One of the realities of owning a home is that at some point, critters will try to find their way inside. Houses are warm and safe, they provide excellent shelter from rain and snow, and attic insulation makes great nesting material.
Squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals do not make good houseguests, and if they aren't evicted promptly, they can do serious damage. Do not try to trap and relocate rodents and other wildlife on your own. Nuisance wildlife can carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans, so it's always best to rely on experienced professionals with the right safety gear.
Northern Virginia Wildlife Removal Services
In most cases, wildlife removal is a multistep process. Critters are persistent, and it's not enough to simply get them out of the attic or other spot in your house where they've taken up residence. Your wildlife removal specialist will likely recommend the following:
- Removal
- Exclusion
- Damage repair
Animal removal
Critters that make their way into your house are typically more afraid of you than you are of them, so it's possible that you will never actually see them.
A professional wildlife removal technician will try to identify the animal, either by sight or by looking at the damage and/or nesting material it has left behind. If necessary (and only as a last resort), the technician will use humane traps to capture and relocate the animal. The safer option, once the technician has verified that the animal has left your home, is to move directly to exclusion.
Exclusion repairs
Nuisance wildlife can enter your home through surprisingly small entryways. If these areas aren't repaired, the animals will return promptly.
Your wildlife control expert will thoroughly inspect your entire home—not just the area of immediate concern—and make recommendations for exclusion repairs. These typically include:
- Adding or repairing chimney caps and screens
- Repairing holes in siding, soffit, fascia, and window and door frames
- Adding, replacing, or repairing screens on plumbing and exhaust vents
- Removing or pruning trees, shrubs, and other plants that overhang the roof or grow too close to the house
These exclusion repairs will help ensure that nuisance wildlife doesn't return to your home. In some cases, these repairs can also increase your home's energy efficiency.
Damage repair
Nuisance wildlife can do a number on the insulation, wiring, and structural beams in your home. Damaged, dirty, and compressed attic insulation is a particularly common result of a critter infestation. Compromised insulation no longer provides an adequate barrier to hot and cold air, so it must be replaced once your technician completes all necessary exclusion repairs.
Some wildlife removal companies offer attic insulation repair and replacement, but most do not offer more specialized work, such as electrical or structural repair. Be sure to clarify the scope of the service your wildlife removal company will perform.
The Best Picks for the Top Wildlife Removal Services in Northern Virginia
Discovering evidence of nuisance wildlife inside your home is unsettling, to say the least. And if you're like most homeowners, you'll want the problem resolved as promptly as possible. When you hire a reliable, experienced Northern Virginia wildlife control company, you can rest assured that the critter will be humanely removed from your house and any exclusion and damage repairs handled properly.
Since finding top-notch wildlife removal companies can be difficult, the Best Pick Reports survey team reaches out to homeowners in your area each year to find the best wildlife control experts near you.
We ensure all Best Pick companies go through our vetting process every year to verify that they continue to provide outstanding work and stellar customer service. Our company qualification standards are high, but this means that the companies we recommend represent the very best of the best.
Don't leave something as important to your health and the safety of your home in the hands of a company you're not sure you can trust. When you hire a Northern Virginia Best Pick wildlife control expert, you'll have a great experience—we guarantee it.