Wildlife Management
Just about everyone struggles with pest problems, and it’s not hard to see why. Wild animals have little choice but to adapt to our man-made structures. Because of this, we find ourselves in conflict with wildlife. This intrusion can cause damage to property and threaten the health and safety of customers and residents. Smithereen’s fully licensed and experienced wildlife service teams understand both the needs of the customer and the nuisance animal. Our Integrated Pest Management approach seeks to prevent intrusions in addition to providing extermination services. We also provide Green Shield Certified services, seeking to safeguard clients’ properties while reducing the chemical impact on the environment. With over 50 years of experience, Smithereen has set the standard for wildlife management.
Wildlife Prevention Tips
Proper preparation prevents pest problems. Before you pick up the phone to call us, check around your property and make sure you’ve taken a few simple steps to minimize wildlife intrusions, such as:
- Ensure garbage cans and lids are thoroughly secured and all trash is managed.
- Most animals are opportunistic and take advantage of easy access into a structure, so be sure all entry points are thoroughly sealed and protected.
- Keep tree branches trimmed away from the structure.
- All crawlspaces, porches, and decks should be pest-proofed and inspected regularly.
- Chimneys should have caps to prevent animal entry
Need Help With Wildlife Management and Removal?
If you do have a wildlife issue:
Sometimes wildlife simply make their way into your property, and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you have an animal in the attic or walls of your home, we understand that can create a lot of panic! Our expertly trained technicians are the best in the business, and they can help. Allow us to walk you through our pest-control process step by step:
- Technicians will first identify the species of animal.
- All damage will be assessed and reported back to you, as well as any conditions that could attract further wildlife to the property.
- Technicians will assess any non-target animal risks.
- Technicians will determine whether exclusion, trapping, or both are necessary to manage the issue.
Three Most Common Nuisance Wildlife
Although wildlife comes in all shapes and sizes, we’ve encountered a number of repeat offenders over the years. These include:
Raccoons
Raccoons raid garbage cans and use structures such as chimneys, attics, and decks for their dens. They mate in January and February, which leads to a litter of three to six young raccoons that becomes active outside of the den in May or June. The family stays together for about a year. These nocturnal pests can be a real nuisance.
When removing or excluding raccoons in the spring and summer, remember that young might also be present and no exclusion should be done until all of them have been removed.
Skunks
Skunks are part of the weasel family, and their digging behaviors can cause serious damage, especially to lawns. The obvious odor they spray in self-defense also makes them a major nuisance. These nocturnal animals mate in late winter and usually have one litter per year containing as many as 10 young.
Typically, skunks don’t tip over garbage cans foraging for food, like racoons, but they may still need to be removed because of their nesting habits or damage caused by digging. Skunks can be trapped and excluded similarly to raccoons.
Squirrels
The most common pest we encounter is the gray squirrel. They commonly enter attics and garages to store food and find shelter. Along with other rodents, they can gnaw on structural elements, are noisy when inside the structure, harbor pathogens, and cause damage.
These pests have two litters per year and are most active in the morning and late afternoon. Determining squirrel entry points is key to elimination and prevention.
Smithereen’s Included Services
Smithereen is a one stop shop for wildlife management, and our qualified team knows how to apply every step in the pest-control process from elimination to prevention. These services include:
- Detailed and thorough inspections to determine animal type and source
- Wildlife management
- Solutions to prevent future animal entry
- Odor control solutions
Smithereen’s 100-plus years of experience include services for both commercial and residential clients. We have served and continue to serve industries as diverse as restaurants, healthcare facilities, hotels, food processors, retail establishments, multi-family housing units, schools, and more. Not only do we provide LEED-eligible service to businesses, nonprofits, and governmental bodies, we extend the same treatments to single-family clients. Our three-tiers of Home Guard service safeguard residences against pests with targeted, year-round, environmentally friendly treatments.
If you know you have a pest infestation on your hands or you are seeing warning signs of wildlife intruders, call 1-800-340-1888 or contact us immediately to learn how we can serve you.