Category: Blog

When you hear strange noises in your Dallas home, your first thought might not be raccoons. However, the furry bandits are notoriously dexterous and can manage to maneuver their way into your home when no longer content with your garbage cans. Often the easiest way for raccoons to gain entry into your home is though insecurities in your roof. Here are five ways raccoons may be getting inside your home. 

1. Roof-Soffit Intersections

A roof-soffit intersection is any place where two sections of your roof meet. Most often, the shingles of a lower roof meets with the soffit, or the underside of an eave, of an upper roof. They tend to be the most vulnerable areas of your roof and can be easy access points for pests like raccoons or squirrels. Using the lower, shingled part of your roof, raccoons can push against a flimsy aluminum or plastic soffit and gain entry to your attic. 

2. Roof Vents

A lot of the time, when raccoons enter your home, they are looking for refuge from the elements. If it’s particularly cold outside, they can feel the warm air circulating from the vent on your roof and they will destroy the cover in an attempt to take shelter from cold weather. Similar to flimsy soffits, aluminum or plastic vents allow raccoons to gain easy access to your house. 

3. Chimneys 

Chimneys provide ventilation for your home’s fireplace, but they also provide an excellent entry point for raccoons. Chimneys are similar to hollow tree trunks, and raccoons are drawn to them because of their ability to scurry up and down the length of the chimney. Chimney dampers are an excellent place for raccoons to nest, so a mother raccoon may decide to make her home inside of your chimney. 

4. Roof Edges

The edge of your roof is extremely vulnerable to deterioration due to its proximity to the rain gutter. Rain and snow weaken this area of your roof and opportunistic raccoons are able to claw and scratch a hole into the roof edge and get into your attic. 

5. Plumbing Mats 

Plumbing mats are rubber mats that cover the hole in your roof that is created when the plumbing vent is installed. These rubber mats are found surrounding those cylindrical vents sticking out of your roof. Raccoons are able to pull up the rubber mat or tear off sections of the mat and in doing so they will gain access to your attic.

How To Tell If You Have a Raccoon Infestation

You’ll be able to tell if you have an unwanted raccoon in your house or on your property if you notice:

• An ongoing smell of feces or urine
• Damage to the outside of your house, roof shingles, or rain gutters
• Overturned trash can lids
• Paw prints on the side of your house
• Holes in your yard may also indicate the presence of raccoons 

Professional Dallas Racoon Removal

The wildlife removal professionals at Critter Control® of Dallas use humane and non-toxic methods of removal when it comes to unwanted raccoons or other wild animals inside your home or workplace. Not only will we safely and efficiently remove any nuisance critters, but our licensed and trained technicians will also seal-up and reinforce your property to make sure they do not return. If you suspect you have raccoons in your home, give us a call for a free estimate at 817-222-1101.

When the sun goes down in Dallas, rodents often make their way into homes in search of food and shelter. Unfortunately, rodent infestations can go unnoticed for some time, allowing them to breed, spread, and cause serious risks if they are allowed to fester for too long. Here are three ways rodents can harm your home and your family if they make their way into your residence.

The Risk of Disease

Rodents are known carriers of many infectious diseases that can easily be transmitted through close contact with them, their waste, or any food they may have contaminated. The buildup of their urine and droppings can also permeate throughout your house, causing unpleasant and toxic smells. As for which diseases they carry, there is a whole laundry list of possibilities. Among the most common are:

• Leptospirosis

• Salmonella

• Rat-bite fever

• Bubonic plague

Since you never know what diseases, if any, rodents are carrying, it’s best to keep your distance and contact professional rodent removal services to take care of the problem right away.

The Risk of Damage

When it comes to damage to your home, rodents are different from other common critter intruders. Rodents possess powerful teeth that never stop growing so they must gnaw on anything that they find appealing, which is often food, wires, furniture, and walls. Rodents also have coats slick with secreted oil that will leave greasy marks on anything they bump into, including walls and floorboards. Their waste can also create lasting damage by soiling attic insulation and cardboard and causing rot in wood and drywall.

The Risk of Fire

While gnawing from rats can cause damage to the structure of a house and the objects within, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the fire risks caused by gnawed electrical wires. This may not sound all that common at first, however, it has been estimated that rodents cause up to 20% of undetermined fires in the United States every year. Therefore, it’s extremely important that you get a professional to survey any damage from a rodent infestation in order to prevent any further threats to your home.

Avoid Risks With Expert Dallas Rodent Removal

Here at Critter Control® of Dallas, our experienced wildlife removal experts are equipped to handle any rodent infestation using eco-friendly and humane methods of removal. As soon as you notice the presence of critters in your home, take action right away and contact us to help you take care of the problem before it starts to grow. For a free estimate, call us today at 817-222-1101.

If you’ve recently found chewed up wires, unexplained animal droppings, or tiny tracks scattered throughout your home or business, there’s a high likelihood that you have a rodent problem. The last thing that any person wants to hear is that their home or business has been infested with rodents — especially rats. Rats are pesky little creatures that are capable of not only damaging your property, but also causing you significant levels of stress as you try to balance everyday activities with an infestation that multiplies every single day.  

What to Do After Learning You Have Rats

After discovering a rat infestation in their home or business, the first reaction most people have is panic. Panicking might lead you to buy DIY supplies to try and send the unwanted visitors packing on your own. The problem with this is that rodent proofing equipment can be expensive, and the process of getting rid of the rodents can be long, frustrating, and dangerous without professional help. Instead of taking on the problem by yourself, call a licensed wildlife professional that can help you save time, money, and your property. 

What Happens After You Call a Rat Exterminator

Rat exterminators are trained professionals who are no strangers to dealing with rat infestations — but that doesn’t mean they’re the best option in your area. When searching for a professional wildlife solution, turn to a professional wildlife management team. Due to their experience with both rat removal and prevention, wildlife managers can humanely remove and relocate pesky, unwanted visitors from your home or business in no time. Likewise, licensed wildlife management providers will be able to diagnose the severity of the infestation, apply appropriate solutions in response, and prevent another one from happening in the future.

How an Exterminator Gets Rid of Rats

Sadly, an exterminator gets rid of rats with inhumane, unnecessary alternatives like tiny traps, toxic chemicals, and even poison. The solutions a wildlife professional will use depend on the severity of the infestation, but they are always for the benefit of your building and the rats that need removing. When they arrive at your home or workplace, trained animal experts will survey the area of concern — taking note of any possible damage caused by the rats and any points of access that they could be using to enter the building. From there, licensed professionals will discuss their findings with you and develop a plan designed to both remove the rats and prevent them from re-entering with safe solutions. 

Send Those Rats Packing 

At Critter Control® of Dallas, we believe that maintaining a safe and healthy living space or workspace is important — not only for a person’s ability to be productive, but also their overall wellbeing. We pride ourselves in using eco-friendly and humane methods of removal when it comes to unwanted critters inside your home or workplace. If you ever find yourself having to deal with rodents like rats, know that we’re here to help out with all of your wildlife removal and rodent-prevention needs. Give us a call for a free estimate at 817-222-1101.

Living in a brick home definitely has its benefits. Brick houses are great for retaining heat during winter, guarding your home against harsh storms, and resisting damage from fire. While their structure is stronger and sturdier than most others, brick houses aren’t impenetrable. In fact, if wild animals come across even one hole, gap, or crack around your property, they’ll do whatever it takes to find a way inside. 

Entering Through the Roof

Rodents can scurry up your brick walls and enter your attic through various parts of the roof. Depending on the age and overall condition, your roof may have damaged, worn, or weak problem areas that animals can chew or easily fit through. The most common rooftop spots to check for issue include: 

• Chimney caps
• Soffits
• Roof vents
• Gutters
• Fascia
• Shingles 

Instead of being a point of entry, your roof should be a barrier that guards your home from the elements and the wildlife that live in them. Fortunately, you can restore damaged parts of your roof and help maintain top condition by simply keeping up with your annual inspections.    

Squeezing Through a Hole

Brick is incredibly sturdy, but it can still fall victim to damage. Mortar, the workable paste used to bind bricks together, deteriorates over time due to elemental exposure or improper installation. This damage can create gaps or cracks all around the perimeter of your home. If you spot any warning signs that your home’s mortar is damaged, like a crumbling surface or white powdery substance on the outer walls, call your nearby wildlife provider to have your home immediately inspected.  

Chewing Through Softened Mortar

Once wild animals detect any weakness in the structure of your home, they will certainly take advantage of them. Of course, wild animals can’t chew or scratch their way through a brick wall, but they can fit through one if there’s an opening just big enough. And if the mortar around your home starts to soften, animals can chip at the material until they’ve made a big enough entrance. 

Wildlife-Proof Your Home Today 

No matter what type of house you have, wildlife is determined to find a way in. From raccoons and squirrels to mice and rats, wild animals are frustrating creatures that will cause major damage if not dealt with promptly. At Critter Control© of Dallas, we can quickly inspect your home, remove any invading animals, and restore the openings they used for entry. Call us for a free estimate today at 817-222-1101.

No matter how determined you are to keep up with your New Year’s resolutions, it’s nearly impossible to when you start the year with a wildlife issue. To successfully tackle the rest of your 2020 plans, clear any distractions that could affect your health, drain your funds, or get in the way of your goals. When you’re ready to take control of your pest problem, follow these simple tips. 

Trim Those Trees

Trimming your trees will not only provide an appealing landscape, but it will also eliminate pest “bridges” to your house. The closer branches or shrubs are to the walls of your home, the more likely squirrels, rats, and raccoons are to give you a visit. Therefore, it’s best to keep plants between three and six inches away from your home. You can also invest in groundcover like rocks to make it harder for critters to lounge in your landscape. 

Discover Any Dampness

Wet areas are an ideal place for animals to cool down. While the bathroom is an obvious target, there are other areas of your home that can also harbor moisture — like your kitchen and attic. Get in a habit of washing dishes as soon as possible, draining your sink, and checking the pipes underneath to make sure there are no signs of leakage. Furthermore, scheduling an annual checkup for your attic or basement can help you stay on top of any dampness before it leads to wildlife damage.  

Keep It Clean 

Keeping your home tidy is the most natural way to keep wildlife away. The kitchen might be your least favorite place to clean, but leftover food in the sink or crumbs on the counter can be an open invitation for lurking animals. Likewise, taking time to remove trash from each bedroom can make a huge difference in keeping critters at bay. To repel wildlife from the outside of your home, however, you’ll need to keep your yard free of litter, clean fallen produce from your garden, and regularly remove debris from your trashcans.

Seal the Deal

Wild animals hunt and gather by crawling into any space available to them — especially tiny crevices that you didn’t even know existed in your home. That’s why you should seek out both large and small gaps around your property that could tempt intruders to come in. Common areas where you’ll find entry points include:

 

• The roof 

• The attic

• The garage

• Doors

• Sliding glass doors

• Gutters

• Windows

 

Once you find openings, consider hiring a licensed technician to professionally seal them with copper mesh, coarse steel wool, or industrial caulk. 

Celebrate the New Year With No Pests 

Wild critters like rats, raccoons, and opossums are frustrating to deal with. Get rid of them this New Year by calling Critter Control© of Dallas. With our eco-friendly pest control techniques, we will return your home to a safe environment and prevent future infestation. Call us for a free estimate today at 817-222-1101.

Thanks to its hilly landscape and diverse terrain, Dallas is the ideal home for beautiful and exotic animals. Unfortunately, there are also pesky rodents that roam the area and damage nearby property. Rodents are the guiltiest culprits, because they are notorious for scurrying into homes and businesses without welcome. Do you want to know the common rodents you should protect your property from? We’ve got the list right here for you. 

The House Mouse

These little guys are smaller on the rodent spectrum but still cause large amounts of damage. How can you tell the difference between a rat and a mouse? A house mouse will be smaller in size but have larger ears. They are about five to seven inches in length with grayish-brown fur. You’ll usually find them tucked under cabinets, furniture, kitchen appliances, and other small spaces. Because of their great hearing and vision, house mice quickly get comfortable lounging in your home and even in your business. What’s worse is their ability to squirm through a ¼-inch hole — which means they don’t need much space to enter yours. 

The Norway Rat

The Norway rat is the largest and most aggressive Texas rodent. Ranging from a whopping seven to nine inches in size, you can usually identify Norway rats by their thick tail and small ears. They also have bristly, brown fur sprinkled with black hairs and are more likely to enter your home or business in the middle of the night. What draws them in? Savory proteins and carbs left out in the open, like chicken, fish, and grains. Because they are expert diggers, you can find Norway rats underneath your building or burrowing through your garbage.

The Roof Rat

Roof rats are smaller than Norway rats — roughly six to eight inches — with dark brown fur. You can identify a roof rat by its pointy nose. The name “roof rat” came from their cunning efforts to find shelter in the highest points of each building. These critters spend most of their lives elevated at least four feet off the ground. Unlike Norway rats, you’ll often find roof rats climbing trees, garbage cans, or even walls to access your roof. Once inside your building, they will tear your insulation, create a nest, and stick around until told otherwise.

Keep Your Property Protected

It only takes one hole, gap, or crack for one of these rodents to infiltrate your home. Protect your property from these common rodents by partnering with the wildlife professionals at Critter Control® of Dallas. With over three decades of experience, our technicians will identify entry points and remove all wildlife from your home with humane rodent services. For more information, call us today at 817-222-1101 for a free inspection.

If there’s one place that rodents love hanging out, it’s your attic. Not only is it one of the easiest places to access from the outdoors, but it’s also the quietest part of your home. When rodents stay in your attic for too long, they leave a buildup of waste, create a huge mess, and bring about a lot of damage. If you’ve experienced any insulation issues from a rodent invasion, these steps will take you on the road to recovery.

Exclude Rodents From Your Attic 

Nests (usually made of fibrous material), or burrows (one-inch holes leading down into the insulation) are likely signs that rodents are still in the attic. To attempt rodent removal, you’ll need to purchase countless traps, find time to frequently check them, and invest in protective materials to help you safely clean up afterwards. 

If you manage to capture an intruding rodent with a live trap, transport the rodents at least two miles from your home to prevent it from returning. Then, thoroughly wash your gloves and hands with soapy, warm water to minimize the chance of contamination. 

Seal Entry and Exit Points 

Before you start to recover from the damage, ensure that no more rodents can enter. Examine your home to identify any rodent entry points, because they can notoriously find their way through areas such as:

• Openings around drainage pipes 
• Holes in the roofline
• Spots of loose siding 
• Gaps in windows, doors, or ceilings
• Cracks in the foundation or pillars 

Once you’ve identified entryways, begin sealing every single one. Repair smaller gaps with caulk, and use wood or steel for to safely secure larger openings. 

Remove Damaged Insulation and Contaminants

Whether you find urine stains, droppings, or signs of chewing, it’s best to remove any damaged insulation. Leaving it behind can lead to severe health concerns, including respiratory issues (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome—HPS) and intense fevers (Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome—HFRS). However, removing the insulation requires a HEPA-filer–rated, high-powered, and high-capacity vacuum. The vacuum can pick up smaller droppings, but larger droppings should be removed by hand. To transfer feces from the vacuum, use a sealable and heavy-duty trash bag. Finally, contact a certified recycling or waste management facility to dispose of the waste.  

Call a Professional

After rodents have infiltrated your attic, recovery can be time consuming and costly. Rather than purchasing all the expensive tools and putting yourself in danger, pass the task on to a professional. At Critter Control® of Dallas, we offer safe removal, cleanup, and restoration services from licensed technicians. To schedule a free home inspection and learn more about our attic and repair services, call today at 817-222-1101.

Rodents might not cover their tracks once they enter your home, but they might not leave a trail of droppings for you to follow either. To identify potential rodent entry points around your property, here are all of the places to check from top to bottom.

Roof and Attic

You don’t necessarily have to climb on top of your roof to know if there are holes, gaps, or cracks that rodents can fit through. Visit your attic and check for any signs of openings, including cracks of light shining through or holes with leaking rainwater. While you’re up there, inspect your attic vents to make sure there are no dented or damaged areas that rodents could pry open for entry.

Outside Walls

If you live in a brick home, check in between the bricks of your foundation to search for any gaps that mice or rats could squeeze into. Look for decaying materials around the foundation of your home that rodents could chew open. And, if you have a screened porch, check the screening around the area to see if squirrels, raccoons, or other rodents have tried or managed to scratch their way through.

Doors and Windows

Even if you don’t leave them propped open to bring in fresh air, doors and windows can be a major entryway for rodents. When they aren’t properly fit or sealed into their frame, doors and windows leave gaps that wildlife can widen over time. The same concept applies for the window and door frames inside your garage, as these can easily warp from rain, exposure, and attempted rodent entry.

Cables, Lines, and Pipes

Anything that flows from the interior to the exterior of your home can create a potential entry point. Follow the utility lines and plumbing pipes outside to check for additional space between the pipe or cable and exterior wall. And, if you’ve switched cable, internet, or home phone providers more than once, you probably have a few extra holes around your home’s perimeter that need inspection as well.

Wildlife Partner in Dallas

It only takes one hole, gap, or crack for a rodent to open up your home to the world of wildlife. And even if you’re thorough in your inspection, you could still easily end up missing a handful of potential entry points—putting your property at risk. If you want to make sure that every entry point is sealed and secured, team up with the wildlife professionals at Critter Control® of Dallas. We can start a full-scale investigation to locate and screen, fill, or cap any space that rodents could use to invade your home. For more information, call us today at 817-222-1101.

When you want to keep strangers from wading around your yard, you install signals that make intruders feel unwelcome. However, no matter how many “No Trespassing” signs you decorate your yard with, there are some visitors that just don’t get the message, including nearby snakes. So, if you want to protect your property from passerby snakes, take a look at the strategies that will send them slithering.

Regularly Clean Your Yard

You can still have an active garden and a bounty of fresh produce growing in your yard; you just need to make sure that your growth doesn’t get out of hand. If you have excess growth in your flowerbeds or ripe fruits spread across your lawn, snakes will see those signs as an open invitation to explore what else your property has to offer. Regularly trimming overgrowth and cleaning up fallen fruits removes a lot of interest for nearby snakes. Similarly, if you like to decorate your outdoor atmosphere with bird feeders, clean up the spilled feed from your grass to keep snakes from slithering inside.

Treat Your Other Pest Problem

Snakes can become a pest when they sense the presence of other pests nesting on your property. Reptiles primarily feed on other creatures, including:

• Rats
• Mice
• Rabbits
• Cockroaches
• Birds

If you have an existing pest problem that you’ve neglected to prioritize, you might be creating an entirely separate issue without even realizing. So, if you come across another pest on your property, contact professional services to remove the wildlife and seal any remaining entryways.

Create Snake Repellent

You shouldn’t try to DIY your way out of a snake infestation; however, you can easily prevent a problem from starting with some simple, at-home solutions. Likewise, you should never try to confront a snake with any tools or traps, but you can spray your perimeter to keep them from visiting. Ammonia is a strong repellent for slithering snakes, which makes it an important ingredient for snake spray. Simply spraying an ammonia solution around your home, yard, and outdoor additions can send any wandering snakes in the other direction.

Partner with Your Local Pest Professionals

At Critter Control® of Dallas, our mission is to protect the citizens and wildlife of our city. That’s why we specialize in a range of residential pest control and prevention services. If you find one of these reptiles anywhere near your residence, contact our pest professionals for a safe and effective solution. For more information on our series of snake services, call 817-222-1101 today.