Store compost in secure containers with tight-fitting lids.
• Consider motion-activated sprinklers or lights to startle visiting animals.
• Inspect fences regularly for damage caused by weather or wildlife.

If animals have already established themselves on your property, fencing alone won’t solve the problem. In those situations, professional wildlife removal provides a safer and more effective solution.

Professional Wildlife Removal with Critter Control® of Pittsburgh

The wildlife removal specialists at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh have the training and equipment needed to identify entry points, safely remove nuisance animals and recommend exclusion methods that help prevent future infestations. Our four-step removal process includes:

1. Inspection: We’ll conduct a thorough walkthrough of your property to determine the size and extent of the wildlife problem.
2. Removal: Following a wildlife removal plan that fits your budget and needs, we’ll use eco-friendly techniques to remove the wildlife.
3. Restoration: Any areas contaminated by the wildlife and cleaned and repaired.
4. Exclusion: Located entry points are sealed to prevent re-entry.

The experienced wildlife removal experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh will safely and effectively remove nuisance wildlife and keep them from returning. To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate for our services, call us today at 412-767-4067.

As a property owner, you must work hard to keep your yard up to a high standard. Whether you’re focused on the lawn, flower beds or a fruit and vegetable garden, the last thing you need is for nuisance wildlife to come in and tear it up. Here are some wildlife prevention methods to keep nuisance animals away from your garden space.

How to Make a Wildlife-Proof Garden

While you will want certain wildlife in your garden, such as bees and butterflies, other critters may not be as welcome. Below are some easy-to-implement tips to wildlife-proof your garden.

• Fencing and Natural Barriers: Traditional fences with wood planks can add to the well-planned aesthetic of your garden. With fencing, make sure the fence is high enough and buried deep enough to prevent animals from jumping or burrowing their way inside. Your fencing should also have small gaps or consist of mesh fabric to allow your produce to breathe. Natural barriers, like thorny bushes or gravel can also provide an extra line of defense against nuisance wildlife.
• Securing Compost: Nuisance wildlife may be attracted to your garden because of compost piles. While you may see it as spoiled or expired food, critters like raccoons and possums treat compost as a source of nourishment, so keep it in a container with a tightly sealed lid.
• Clean Your Garden: Overripe fruit and vegetables or fallen seeds are a free meal for nuisance wildlife. Clean your garden by harvesting produce as it ripens, and frequently remove debris.
• Install a Deterrent: Most nuisance wildlife are skittish, and will choose to flee if they feel threatened. Use this to your advantage by installing motion-activated deterrents, such as lights or sprinklers. Wind chimes and decoys will also create a disturbance that keeps critters away.
• Repellent Sprays: Whether made at-home or bought in-store, repellent sprays will overwhelm a pest’s sense of smell and send them scurrying. Water diluted with garlic and hot peppers is a natural spray that will scare pests off, as will commercial sprays containing predator urine.

Ultimately, the safest and most effective way to create a wildlife-proof garden is to hire a wildlife removal professional. Unlike at-home methods that can cost you excess time and money, pest control experts have access to the necessary equipment and expertise to guarantee safe and permanent wildlife prevention and removal.

Get Professional Wildlife Prevention with Critter Control® of Pittsburgh

If you’re dealing with nuisance wildlife in your Pittsburgh area garden, rely on the effective, safe and affordable services from the licensed and trained experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh. Our experienced team of pest control technicians will quickly and safely remove invasive wildlife from your property and keep them from returning. To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate for our fast and efficient wildlife removal and prevention services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

If you frequently hear things going bump in the night, then there’s a strong likelihood you have a wild pest in your home. Nuisance wildlife, including rodents, raccoons, bats and opossums, often nest inside the attics and walls of residential properties in search of warm shelter and easy access to food and water. Their presence can be alarming, especially at night when they are most active. Here is a list of common invasive critters that make noises in walls, and some ways you can investigate them to determine your best method of wildlife removal.

Investigating Wildlife Noises in Your Walls

While there are several species of wildlife that could be making noises inside your walls, the most common nuisance pests in the Greater Pittsburgh area include:

• Squirrels: Squirrels prefer nesting in higher spaces like trees, chimney and attics. The rodents will often nest and stash food away in between the walls of homes. If you notice high-pitched squeaking or chittering noises in between the months of March and October, then there’s likely a nest with newborn squirrels in your walls.
  
  
• Rodents: More active at nighttime, mice and rats will squeak and scurry away if you knock on a wall after hearing them. You’ll also be able to tell that the pests making noise are rodents if you notice small, rice-shaped droppings along floors or chewed openings in your drywall, molding or cupboards. Rats are agile and able to climb through pipes, which results in loud clanging noises.
  
  
• Raccoons: Due to their large size, raccoons aren’t particularly stealthy and may get stuck inside interior walls. The nocturnal critters are known to make loud scratching, clawing and chewing noises as they migrate around homes at night. They can also make a lot of noise outside as they ransack garbage cans in search of their next meal.
  
  
• Bats: Bats are most active at dawn and dusk, when they leave and return from their hunt. Bats often roost upside down in attics and rafters, but can also get inside walls. The mammals make distinct high-pitched squeaks to communicate. You’ll be able to see bats leaving your home if you’re outside at sundown.
  
  
• Opossums: Opossums make a variety of noises at night, including shrieks, hisses, clicks and scratching. However, if you approach an opossum they will go silent, freeze in place and play dead. If their sound isn’t a giveaway to their presence, then look for their droppings. Opossum droppings produce a strong odor, and they’ll stain your insulation and drywall if left unchecked.

Rely on Greater Pittsburgh’s Wildlife Removal Professionals

While at-home wildlife removal may be tempting, it is best to leave pest control to licensed professionals who possess the proper tools and training. Most nuisance pests are harmless, but they can bite or scratch when threatened. To ensure a safe and efficient removal process, contact the experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh when dealing with loud nuisance wildlife on your Greater Pittsburgh property.

Our team of experienced wildlife removal technicians at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh will safely and quickly remove nuisance pests from your property and keep them from returning. To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

When winter is on its way, the colder months will bring changes both in nature and in animal behavior. Afterall, winter is hibernation season for many wild animals. If they choose your home as their hideaway, nuisance wildlife can cause a great deal of property damage and put you and your loved ones’ health at risk. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent unwanted guests from moving in for the winter. Here’s how to wildlife-proof your home or business for hibernation season.

Wildlife-Proofing Techniques

There are several actions you can take before winter to guarantee nuisance wildlife stay away during hibernation season. Helpful wildlife removal and prevention techniques include:

• Inspecting the Chimney: Your chimney is one of the most vulnerable entry points in your home. Without the proper wildlife prevention techniques, it’s easy for critters such as squirrels and raccoons to scurry their way down and into your home. Regularly check your chimney flue for wildlife and install a chimney cap to guarantee exclusion.
• Sealing Up Entry Points: If you’ve been putting off home maintenance, now is the time. Inspect your property and look for other potential entry points, such as holes or cracks in your eaves, fascia boards and flashing. Doors and windows can also have gaps that are large enough for nuisance wildlife to squeeze through. Seal off smaller entry points with caulk or foam, and use wire mesh for larger gaps. Replace any worn weather stripping as you see it.
• Cleaning Up Interiors: Keeping your home and garage clean may be the easiest way to deter wildlife from sticking around. Store perishable goods in sealed, rodent-proof containers, and make sure pet food is locked tight. Wipe up countertops and floors, and keep your trash secured tightly in a sealed trash can.
• Trimming the Trees: If your yard contains tall trees, you might want to trim them back. Many nuisance wildlife use tree limbs to jump from branches onto your roof, guaranteeing easy access. Remove any limbs that are within eight feet of your roof, and trim up any shrubs or bushes that touch your home. The less cover wildlife have, the harder it is for them to make their way inside.
• Tidying Up the Yard: Once your foliage is taken care of, it’s time to address the rest of your yard. Remove debris from gutters and spouts and clean up any boards or brick piles. If you store firewood on your property, keep it in a clean, dry space outdoors and away from your home.

The Dangers of DIY Wildlife Removal

If, after you implement the above wildlife-proofing methods, nuisance wildlife still make their way on your property, then you should contact wildlife removal professionals. Attempting to remove wild animals on your own can result in physical harm to you and the animal and risks the spread of diseases. Instead, rely on the effective, safe and humane services from Critter Control® of Pittsburgh.

Year-Round Professional Wildlife Removal Services

Whether you’re looking to remove nuisance wildlife or prevent an infestation from starting, the experienced technicians at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh will quickly and safely remove nuisance pests and invasive wildlife from your property and keep them from returning. Schedule your inspection and receive a free wildlife removal estimate by calling us today at 412-767-4067.

If you live in the Pittsburgh area, chances are you’ve encountered a wild animal or two. After all, the Greater Pittsburgh area is home to many species of wildlife, including birds, bats, groundhogs, rodents and raccoons. To ensure wild animals remain in the wild and not in your residential home or commercial business, it is important to practice conservation in your community and stay aware of wildlife education standards.

What Is Wildlife Education?

Wildlife education helps develop an appreciation for nature and how we’re connected to it. However, wildlife education is more than just learning about nature; its goal is to highlight how important natural areas are to our ecosystem, so people can make informed decisions about how they interact with the world. Other benefits of wildlife education include:

• A deeper understanding of ecological processes and principles
• Increased empathy, respect and care for the environment and wildlife
• Improved critical thinking on important environmental issues
• Reinforced eco-safe behaviors that promote sustainability and minimizes negative impacts

By developing and promoting wildlife education in your local area, you can improve your environment and help maintain a balance for the natural wildlife in your area.

How to Promote Wildlife Education

By promoting wildlife education, you can help keep wild animals out of homes and in nature where they belong. Easy ways to practice wildlife education and conservation where you live include:

• Promoting Biodiversity: Biodiversity keeps the variety of species in an area different and unique, ensuring a healthy ecosystem. You can promote biodiversity in your backyard by planting native species of plants and flowers. When tending to your garden, avoid harmful pesticides that harm useful insects and opt for natural pest control methods.
• Reducing Waste: Water and food waste can seriously affect your local environment. Conserve water by fixing leaks in your plumbing, and avoid overwatering your yard. Consider composting organic waste and yard trimmings to promote healthy soil. Ensure you’re disposing of hazardous materials, such as harsh chemicals, properly to avoid contamination.
• Protecting Wildlife: It’s important to respect the natural environment around you. Avoid disturbing natural animal habitats, especially during nesting seasons. You can also protect wildlife from your pets through responsible pet ownership, keeping them away from protected areas.
• Getting Out in the Community: Your individual actions will have an impact, but the more wildlife education your community has, the better everyone will be. Consider getting out in the community by hosting a tree planting initiative to house wildlife in nature, or host a community cleanup at a local park where wildlife can thrive.

Safe and Humane Wildlife Removal

While proper wildlife education and awareness can help prevent critters from invading your home, it’s always possible that they make it inside your property in search of food, water, or shelter. Fortunately, the effective and safe wildlife removal services provided by the licensed, trained and experienced experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh can humanely remove wildlife from your Pennsylvania property and prevent them from returning.

Our eco-friendly, low-risk treatments keep the health of everyone in mind while guaranteeing permanent removal. To schedule your inspection and receive a free wildlife removal estimate, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

Encountering an injured animal on your property is a rare occurrence, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared. Injured wildlife may be protected and, therefore, requires specialized care, so it’s important to know what to do. Here’s how to handle an injured animal found in your home or business.

Handling Injured Wildlife

The best thing you can do for injured wildlife is to call a wildlife professional. Wildlife removal experts will have all the necessary tools and techniques to properly address the situation. However, there are a few things you can do if the animal’s injuries are not severe.

• Assess the Situation: After you call wildlife professionals, do a quick assessment of the situation. Move slowly around the critter, and speak in a reassuring manner. While small domesticated animals, like dogs or cats, may be open to being approached, you should be cautious when dealing with a wild animal. While they may seem docile, injured wildlife will act out in defense if they feel cornered or threatened.
• Stay Protected: When approaching an injured animal, it’s never a good idea to do so unequipped. Make sure to wear heavy gloves to prevent any bites or scratches, and cover your eyes and skin as much as possible. When handling a wounded critter, use a blanket or clean towels to prevent any direct contact.
• Addressing the Injury: Different injuries require different approaches. For example, animals that are in shock will be dealt with differently than one with simple cuts or abrasions. If you notice signs of shock, such as dilated eyes or low levels of activity, cover the animal with a blanket to preserve its body heat and restrict its visibility. For heatstroke, provide the animal with cool water. For animals with severe injuries, it’s best to wait until wildlife professionals arrive.

Why You Should Rely on Professional Wildlife Removal Services

While it may be difficult to keep a safe distance and wait for a wildlife professional to arrive, that is the best thing you can do when encountering injured wildlife on your property. Handling a wild animal without safety gear and trained experience can result in undue harm to both you and the injured animal. Therefore, if you come into contact with an injured animal in your Pennsylvania home or business, you should rely on the humane animal control services of Critter Control® of Pittsburgh.

Experienced Injured Wildlife Removal Services Near You

Our licensed and trained technicians are equipped to quickly and safely remove injured or invasive wildlife from your Pittsburgh home or business and keep them from returning. Whether you have an active wildlife issue or want to prevent one from starting, you can rely on our technicians for effective and permanent solutions. Our process includes:

1. Inspection: We’ll carefully conduct a thorough walkthrough of the property to locate the animal and evaluate its injury or infestation level.
2. Removal: Using safe and eco-friendly practices, we will provide complete wildlife removal.
3. Restoration: Any property damage caused by the animal will be cleaned and repaired to its original condition.
4. Exclusion: Identified entry points will be sealed to prevent wildlife re-entry.

To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate for our fast and efficient wildlife removal services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

Hungry rodents are constantly looking for ways inside Pittsburgh properties to search for food and shelter. If not properly addressed, a few nesting rodents can quickly turn into a costly, unsanitary, and widespread infestation. Instead of allowing your rodent problem to get to that point, consider rodent-proofing your Pittsburgh home with the following tips.

Tips for Rodent-Proofing Your Home

Rodent-proofing your home can help prevent an infestation. To keep rodents out, you’ll want to:

1. Look for Gaps or Holes

Gaps or holes inside or outside your home are the perfect entry points for rodents. Identifying these entry points can help keep the rodents out.

Gaps and holes can be found:

• Inside, under and behind kitchen cabinets
• Around windows and doors
• Behind appliances
• Around the pipes under sinks, washing machines, water heaters and furnaces
• Around all electrical, water, gas and sewer lines
• Inside the atticIn the basement or crawl space
• Around floor drainsBetween the floor and wall juncture
• In the roof among the rafters, gables, eaves and soffits
• Between the foundation of the home and ground

2. Seal Any Gaps or Holes

Sealing gaps and holes will stop rodents from entering your home.

To seal the gaps and holes:

• Fill small holes with steel wool and put caulk or spray foam over it to keep it in place.
• Use metal, cement, hardware cloth or metal sheeting on larger holes.
• Seal outbuildings and garages.

3. Seal Food and Water Sources Inside Your Home

Since rodents are attracted to food and water sources, sealing these areas will keep them out.

To prevent rodents from invading food and water sources inside your home:

• Keep food sealed in plastic, metal or glass containers with tight lids.
• Clean up spilled food immediately.
• Wash dishes and cooking utensils after using them.
• Put pet food away after use.
• Don’t leave food and water bowls out overnight.
• Keep garbage in plastic or metal trash cans with tight lids.
• Throw away trash frequently. Clean your trash can with soap and water.

4. Seal Nesting Sites and Food Sources Outside of Your Home

Sealing outside entry points is just as important as sealing inside ones if you want to prevent a rodent infestation.

To prevent rodents from nesting or getting to food sources outside your home:

• Clean up garbage around your house.
• Invest in a plastic or metal trash can with no holes and a tight lid.
• Keep outside cooking areas and grills clean.
• Keep composting bins at least 100 feet from your home.
• Keep bird feeders away from your home.
• Use squirrel guards to limit rodent access to bird feeders.
• Keep grains and animal feed in sealed containers with tight lids.
• Move wood piles at least 100 feet away from your home and raise them at least one foot off the ground.
• Keep your landscaping well maintained.

Contact the Rodent-Proofing Experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh

If DIY rodent-proofing is too much for you to handle, rely on the experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh. Our professional technicians are equipped to remove all unwanted rodents using non-toxic, chemical-free and humane methods. We will fortify your home by installing preventative measures to keep unwanted rodents out for good. To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate for our fast and efficient rodent-proofing services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

Attics and crawl spaces are two areas of the home that are often overlooked by homeowners. Because of such neglect, these cool, dark spaces become prime breeding grounds for nuisance pests and invasive wildlife. Here’s what you can do if you suspect you have unwelcome wildlife in attics, walls and crawl spaces of your property.

Signs of Wildlife in Attics and Crawl Spaces

If you suspect a pest problem is growing in your attic, watch out for the following:

• Skittering noises or squeaks, especially at night or in the morning
• Gnaw marks or grease stains around attic openings
• Gaps or cracks in exterior walls
• Small, round droppings along attic floors
• A strong ammonia smell from urine
• Torn insulation or electrical wiring

If you notice any of these signs of wildlife in your home, it’s time to take action. The sooner you’re able to remove wildlife from your attic or crawl space, the better off you and your property will be. If left untreated, wildlife infestations can lead to severe health issues for you and your loved ones. In a short amount of time, nuisance wildlife can also cause costly property damage that threatens your property’s structural integrity, as well as power and water loss and the risk of fire hazards.

Removing Wildlife in Attics

There are several ways to remove wildlife in attics or crawl spaces, including:

• Scare them off: Despite their presence in your home, most wild animals are more afraid of you than you are of them. Scare them off with motion-activated lights or by playing a radio around their nesting areas.
• Use strong scents: Many nuisance wildlife, including rodents, raccoons and bats, have a strong sense of smell that they rely on to find food or shelter. Use this to your advantage by placing strong scents, such as peppermint oil, cayenne pepper or mothballs, around your attic or crawl space. Their sensitive noses can’t stand the smell, and they’ll run off in search of another place.
• Consider traps: Most retailers will sell snap traps or poisoned bait for pest removal, but they often cause more problems than they solve. Several at-home removal methods involve strong, toxic chemicals that can put you and your loved ones at risk if not handled properly. Additionally, many of these methods are inhumane, resulting in a slow and painful death for the critter.
• Consulting a wildlife removal professional: Ultimately, the best way to remove wildlife in attics safely and humanely is relying on a wildlife removal expert. An animal removal professional will have access to the necessary tools and techniques to remove nuisance animals while keeping everyone’s health in mind.

Professional Pittsburgh Wildlife Removal Services

For safe and effective wildlife removal, rely on the licensed, trained and experienced experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh. Our team will work quickly and efficiently to remove invasive wildlife and their nests from your property and keep them from returning. To schedule your inspection and receive a free wildlife removal estimate, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.