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Elite Wildlife Services
Humane Wildlife Removal

Call Us Now (No Dogs/Cats)
832-727-9181

Elite Wildlife Services

Humane Wildlife Removal

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Humane wildlife removal & Animal Trapping services in Houston & surrounding areas
Call Us Now (No Dogs/Cats)
832-727-9181
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Bats

Raccoons

Rats

Squirrels

BAT REMOVAL FAQS

Where do Houston bats come from?
Although there are 11 species of bats that either reside or migrate through Houston, most bats that people will encounter in their Houston home or property are Mexican Free-Tailed bats. As the name suggests, they migrate back to Mexico to ride out winter in caves. However, if they find a suitable temperature/environment in one of our man-made structures they may not migrate and instead reside in Houston year-round.
Yes! Bats are protected by federal and state laws because they are deemed environmentally important. One bat can consume up to 1200 mosquito sized bugs in one hour. That’s almost 10,000 bugs a night. It is estimated that some of the largest colonies of these bats consume 250 tons of insects nightly! Although they are a great benefit to our environment, they are a nuisance when they enter our structures. Use only a licensed professional if you suspect a problem!
Guano is another term for bat excrement. It is similar in shape and size of mouse droppings and can be easily confused. Guano is easy to determine with a flashlight or other lighting means. If you crush it with a gloved hand and shine a light on the material left and it sparkles it is most likely guano. This is due to the exoskeletons of the insects that bats feed on nightly. Guano also has a smell often described as pungent, acrid or musty. It is often referred to as a smell that one will not forget.
Aside from the heavy smell left over from a bat colony guano itself can be harmful to humans and animals if left in a structure. Bats can carry histoplasmosis and it is transmitted in the lungs via spores after the guano is disturbed in some manner, typically through clean-up or even walking through it in an attic. Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection affecting the respiratory system and can be fatal. If the guano can be accessed or removed through a demolition process, it is recommended that it is removed or at least chemically treated.
Though it will be different based on each situation, average costs for dealing with a bat colony in a home ranges from $400 to over $9000 for very large or extensive infestations. Commercially, these costs can run even higher based on several factors such as the height of structures and accessibility. Bat removal can be tedious because it takes attention to detail to make sure every possible entry is sealed before the main entry areas have one-way valves installed to remove the animals and prevent them from entering a new spot. The clean-up portion can be equally challenging when it requires the removal of building materials to access the guano hidden where the bats resided.

RACCOON REMOVAL FAQS

I hear something walking in my attic, what could it be?
This question, we receive from many of our customers and it usually points to a raccoon intrusion. Raccoons are one of the largest creatures in the Houston area that readily enter attics either for breeding or to take advantage of a warm safe place to sleep in the insulation they find there. If “heavy’ foot steps are heard, its usually raccoons who are the culprits. The sound of raccoons in attics and walls are very different from the scratching and scampering of rodents and are in a class of their own. It is important if you suspect of one or more raccoons in your home or business to contact a professional wildlife company such as Elite Wildlife Services.
Raccoons are a large animal and with that comes larger amounts of urine and feces generally all over the attic. They can also develop latrines or areas where they go to the bathroom and these areas can quickly show themselves through stains in the drywall. This is often accompanied by a change in smell in the house, and in certain untreated cases, we have had raccoons fall through from the softening of the drywall causing a huge a mess and expense for the homeowner. If you suspect a raccoon has taken up refuge in your attic, it is important to act fast and call a reputable raccoon removal company in your area.
Heavy footsteps especially at night can be a dead give away. In the spring, noises in the attic along with crying or chattering noises can come from a female that has given birth and is very common. Our insulation makes a wonderful nursery material. Other signs include a change in smell in the home and staining.
One important item to note is that after getting raccoons out of your attic, it is important to also treat for fleas. Most raccoons have fleas and when they are removed from a home the remaining fleas left in your attic have nothing to feed on and will enter the home in search of a blood meal from a resident or pet. At Elite Wildlife Services, we take the time to investigate and recommend sanitation and pest services so our customers are not left with a flea problem.
Raccoon trapping services should not cost more than $200- $300. That is typically not how a raccoon removal project goes because there is generally more than one raccoon to remove, unless it is just one getting into the trash outside. Most raccoon removal jobs we perform consist of a raccoon ripping a large hole or holes in soffits and roofs.
They can also enter from underneath the home if the house is not sealed from the bottom or if its elevated. We can trap the raccoons in the attic or exclude (through the use of one-way door) on the main entry point, but we need to seal other entry points as well. Each situation is unique and we customize a plan to fit each customer’s situation so costs can differ as each situation will be different.
At Elite Wildlife Services, we offer a complimentary inspection where we can provide each client a customized plan to fit most budgets. This inspection comes with our consultation and recommendations and there is never pressure to purchase.
In most cases, raccoons will not leave on their own. Our homes and attics provide an almost temperature controlled environment that is usually more comfortable for wildlife than they can find in nature.
Combine that with an abundant amount of nesting material the insulation they find there provides and you have a recipe for an unwanted, permanent tenant that doesn’t pay rent.
I am often asked if sonic devices will repel raccoons and sadly they do not, as the animals can tolerate the sound in exchange for the benefits the environment they find provides. If raccoons are suspected, it is important to call a wildlife company such as Elite Wildlife Services to remove them correctly.
If not addressed, raccoons can be one of the most destructive and costliest problems we can have in our homes. Not to mention, many raccoons have rabies, bringing on even more danger to the wellbeing of our families.

Rat Removal FAQs

What type of rats are most commonly found in Houston?
Roof rats or their scientific name Rattus Rattus are the most common rats found in the Houston area. They were brought into the US through shipping containers from Southeast Asia. Now they are commonly found in shipping and receiving cities throughout the US. This invasive species is commonly referred to as Roof rats because of their tendency to enter and reside in the upper areas of structures. They generally travel outside by means of power lines and fence tops.
The other type of rat not so commonly found is the Norway rat, also known as the Brown Rat. The Norway rat is a slightly larger less nimble rat. They are more of a burrowing rat, but can climb into attics as well.
The roof rat can be identified by having a longer tail than the body. The Norway rat has a larger body and shorter than body tail.
Both species of rats are prolific breeders and can have up to 6 litters in a single year. If you believe you are in need of rat extermination services, contact us for a Free Evaluation — Elite Wildlife Services has a proven rat removal process that is not only humane, but also highly effective.
The first and most common sign of rodents, such as rats and mice in a home or business is noises at night. Peak rodent breeding season starts around late September and ends around May in the Houston area. Though they breed year round, it is during these cooler months that people experience the most intrusions. This also coincides with the common Grey squirrel’s breeding season.
The best way to distinguish between rats and squirrels in a home is when most of the activity is heard. Squirrels are typically noisy at daybreak and can be heard leaving the attic and then again in the evening when it gets dark. Rats are different as the are nocturnal making their noises at night.
Rats also have an oil in their fur which contains a pheromone that we cannot smell or detect. They lay down this smell along their trails which attracts other rodents and in some cases the predators that feed on them such as Texas rat snakes. When rats have established a structure they tend to use one or two entry points and will generally travel the same pathways to get to the entry points. Heavy travel of these pathways or entries causes a darkened stain to form and is a clear indication of a problem.
Another indicator is droppings in the attic or clear trails in the insulation in the attic. These trails will be most defined leading to the entries where the rats are entering the structure. Droppings will occur throughout attic, as rats and other rodents urinate and defect wherever they travel and don’t use a specific area.
So rats can be more tricky to rid from homes and businesses than other invasive pests because many people will try to just block them out or just trap them. Both of these methods are effective short term but in most cases the rodents will win over time.
At Elite Wildlife Services we use a thorough and humane process that has demonstrated effective as long as it is followed in its entirety. A thorough inspection of the affected structure is conducted identifying all of the used entry points and known potential entries. Unlike rat exterminators, our process starts with either trapping in the affected spaces or installing of a one-way excluder that allows rodents to leave but not regain entry to the structure. After the removal method is set all entry points are sealed with effective structure blending products to ensure areas are not chewed-out in the future.
We also install rodent bait stations around the perimeter of the property controlling the outside population, which are serviced monthly, to keep rats to a minimum, preventing a re-entry. The final step includes a chemical sanitation of the affected areas (typically attic spaces) with a cold fog machine and may be combined with insulation removal or a “topper” covering trails and help mask the “attractants” left behind by rodents. All methods work in conjunction together to create a whole home or business solution for even the most extensive problems.
It is difficult to quote prices because each situation is unique with many different variables that deal with the condition of the home and the extent of infestation. The location of the structure can also be another factor as Houston has many pockets of city that have a much higher population of rodents residing and require a much more comprehensive service combined with a monthly population control.
A small trapping and population control may only run $249 but a large infestation on a large home or business can be over $2000.
At Elite Wildlife we offer a complimentary whole home or business inspection combined with a thorough explanation and clearly laid out plan of execution. The entire process is made transparent to ensure our customers have a full understanding of their situation and all options available for them to help enable them to be able to customize their plan to fit their needs.

Squirrel Removal FAQs

I think I have squirrels in my attic. How do I know and what can I do?
Grey Squirrels in attics in the Houston area are very common especially starting in September. This coincides with other rodents and is usually the beginning of their “breeding season” characterized by rodents entering structures that we inhabit. This season is usually triggered by a change in temperature as we enter the fall season. Grey Squirrels, like other rodents, enter our structures by either chewing a hole or exploiting an existing construction gap or other weakness. Grey Squirrels tend to chew larger holes than roof rats but both prefer places that are “hidden” from sight if available. To distinguish what type of attic rodent you have the first question to ask is what time of day are you hearing the noise. If the noises are heard at night most likely you are dealing with roof rats or even flying squirrels. If the noise is heard during the morning hours and then in the evening most likely it is Grey Squirrels. Other noises associated with Grey Squirrels are gnawing or chewing sounds coming from the attic or on exterior materials, especially wood. Trim and fascia boards on homes and businesses become the grinding stone for squirrels as they file down their ever growing teeth. They are also attracted to the rubber and plastic electric wire coverings found in attics which can be extremely hazardous. If you suspect squirrels in your attic the best move you can make is call a Houston Animal Removal company. Squirrels can be very determined and squirrel trapping by home and business owners who are not experienced can be dangerous. This can also lead to squirrels becoming very wary of people and traps and make the removal process more difficult. Many people attempting to remove squirrels will get on ladders trying to get too hard to reach places and can fall and injure themselves in the process. Calling someone experienced in this type of removal will usually result in a better, safer outcome for the property owner and for the squirrels.
Grey Squirrels are very common in all of the Houston area so having one in your attic or walls unfortunately is not uncommon. Squirrels build nests in attics similar to the ones they build in trees with the exception that they use building materials they find in the spaces they reside such as insulation, which makes an ideal nest building material. Aside from making a mess in the attic with their droppings and urination, they often carry fleas which can quickly spread into the actual home if untreated.
Grey Squirrels are avid chewers due to their front teeth constantly growing and therefore they constantly chew or grind their teeth down. This sound of gnawing often gives them away.
Their young are often responsible for gnawing wires which can usually be found not far from their nests and are the second leading cause for house and building fires.
If you suspect squirrels in your attic and one of your outdoor lights quits working suddenly it is important to have a certified electrician inspect to make sure there are not any chewed wires in the attic.
First tip we give property owners is to keep landscaping and trees trimmed back from houses and buildings.
A tree leaning on a roof or a bush up against a house makes and ideal “ladder” for many types of wildlife including insects. While keeping it trimmed back is not a foolproof means, it does help discourage insects and animals from an east access to our structures.
Another method is not having bird feeders close to the house. This constant feeding brings all types of rodents and many other unwanted types of wildlife and greatly increases the risk of a rodent intrusion. If someone really wants a bird feeder they need to place it as far away from their house or building as possible.
Lastly, maintaining their home or business and addressing any wood rot or other “entry” right away. Rodents of all types are waiting to take advantage of any entry point on homes and businesses and become your non-paying tenants!
Call Us Now (No Dogs/Cats)
832-727-9181
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