Category: Blog

Any wild animal has the potential to cause damage to human property, but the ones that live in densely-populated areas can be particularly troublesome. Raccoons are highly intelligent compared to most other types of pesky varmints that homeowners encounter, which makes handling them more difficult.

Raccoons are omnivores and will eat just about anything. One of the most common issues with raccoons occurs when they break into trash bins and garbage cans, leaving huge messes when they dig for food. Raccoons will also invade human properties if they smell domestic pet food. Homeowners that feed their dogs and cats outdoors are more likely to see an unfamiliar, masked face looking up from the food bowl!

Their intelligence isn’t limited to stealing food from human dwellings. Raccoons are smart enough to open discarded food jars, and unlatch sheds and doors. They sometimes grow bold and break into houses they think may contain food. Raccoons are agile climbers and can scale a house or building with ease.

They have strong limbs, and some will rip holes directly into roofs, ceilings, walls, and air ducts. Raccoons can cause enormous problems for air flow in homes, as they tear up air ducts and can squash them to the point of restricting air flow, tear out insulation, and destroy pipes. Raccoons may also damage wiring and other fixtures, such as clothing lines, birdfeeders, screen doors, and pet enclosures.

Critter Control in Dallas has a team of expertly-trained technicians that have experience in trapping and relocating raccoons as well as handling raccoon damage. We can provide assistance in assessing any damage they caused, and if they managed to infiltrate your home or attic, we can get them out and discover where they gained access. If you’re having issues with raccoons, Contact Us or give Critter Control in Dallas a call to start solving your problem.

With spring upon us, the number of baby raccoons being found in and around homes is on the rise. These little creatures are even more cute and cuddly looking than their fully grown parents, but they are still dangerous and shouldn’t be approached. Baby raccoons are able to carry the same infectious diseases as their adult counterparts, and if their mother is around she will be very protective of her babies and much more aggressive than usual.

Because of this aggression, if you discover baby raccoons on your property we urge you to call the trained experts here at Critter Control of Dallas right away. Our highly trained technicians are equipped with the proper knowledge and equipment to handle a raccoon infestation safely while keeping you and your family out of harm’s way. Our services don’t stop at removing the baby raccoons, we remove food and water sources to deter them from coming back in the future, and can repair any damage caused during their stay.

Critter Control of Dallas not only looks out for your safety, but the wellbeing of the critters as well. Our trapping and relocating methods are the most humane available anywhere and we only relocate the offending critters to a hospitable area where they will live a full and happy life. Give the professionals at Critter Control of Dallas a call today at 817-222-1101 or fill out a Contact Us form for your free estimate.

Rats are an all-too common problem for many homeowners throughout the Dallas area. In addition to being carriers of disease, they also tend to leave a trail of damage wherever they go which can spell trouble for your home. Rats are generally quiet and nest themselves in a safe, quiet place in your home to breed; because of this, it’s easy for a rat infestation to get out of hand before you know it.

Removing the offending rats is only part of the issue, however. Because rats tend to cause damage wherever they nest, it’s imperative to repair anything left behind after the rats are gone. Fortunately, Critter Control of Dallas is your total solution when it comes to rat damage repair. Once we humanely remove all the rats from your home, we repair any damage and seal off any entrance points to ensure there are no repeat incidents.

Rat Damage

While rats are small in size, the damage they can cause is anything but. Some of the commonly damaged areas include:

• Food Sources – Rats are not picky when it comes to what they eat. Any food containers that show signs of contact with a rat should be disposed of, as rats carry a variety of transmittable diseases.
• Electrical Wiring – Rat’s teeth are constantly growing which means they are always looking for a way to wear them down. Wiring is especially attractive to them, and can create a fire hazard once chewed through.
• Rat Waste – Wherever rats decide to take up residence in your home will likely be contaminated by urine and feces which is not only incredibly unsanitary, but also smells awful.
• Soiled Insulation – If rats make their nest in your attic, the fiberglass insulation up there makes great nesting material. This often results in urine soaked, torn up insulation which can cause your power bills to rise significantly.

Don’t underestimate what these small creatures can do. Allow the trained experts at Critter Control of Dallas handle any rat damage problems you may be facing. When we’re finished, it’ll be like nothing ever happened. Give us a call today for your free estimate at 817-222-1101or fill out a Contact Us form.

Rats in Dallas are mainly comprised of two different species: brown rats and black rats. Brown rats, which are sometimes referred to as Norwegian rats, are generally found digging under homes or in garbage cans. Black rats are most often found building nests in the attics or walls of homes, which has earned them the nickname of roof rats.

Rats pose a significant risk to your home and family, regardless of the species. Both species of rats commonly damage attic insulation, electrical wiring, and even structural parts of your home. Additionally, they are able to transmit diseases and illnesses, such as:

• Salmonella from rat feces
• Leptospirosis from rat urine
• Rat-bite fever from bites or scratches

Why do rats love your home?

Homes are perfect for rats because of the shelter, darkness, food, and water they provide. A home also provides protection from a rat’s natural predators, allowing them to build nests and reproduce unhindered. Rats are more likely to move into your home during the chilly Dallas fall and winter, as the temperature drops low enough to be life-threatening to them.

Getting Rid of Rats

Rats shouldn’t be underestimated. They’re intelligent enough to avoid most traps and obvious poisons. Additionally, they can become surprisingly aggressive if threatened – especially Norwegian rats. It’s because of this behavior that we recommend seeking help if posed with a rat problem.

The rat removal experts have over three decades of experience, and are standing by to help. Call Critter Control® of Dallas today at 817-222-1101 with any questions, or to set up your free home estimate.

Rats are an all-too-common problem for many folks around the Dallas area, especially as the increasing temperatures drive the rodents to find shelter in homes and offices. A rat infestation can bring damage and destruction to your home and serious health issues to your family. The following simple techniques will help you get the rats out, and keep them out for good.

• Find their Nesting Area – To prevent an infestation from growing and spreading throughout your home or office, you need to find where they are nesting and isolate it. From there you can cut off food and water supplies, seal entry points, and set traps to start eliminating the rodents.
• Removal – While professional removal is always the most effective option, there are methods you can use to try and eliminate the rats from your home or business. Some techniques include:
  • Snap Traps – These traps often kill rats instantly, but can be quite messy. A professional will have to remove the rat carcasses to avoid the spread of infectious disease.
  • Glue Traps – Known to kill rats slowly and inhumanely, you should avoid glue traps if possible. The rats may crawl around for a short time if they escape the trap, leaving glue residue everywhere.
  • Live Traps – Useful for smaller infestations, live traps allow you or a professional to relocate the critters safely, leaving them unharmed.

Poison should never be used under any circumstance. It is dangerous to both humans and pets and can be fatal if used incorrectly.

• Call a Professional – Once the rats have been isolated and trapped, the next step is to call a professional to remove them from your building. Touching a rat whether it be dead or alive, puts you at serious risk for contracting diseases like leptospirosis, Hantavirus, and rat-bite fever.

Hire the Professionals

The safest and most effective option for rat removal will always be using a professional service like Critter Control® of Dallas. Dealing with a rat infestation is not only frustrating, but it is also potentially risky as well. The longer they are allowed to live in your home or business, the more costly the damage will be. Call us today at 817-222-1101 to schedule your consultation.

When animals invade a home, the attic is one of the most common areas that they build their nests. As a result, your attic insulation is often compromised by urine and feces as the critters tear it up to build their nests. Not only does this cause your energy costs to go up due to a decrease in insulation efficiency, but it leaves your home smelling foul and can even put your family’s health at risk. Critter Control® of Dallas can remove any damaged or soiled insulation along with the offending critters, and get your home back in top shape.

Physical damage to attic insulation is just one of the dangers of an animal infestation. Their waste is known to carry a variety of infectious diseases that can put your loved ones in danger. Diseases like leptospirosis, Hantavirus, and even the plague are a possibility when animals are nesting in your attic. The trained experts at Critter Control® of Dallas use only the most effective removal methods to get the animals out while keeping you and your family safe.

If an animal infestation has damaged your attic insulation, we do not recommend attempting to remove or replace it on your own. Many older insulations are made with toxic fibers that if inhaled, pose serious health risks. For a job like this, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

Some reasons for having attic insulation removed and replaced include:

• Contamination due to animal waste damage
• Trampled or ripped apart insulation from the critters building their nests
• Replacement of old, outdated insulation

Any animal infestation should be addressed as soon as possible to avoid expensive damage. The animal removal experts at Critter Control® of Dallas can efficiently remove any offending critters, and repair any damage they may have caused during their stay in your attic. Don’t let your home fall victim to the dangers of wild animals in your attic, call us today at 817-222-1101.

Though cute in appearance and an important part of our ecosystem, squirrels are very destructive and have no place in or around your home. Their constantly growing front teeth and sharp claws put your home and family in danger. Just one squirrel can cause extensive damage to your attic or crawlspace, and they have a habit of becoming aggressive if they feel trapped or cornered. A common method of discouraging their activity is through the use of squirrel repellents, but these are not always a good idea; here’s why:

Why Repellants are Ineffective

Repellants generally contain the urine scent of a predator such as a coyote, or the smell of mothballs to keep the squirrels at bay. While squirrels dislike these smells, using them as a repellant simply is not very effective. These furry critters are more intelligent than we give them credit for, and are very adaptable to changing environments. Once the initial scare of the repellant wears off, squirrels will soon realize there is no actual threat, and will continue to nest and wreak havoc on your home.

Toxicity

You may notice an initial decrease in squirrel activity after using repellent, but the effects are only temporary. Once they figure out that there is no actual threat, they will return – often in larger numbers than before. Some types of squirrel repellents are known to contain ingredients that are toxic to squirrels as well. If you want to rid your property of a squirrel infestation the right way, the best thing you can do is call Critter Control® of Dallas.

Let Us Help

Without putting you, your family, your home, or the squirrels in danger, Critter Control® of Dallas will remove the nuisance critters from your property efficiently, and can implement preventative measures to ensure they do not return. Contact us today at 817-222-1101 with any questions, or to schedule a complimentary consultation.

Rats pose significant health risks to humans and pets due to the diseases they carry, such as Rat-Bite Fever, Salmonellosis, and Leptospirosis. Additionally, these critters have a tendency to cause expensive damage homes all over the Dallas area. If you notice signs of rat activity in or around your home such as small pellet-like droppings, chewed up wood trim or food containers, or strange noises coming from your walls and ceiling, it’s time to take action. For many, that means purchasing one or more of the many trapping options available. However, store-bought traps are only marginally effective, and most infestations require more comprehensive solutions. Here are just a few of the reasons why most DIY rat traps fail.

Crafty Critters

Rats are more cunning and intelligent than most people give them credit for. Some have even been seen stealing the bait off of traps without setting them off. Others sometimes figure out how to trip the trap, and will steal the bait once the trap is no longer active. This means that without the proper type of bait and trap, you may be in for some frustration before catching even one rat.

Location is Key

The effectiveness of any rat trap, professional or DIY, is based primarily on its location. Traps need to be set in areas that are frequently travelled by rats for maximum effect, and the best way to determine the paths they take is with a thorough home inspection from a professional rat removal specialist like those here at Critter Control®. Even if your traps are set in high traffic areas, rats are adaptive and will find alternate routes, making for a frustrating process.

Rats Breed Quickly

Once inside a home, rats breed alarmingly fast. Even if you’re successful in trapping a handful of rats on your property, chances are there are plenty more where they came from. Simply trapping rats does not address the root cause of your infestation, which means that it can go on indefinitely unless additional action is taken.

For these reasons, we recommend calling for professional guidance at the first sign of a rat problem. The rat trapping and removal specialists at Critter Control® of Dallas can get the nuisance critters out safely and efficiently. Contact us today at 817-222-1101 with any questions, or to schedule a complimentary home consultation.

Are you awoken at night to the sounds of scratching or tapping coming from your ceiling? Does your house suddenly reek of a stale urine stench that won’t go away? If so, you might have rats in your attic. It is important to start the process of removing rats from your attic as soon as you suspect they are there because the longer they are in your home, the more damage they can cause.

Health Issues with Rats

Most homeowners know they shouldn’t go near any wild rats, living or dead because their bodies harbor so many infectious diseases. However, you can still develop one of the many illnesses passed on by rats, even if you don’t come in direct contact with one. Rats can spread a severe disease through their urine called leptospirosis which can shut down your liver and kidneys. If rats wander around high-traffic areas of your home, they’re spreading their infected urine to places that you’re at every day.

3 cases of leptospirosis recently broke out in a New York neighborhood due to rat contamination. Two patients recovered while the third passed away. Health officials recommend that you wash your hands frequently, especially in an area where you could be in the presence of rats, and always wear shoes. To read more about this case, you can check out the New York Times article here.

Enlist the Experts

In addition to all the health risks rats pose, they can also cause hundreds of dollars in damage to your property like:

• Ripping out insulation
• Damaging infrastructure
• Fraying electrical wiring
• Staining walls and ceiling with urine and feces

The techniques we’ve developed at Critter Control® Dallas allow us to get in, remove the rats from your attic, and get out in a timely fashion, always making sure your health is our number one priority. We’ll also repair any of the damages the rats might have left behind, including re-installing your insulation. To set up your free consultation, call us today at 817-222-1101.