Myths About Wildlife Removal and Prevention

Myths About Wildlife Removal and Prevention

When you buy your first home, you already know to think about water heater failures, electrical problems, and paint jobs. Most people aren't trained to consider the possibility of developing a nuisance wildlife problem.

As a result, many people believe some pretty damaging myths about wildlife infestations, myths that can cost them time and money and which can lead to severely damaged homes. 

We want to put those myths to rest. 

Myth #1: Wildlife Removal Businesses Just Kill Animals

This myth actually requires a nuanced answer.

First, whether or not a wildlife removal business routinely kills animals depends on the business and the animal. You want to do your research.

Our Houston Wildlife Removal Service uses humane trapping and exclusion methods to deal with most wildlife problems. But there are exceptions. 

Rats can't be dealt with through trapping, nor can mice. The swarms grow too large too fast, and both rats and mice are smart and elusive. So, when dealing with rodents, putting out rat bait stations filled with rodenticide that only rodents can access is part of our strategy. The bait box is still only part of the process: we also use one-way exclusion methods, chemical sanitation, and trail covering to mask attractants that are left behind.

Every solution is customized to every home and every animal. 

Myth #2: There Are Cheaper Alternatives

There really aren't.

Sonic deterrents, cayenne pepper, and all the other weird home remedies that the Internet comes up with don't prevent wildlife problems. Many nuisance animals will laugh at you and root around in your cayenne-strewn garden before waltzing back into your attic. Thanks for the extra spice, human! 

Even cats don't prevent wildlife problems: cats will keep rodents out of the area where the cat is but won't keep them out of the attic. 

Professional wildlife removal with exclusion methods is usually the only thing permanently dealing with a wildlife problem. 

Myth #3: If My House is Clean, I'll Never Have to Deal with Nuisance Wildlife 

If only it were so!

A clean house helps. So does locking up your garbage cans and keeping your woodpiles at least 20 feet from the house.

But Houston is a huge city. People are packed in tight with wildlife, and urban wildlife often depends on human structures and activities to survive. 

Some of the wildlife you're up against can squeeze itself into a hole the size of a quarter. Some of it breeds so fast that two become thousands in a matter of weeks. A little extra time dancing with Mr. Clean isn't going to get it done.

Certainly, you should keep your house clean. It might keep Mickey the Mouse and Ronnie the Raccoon from boldly and blatantly licking the plates in your sink. But it won't always keep all the wildlife out of your home. 

Myth #4: If I Can't See Wildlife, There's No Problem Here

You'll hear wildlife long before you see it. And you don't have to contact wildlife directly to get sick from it. Wildlife usually knows better than to get too close to humans, but a raccoon doesn't have to get close to you to chew a big hole in your roof. 

If you suspect you have nuisance wildlife on your property, you will need to call us for an inspection if you want to be sure. 

Get Help Today

We're your friendly neighborhood wildlife removal company, and we've done everything in our power to keep prices low so our services can remain accessible to most Houston residents.

If you suspect you've got a new critter companion, don't wait for the problem to get worse. Contact us to get help today.