When having your air conditioning unit serviced, a common problem is that a wildlife critter is living in the attic or under the outside fan unit. Commonly, the homeowner does not even know the attic has been penetrated or a nuisance animal has dug a hole under the outside fan unit. The nuisance wildlife needs to be removed before the a/c serviceman can perform his repairs. The common invaders of attics are: raccoons, squirrels, opossums, birds, bats, and rats. Nuisance wildlife services have become a billion dollar industry.

Nuisance wildlife operators have special training and licensing in proper, safe, and efficient removal methods. Their training is to prevent harm to the animal or a quick humane extermination on certain nuisance animals. The preferred methods for removal to get rid of raccoons, squirrels, opossums, and skunks are, eviction fluids, noise saturation, and non-harmful traps. The best method of eradication of rats is still and probably will always be rat traps. The best method of removal for birds and bats is netting. The entry hole into the attic or siding has netting applied to them. The bats and birds can fly out but cannot re-enter the structure. Netting can only be applied before or after the gestational and weaning periods of their young. Removal during this time, is federally prohibited by protection laws.

Once the nuisance wildlife is removed, all the areas should be repaired, cleaned, and sanitized. Repair cost and can be as small as $10 to caulk a trim board. To re-side the exterior of a house along with framing to be replaced from moisture or feces damage can range up to $10,000. Attic insulation commonly needs to be replaced from feces and urine saturation. Animal feces carry toxic enzymes that can be carried from host to human or household pets. All areas need to be sanitized with bleach or a an approved cleanser for that situation.

How to get rid of raccoons from attics can be dangerous for the untrained homeowner. Applying a trap to an attic can be a scary situation when a mother raccoon has given birth and is protective of her young. When a raccoon bites, it holds on and tears the skin making it a very painful event. Rabies is carried by racccons and can be transmitted to humans and household pets.

To get rid of squirrels from an attic can be tricky. Squirrels like to chew wires making it a fire hazard danger. Typically, there are more than just one squirrel in an attic when they are present. Multiple methods for successful wildlife removal may be necessary.

Be prepared to call a nuisance wildlife company if an unwanted critter has entered the attic before any work can be performed.