• Squirrels love chewing on electrical wire insulation.
• Raccoons mash down every square inch of your attic’s insulation, not to mention defecating and urinating all over it.
• Birds bring in flammable leaves and sticks for making nests.
• Opossums and raccoons tear into heating and air conditioning ductwork.
• All animals have parasites and diseases which can be transmitted to us, our children, and our pets.

In most of the United States, it is against the law for you to own any wild animals or non-human primates (monkeys) without a permit. However, people sometimes come into contact with these animals. Like other animals, wild animals and primates can get diseases. Some of these diseases, called zoonoses, can cause illness in people. Since wild animals (including monkeys, raccoons, and skunks) can carry diseases that are dangerous to people, CDC discourages direct contact with wildlife.

Learn more about selected diseases of wildlife, including primates.

• Baylisascaris Infection (raccoon roundworm): A parasitic disease associated with raccoons.
• Brucella Infection (brucellosis): A bacterial disease associated with bison, deer, and other wild animals.
• Giardia Infection (giardiasis): A parasitic disease associated with animals and their environment (including water).
• Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (hantavirus): A rare viral disease associated with some types of wild mice.
• Herpesvirus simiae Infection (B virus): A deadly viral disease associated with macaque monkeys.
• Click here for the latest recommendations on prevention and therapy of Herpes B. (PDF 225KB)
• Histoplasma Infection (histoplasmosis): A fungal disease associated with bat guano (stool).
• Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis: A viral disease associated with rodents and house mouse.
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection (TB): A bacterial disease associated with deer, elk, and bison.
• Plague (Yersinia pestis Infection): A rare bacterial disease associated with wild rodents and fleas.
• Rabies: A viral disease associated with wildlife especially raccoons, skunks, and bats.
• Tularemia: An infectious disease associated with wildlife especially rodents, rabbits, and hares.

WHY SHOULD I HIRE A PROFESSIONAL WILDLIFE CONTROL OPERATOR?
Everyone wants to save money and most ambitious Americans have the "can do" spirit. That combination makes wildlife control seem like a do-it-yourself project. However, most times, there is more to resolving human/wildlife conflicts than you might think.

Raccoons are the #1 Rabies Vector Species

Picture this: It’s late spring and you buy a cage trap from the hardware store to catch that raccoon or squirrel you’ve seen crawling out of your rooftop attic vent every evening. You catch it on the first night and haul it off to Animal Control. Woo hoo – saved yourself a bunch of money – right? Not a chance... keep reading.

A week later you can’t figure out why the house smells like rotting meat. By the end of the second week, the smell is so overwhelming you can’t stand to be indoors.

You see, when you hauled away the adult female, you were unaware that you orphaned 4 juveniles who couldn’t fend for themselves. Now they’ve died and are decomposing somewhere in your home. In the end, the cleanout and deodorizing process will cost more than you would have paid a professional Wildlife Control Operator to do the original job.

Sound unlikely? We handle dozens of these jobs every year. Why do you think we advertise "Dead animal removal and odor control?"

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A WILDLIFE CONTROL COMPANY?
LICENSING !
Any person or company conducting wildlife control work in Virginia is required to pass a written test and have a permit issued by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This is IN ADDITION TO a regular business license. Be aware that some pest control companies do nuisance wildlife work assuming their bug control license allows them to handle wildlife as well. This is not the case, so make sure the company you hire isn’t making you an accessory to their unlawful activities.

INSURANCE.
Ask the company if they have insurance specifically for nuisance wildlife control work (not just pest control) before you hire them.

NATIONAL CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING.
If the company isn’t involved in a national wildlife control training program (not just pest control training), then maybe they aren’t the right company for your wildlife problem. Bugs, yes. Raccoons, no. EXPERIENCE. Anyone can buy a truckload of traps and claim to be a nuisance wildlife control company, but a long track record of successfully resolving wildlife control problems is the only true test of a company’s worth.

Raccoons at Birdfeeder

HOW CAN I PREVENT WILDLIFE INFESTATIONS?
Animals need three basic things to survive:
Food, water, and shelter. Take away as many as possible and your property becomes less attractive. Here are a few basic steps you can take to reduce your home’s appeal to nuisance wildlife:

• Bring in the cat/dog food and water bowls at night. Yes, even the cat food. They’ll eat during the day if they’re that hungry.
• Birdfeeders. Use raccoon-proof and squirrel-proof models.
• Garbage cans. Secure the lid with bungee cords if raccoons are digging through yours for a late night snack.
• Chimney caps and attic vent guards are a great investment to significantly decrease your chances of getting attic invaders.
• Home maintenance. Keep the gutters clean, the fascia boards in good repair, gable and soffit vents covered with heavy duty screening. Install vent guards for dryer vents. In other words, don’t provide easy access to your home from the outside.
• Deterrents: There are some commercially available sprays and powders which may deter certain wildlife. Check the pest control section of your favorite hardware store.