What Should You Know About Opossums?

If you’re like most people, you rarely if ever see an opossum. They’re active at night, so it’s not like you’d see them in the daylight unless they’re sick or roadkill. Now, that said, you might find evidence that an opossum is near your house. For instance, say you have cement steps leading up to your front door, and suddenly a hole appears on one side of the steps. You think to yourself, “Maybe it’s a rabbit, a skunk, or a raccoon?” There are all sorts of critters, right? Well, maybe it’s an opossum, and because they’re active at night, you might have no idea what’s burrowing under your steps until a critter control guy comes and traps the thing!

Opossums are the only marsupial found in North America. They are related to kangaroos! They usually live alone, grow up to 40 inches in length, and can look like the size of a house cat. Well, size-wise they may look like a cat, but looks-wise? They look like a giant rat. Indeed, they have long, pointed faces with rat-like tails. They’ll show their sharp teeth and hiss at you if they feel threatened.

Opossums Can Cause Damage to Your Home

Opossums can mess with your house. They can tear ductwork or insulation. They can damage your lawn while digging for food. And if you have chickens on your property, they’d love to destroy them. While they rarely have rabies, they can have other diseases as well as fleas and mites.

Opossums should live where there aren’t many people around, because they’re decent animals who deserve to live– but they shouldn’t live near or in your house.

So, if you think you might have an opossum problem, call Critter Capture of Mobile, Alabama, at 251-680-5068. Typically, an opossum can be trapped and then transported far away, so they can still enjoy their life, but not near you anymore.

Why Do Mice Keeping Coming Into My Home?

Have you noticed a mouse in your house? If so, you’re probably wondering, “Why are they coming to my house of all places?”

Food

Typically, the main reason you might find mice in your house is that they’re seeking food, and you have food! For instance, do you ever leave food out on the counter overnight? Do you leave dirty dishes covered in crumbs in the sink overnight? Do you rarely vacuum your floors, such that crumbs stay there for weeks? What about pet food? Is it left “open to the air,” rather than kept in airtight containers? Mice are always smelling for food, and your house might have plenty of odors to attract them!

Warm Shelter

Perhaps your house is warm and inviting, not only to human guests, but to pests as well. Mice look for “safe spaces” away from predators. And when they find a place they like, they don’t want to leave! So, if you have a mouse problem in your house, you’ve probably have nests in your walls where mice are having babies. At that point, you need an exterminator.

Quick Access

Mice are getting into a house “somewhere.” An exterminator finds that entry point and seals it off. Your house might have more than one entry point for mice! Have you looked outside (around the house) to see where you have unexpected holes or cracks where they could get in?

Once entry/exit points are sealed off, mice can be physically removed from a house. And then their “areas” where they lived can be cleaned and decontaminated. Someone has to get rid of all that poop, right?

Critter Capture can fix your mouse problem! Email rick@critter-capture.com for details, or call 888-635-6303. Critter Capture serves Mobile, AL; Jackson, MS; Gulf Coast, MS; Slidell/Hammond, LA; and Baton Rouge, LA.

Are Squirrels in My Home?

Cute as they are, squirrels belong outside– not in people’s homes. How do you know if you have squirrels in your house?

Indicators of Squirrels in Your Home

Have you seen shredded insulation? Does it look like certain pieces of wood have been gnawed at by something? Is there an electrical problem because a wire was chewed up?

One of the main ways people know squirrels are in a house is they hear sounds coming from the attic. It sounds like something’s in there, scampering around and perhaps jumping, too. They also hear scratching noises. Sometimes those noises can come from inside chimneys.

What about poop? Squirrel droppings kind of look like bat droppings. If you see poop in your attic, that could mean you have squirrels or some other pests in there.

Just like mice and raccoons, squirrels love to chew through things, so look for holes and gnaw marks around fascia boards, shingles, eaves, and other areas along the roof line.

Do you notice any interior damage, especially in your attic? If your insulation is torn up or shredded, it could be squirrels. Also, can you smell a foul odor? It could be squirrel urine. If and when there’s a strange odor in your home and you can’t seem to figure out where it’s coming from, it could be that a squirrel died behind your wall or in your attic.

Finally, if you notice damage to your ceiling or walls, sometimes it could mean you have a leaky roof and rainwater is getting in… and other times it could mean you have squirrels urinating in your attic and walls.

You don’t want squirrels living in your home because they can carry all sorts of diseases including rabies. They can also bring in ticks and fleas!

Critter Capture can come to your house and inspect for squirrel infestation. If and when squirrels are discovered, they can be properly removed. Critter Capture serves Mobile, Alabama, and surrounding communities. If you think you have a squirrel problem, call Critter Capture at 251-680-5068.

The Importance of Attic Restoration

If you’ve ever had pests like squirrels or racoons living in your attic, you have to wonder what they did in there, right? Chances are they’ve left behind fecal matter, urine and even oil from their fur. This “stuff” can spread bacteria and lead to mold growing in your home. And did you know a critter’s oil from their fur has pheromones which can attract more critters looking for a mate or a place to call home? Yikes! Their oil also damages wood. Pests can also bring ticks and fleas into your home. Ideally, you want to remove any trace that they were ever there!

An Overview of Attic Restoration

Attic restoration involves droppings and nests being removed. A fog mist may be used to break down bacteria in the attic and help sanitize the room. Insulation may need replacement. Holes in the roof may need repair. Attic restoration is best left to professionals who have the equipment to do the job properly and know the safety procedures involved in cleaning up after pests. It’s not a job for the faint of heart.

Wild animals can do a lot of damage when living in your attic. Critter Capture of Mobile, Alabama, offers attic cleanup and deodorization services. Small droppings from rats or squirrels can be vacuumed out. Large droppings from raccoons or opossums can be removed by hand. Soiled insulation, nesting material, and food debris can all be removed as well. And then an atomized BioShield decontaminating mist is used in order to sanitize the room. Your house will smell better after attic restoration is done.

Remember, animals communicate through smells. You don’t want their “scent” left in your attic even after they’ve gone because that’ll just attract more animals. Ideally, you want to get rid of any evidence that they were ever in your home.

Call Critter Capture at 251-680-5068 today to schedule your attic restoration.

Tips for Nuisance Wildlife Prevention in Mobile, AL

Critters may be fine to have around… as long as they’re not in your yard, close to your house, causing trouble! What are some tips for nuisance wildlife prevention? In other words, how can you keep critters like squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, opossums, and skunks away from your house so they don’t bother you, your plants, the structure of your house, etc.?

Keep in mind that animals love to look for food, water and shelter. Wildlife especially tends to live near things like rivers/creeks, golf courses, railroad tracks, and vacant buildings, where they’re not too disturbed by human society, but close enough that they can find some food scraps and a warm place to call home.

So what can you do to keep wildlife out of your house? Here are some practical tips.

Plug the Gaps

If you have damaged windows or doors that offer a critter a way into your home, fix the damage(s) so they can’t get in. This might mean replacing damaged screens or installing door sweeps on exterior doors.

And Add Chimney Caps!

Up on the roof, you should have chimney caps. You can also cover exhaust fan openings, as well as soffit and attic vents. Anywhere there’s an easy hole to get into your house, critters will get in– so don’t give them any easy entry holes!

Remove the “Stepping Stones”

Do you have any trees that have branches hanging near your roof? If so, cut the tree branches so animals can’t use them as ladders or bridges to get on your roof and try to get into your chimney or attic. Ideally, you want to get your roof inspected at least once a year and see if there are any holes in it. Keep your attic well-ventilated and dry.

Carefully Store Firewood

Do you store firewood near your house? Make sure it’s at least 20 feet away from the house so it’s not so close that animals live there and bother you.

Keep Food Magnets Out Of Reach

What attracts pests to your house? Open garbage containers full of rotting food as well as bird feeders where seeds are conveniently dropped all over the ground– both of these things attract all sorts of critters such as raccoons and squirrels. Even something like an apple tree next to your house can attract unwanted wildlife looking for a snack. Do what you can to not offer any food source next to your house!

Inside your house, do what you can to keep all food in airtight containers. Don’t give critters an excuse to come sniffing around.

With a little time and energy, you can do things to discourage nuisance wildlife from bothering you and your home.

If you are in the unfortunate situation where wildlife has infiltrated your home in the Mobile, AL area, contact the experts at Critter Capture today.

How Mice Can Cause Serious Issues in Your Home

Some people keep mice as pets. Of course, when they do, these  cute critters are kept in cages! Other people, though, discover unwanted mice living in their homes. These are the not-so-cute kind of pests Critter Capture receives phone calls or emails about– usually with the line, “Get rid of them, please!” 

Having unwelcome mice in your house can be a serious issue.

Movements at Night

Mice are nocturnal creatures, so if you hear scratching noises at night, notice poop droppings (little brown/black rod-shaped pellets with pointed ends), or smell an ammonia-like smell in your home, you might have a mice issue.  Where there’s one there’s probably more, hidden in your walls or perhaps behind your kitchen appliances or under the sink.

Disease Transmission

Mice carry disease. Obviously you don’t want to catch something like Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis by breathing in the dust from an area where mice peed or pooped. You don’t want mice biting your pets or kids. 

House mice look for a warm place to live that’s close to food and water. They’ll make nests from paper, fabric, insulation, cotton and packing materials. You might find these nests inside walls, under floorboards or in the attic.

Gnawing Away  

What kind of damage will mice do? Well, they love to gnaw things including your nice wooden furniture. It’s possible that they’ll chew through electrical wires and they could start a fire! 

Ideally, you might need to store your food in airtight containers, keep a very sanitary house, seal up holes in pipes/roofing, and cover vents/chimneys with wire mesh in order to keep mice from harming your house. 

And, of course, call Critter Capture of Mobile, AL, to help deal with your mice infestation. The number is 251-680-5068.

When Do Squirrels Become a Pest Control Problem?

Squirrels seem to be ubiquitous. We see them scampering about trees and lawns all the time. They’re seemingly harmless and, to some, quite cute. But what about the times when squirrels become a pest control problem?

Squirrels are fine when they’re outside and not bothering you. When they’re living inside your home, though? That’s a problem! Squirrels love to climb and leap. And when the weather’s colder, they’re looking for a warm place to call home. If they can get into your house and find food or water, along with shelter and warmth, then they just might make your home their home. They can get in through uncapped chimneys, peeling roof shingles, or damaged vent screens. Perhaps you hear noises in your ceiling or walls. You might have squirrels in your house.

Squirrels Can Do Major Damage to Your Home!

Squirrels build nests and they love to use whatever they can get to make those nests, including insulation, linens, fabrics and paper products. A family of squirrels in your attic could do a lot of damage! And here’s where it gets worse– they love to gnaw on things, including cables in your house. They’re just trying to keep their growing teeth healthy and sharp, but, in the process, your cable TV/internet goes out… or you have electricity issues– costly issues that require repair. Ugh.

Squirrels can cause all sorts of damage if they live where you don’t want them to live. Besides their poop, they break things. They mess up insulation. They can even bother the structural integrity of your house.

If you suspect you have a squirrel pest problem, call Critter Capture of Mobile, Alabama, at 251-680-5068. Critter Capture can get rid of nests as well as provide attic decontamination services, which will help get rid of droppings and smelly urine stenches! If you want the squirrels out of your house, call Critter Capture today.

Does My Home Have a Rodent Problem?

“Does my home have a rodent problem?” is a question you hope you don’t have to ask, but… sometimes you might have to ask that exact question.

What are some things to look for to figure out if you need to call Critter Capture to have them take care of a rodent problem?

Chew Marks

Rodents love to gnaw on things. Look for small chew marks on baseboards, wires, and anything that’s made of wood or cardboard in your house (or business).

Strange Odors

How about odors? If you smell a musky or rotting odor in the house or office, you might have an infestation.

Hyperactive Pets

Do you have a pet dog or cat who scratches at walls or acts “odd” in certain parts of the house or building? If so, you might have rodents.

Things You Don’t Want to Step On

Of course there’s other, ahem, “evidence” that gets left behind. You might end up seeing “droppings” on the floor. Look for small, dark brown poops with pointed ends– and if you find them, you might have mice or rats around. Rodent droppings can cause allergy problems for some people. You might also be able to see footprints in dusty areas.

Evidence in Walls and/or Floorboards

Got holes in the wall that look “chewed out?” Rats and mice like to gnaw holes in walls for entry/exit points.

Do you ever hear noise in the walls or along floorboards? You might have rodents scampering or scratching about the house or building. In particular, listen for noises coming from inside walls, as well as ceilings and attics.

Have you seen mice or rats in your home or business? They could be living behind your walls and in your ceiling(s). They can contaminate food sources and spread diseases. Get rid of them! Call Critter Capture of Mobile, Alabama, at 251-680-5068. You can also email rick@critter-capture.com for professional wildlife removal services or use the contact page here.

Pest Control Preparations Are Vital for the Winter, Even in Alabama!

Winters in Mobile, Alabama, can be warm, though some days in January can see temperatures in the 40s. Did you know the daily January high is around 60 degrees and the low is around 42 degrees? Pest control is important in the winter, even in warmer climates like Alabama.

One thing that people notice when winter approaches is that flying insects seem to disappear. In their place, out come the mice, cockroaches and spiders. And they seek refuge from the cold, finding it inside homes. Do you want spider bites? No. Do you want rodents running around your kitchen? Of course not. And cockroaches aren’t good either– they can trigger asthma and allergies.

How to Protect Your Home From Pests in the Winter

So, what can a homeowner do to prepare for winter and try and prevent winter pests from getting into their home?

The fall months are a good time to walk around the outside of the home and seal any cracks or holes you find. This will help prevent rodents from getting into your place. Keep in mind that a mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime!

If you have firewood, store it at least 20 feet from the home. That should help keep mice and ants away from your place.

If you’ve got clutter in certain parts of the house, clean it up. Rodents love to hide in cluttered areas. Now’s a good time to organize storage areas and move boxes off the floor if possible.

In your house, especially in the bathroom(s) and kitchen, check for leaky pipes or places where there’s moisture. After all, cockroaches and other critters are looking for water. Don’t give them any!

Finally, fix any damaged screens in windows and install door sweeps.

These are just a couple good ideas to help keep pests out of your house this winter. If you do experience a problem with a pest (or pests), though, you can call Critter Capture at 251-680-5068.

How to Find the Right Wildlife Control Company

In Mobile, AL, if you need professional animal/rodent removal done, you should call Critter Capture at 251-680-5068. That said, what are some things to look for when searching for “the right pest control company?”

Estimates

First, does the company offer free estimates? It makes sense to get several estimates from different companies and then pick the one you feel most confident and comfortable with, based on a variety of factors. Do some research.

Questions

What are some questions to ask a pest control company? How about, “How many years have you been in business?” Is this a newbie or an experienced professional with years in the business? How long have they been serving the area? Are they brand new or have they been serving the needs of community members for decades?

Word of Mouth

Next, don’t be afraid to ask for a list of references. You can call/contact those references and ask them questions. Were they satisfied with their service, or not?

Proper Credentials

Also, will the person taking the animal away be someone who is licensed and/or certified? Find out if your municipality regulates/verifies pest control companies through such things. In particular, ask about their use of pesticides and at what rates they’d apply such pesticides on your property.

Possible Red Flags

What are some red flags when searching for a pest control company? Does their phone number work? Does it just ring and ring– or do they “never seem to get back to me?” Obviously, you want someone who is responsive to your queries– not someone who doesn’t return calls! Also, be careful with door-to-door salespeople who offer their services– they could be scammers. Also, be wary of those who offer pest control as part of package deals such as tree trimming, with “super low prices.” If it sounds too good to be true it probably is!

Follow Through On Promises

Finally, inquire about a company’s guarantees. You want to make sure they get rid of the animal/pest and that it doesn’t come back. Ask them, “What if such and such happens after you remove it?” See what their response is, and find out if they’d come back for free or charge you more money if something’s “not quite right.”