When you have a mouse in your house, squirrels in your attic, or raccoons in your crawl space, you might not give much thought to the wildlife removal company that you hire to rid your home of problem wildlife. “Any company will do,” you think to yourself.
But nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, all wildlife control companies aren’t alike. They are not created equal. And it’s important to understand the differences before calling in order to save yourself from headaches, persistent problems, and additional costs.
Here are some of the reasons why all wildlife control companies aren’t the same.
1. Pest Control Company in Disguise
Some pest control companies—the ones that deal witheliminating fleas, bedbugs, cockroaches, and other insects—will get into the wildlife removal business in order to get into another sector of the industry and make some extra cash. Unfortunately, they’re still just pest control companies in disguise.
And as pest control companies, they will use the same elimination approaches to wildlife as they do to insects. Mainly, they will use kill traps and poisons.
Not only is this unethical, and sometimes illegal, but it won’t solve your infestation problems. Killing off a few mice or a couple squirrels won’t ensure that the entire colony in your home is gone. It also won’t ensure that other wildlife don’t enter your home a few weeks later. Plus, using rat poison can leave dead, decomposing animals all over your home, in areas that you cannot reach.
2. Trap and Relocate
Not all wildlife control companies use the most humane removal methods—though they still call themselves humane. Some will boast that they don’t kill any wildlife during removal. That they use live traps and relocate the animals far away.
Though this might be slightly more ethical than using poisons and kill traps, most of the time, it isn’t humane. When animals are taken out of their environment—the area they know well—and are moved to a strange place, they often die. Survival rates are low for relocated wildlife, and babies might also get left behind. So although the animals won’t be killed on sight, in your presence, you can’t feel good knowing that they’ll suffer and die soon after being removed.
Truly humane wildlife removal companies will use one-way doors as their first removal approach and will ensure no babies are left behind.
3. Half the Job Done
Not all wildlife control companies will follow through to the true end of a removal job, either. Some will just remove the animals, send you an invoice, and call it a day. Though this might solve the immediate problem of having wildlife living in your home, it’s not a complete job. Removal is only a small part of the larger issue.
You need a company that will help go above and beyond to ensure that the problem is eliminated for good. The best companies will help clean up the damage done by the wildlife and decontaminate your home of feces and urine. Without this step, your family’s health and safety could be at risk.
Additionally, the best wildlife removal companies will also help with repair and restoration. Need insulation top-ops? Need repairs to vents or soffits? Need reinforced drip edge? Your company should be helping.
Lastly, an effective wildlife removal company will also prevent all future re-entry to solve the problem once and for all. Its experts will examine your property, identify all vulnerable areas and entry points, and seal them up so no other animals can get in. The best companies will guarantee this for five or ten years.
Now you see that not all wildlife control companies are created equal. Some might seem like the most cost-effective choice, but if they’re not following through and preventing re-entry, then you’re going to need to spend more money in the near future to finish the job that was left undone. Some might seem like they’re ethical and humane, but their methods prove otherwise.