Small animals like squirrels, opossums, and raccoons are always on the lookout for a safe place to live—and the last place you want that to be is inside your business. An infestation can damage health, property, inventory, and your reputation. That's why professional wildlife exclusion services are worth the investment. Here's what you need to know:
What Is Wildlife Exclusion?
Wildlife exclusion is a crucial piece of an integrated pest management process (IPM) that involves sealing gaps, cracks, and openings to keep pests from entering a building. Exclusion is one of the best forms of pest control and can reduce or eliminate the need for pesticides, traps and bait stations.
Each type of animal can pose a threat to your business in a range of different ways, but the most common wildlife include:
- Flying and tree squirrels
- Raccoons
- Bats
- Mice and rats
- Opossums
- Skunks
- Geese and birds such as seagulls, pigeons and sparrows
- Groundhogs
- Armadillos
Terminix Commercial's professional technicians are trained in effective wildlife removal and prevention. Depending on the type and size of your business, wildlife exclusion services should include a combination of the following:
Inspection
From identifying the type of wildlife that has entered your business to locating potential entry points, a comprehensive inspection of your structure is the first step. An inspection can also pinpoint any problematic practices that may be attracting pests.
Customized action plan
From industry standards and inventory requirements to operating hours and the size and location of your building, every business is unique. Technicians will consult with you to come up with a plan of action for wildlife exclusion that makes sense. Generally, our team will work with you for the best time and date to perform exclusion services to minimize any disruption to your business.
Exclusion solutions
Depending on your business and the extent of the infestation, our technicians will begin by removing any target pest. After wildlife has been expelled, steps should be taken to make sure they don't get back in. Hardware cloth, weather sweeps, pest-resistant sealants, caps, and caging can all be used to cover vents, close gaps in walls and floors and secure any pipe openings.
A plan for ongoing prevention
In addition to custom-built exclusion solutions, technicians will recommend eliminating and/or managing things that attract wildlife in the first place such as trash, debris, dumpsters, water drainage, exterior lighting, tall weeds, tree branches and overgrown grass.
Wildlife Removal
Often, it takes an active infestation to realize you need exclusion services. If animals have already set up shop inside your business, your priority should be wildlife removal, followed by safeguarding the building against future infestations.
The first step is identifying the pest that is causing the problem. A professional technician will look for these signs before determining the next steps:
- Entry point damage
- Scat (droppings)
- Carcasses or bones
- Hair
- Rub marks, smudges, scratches
- Offspring
- Paw prints
- Eyeshine
- Smell
- Sound
Some larger animals like raccoons and opossums can cause damage that leaves openings for smaller wildlife such as rodents to enter. That means there may be more than one type of pest in your business that will require different wildlife removal strategies.
Why You Should Schedule Professional Exclusion Service
Not only can animals and their droppings potentially carry cause damage and carry pathogens that can spread disease, but some animals can also attack when they feel threatened. Hiring a professional will save you and your employees from potential injury. You also won't have to worry about wasting time on DIY solutions.
A professional pest control company has the experience and tools to held exclude animals safely. They are also up to date on any federal and local regulations regarding wildlife removal. With a professional wildlife exclusion company in your corner, the problem can be tackled directly—and you can get back to running your business.
Ready to get started? Contact us at 877.837.6464 to get a quote or schedule service.
