Meet the different furry friends who have been making themselves at home in your attics, walls, basements and more.
Raccoons are as destructive as they are cute. They will stop at nothing to make themselves at home in your attic. They'll enter your home through the chimney or chew their way in through siding, gutters, roofing, and more — whatever it takes. What puts raccoons in a league of their own is how dangerous they can be. Not only are they aggressive (especially if they have babies), but they create large, compact piles of feces and urine called latrines - and these can actually be highly toxic, putting your family and pets in danger. Also, their incessant chewing and digging can cause extensive damage to your home. You'll likely hear them and notice their presence almost immediately once they get inside your home. If you address the issue as soon as possible, you should be able to remove them and prevent re-entry before they cause too much harm.
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Squirrels are another cute, furry pest that often sets up camp in your walls and attic. What sets them apart is that they're much cleaner and less dangerous than raccoons or rats. That's the good news! The bad news is that they're much quieter, so it's not as easy to detect their presence at first. The best way to know if you have squirrel roommates is to look for nesting in your attic or crawl space or to observe holes they've chewed in your eaves, roof, or siding. Also, squirrel teeth never stop growing, so they have a constant need to chew and grind down their teeth - so listen for scraping noises in your crawl spaces, walls, and attics. Once squirrels are gone, if you have your home sealed up tightly and you effectively killed their pheromones and biological markers via “fogging,” you shouldn’t have to worry about them re-entering your home.
Learn more about SquirrelsOpossums are like the polite cousin of the raccoon. They'll dig in your trash just the same as a raccoon, but they're less messy once they get inside (no dangerous latrines to deal with) and slightly less destructive. They're not looking to chew everything up to build a nest; they're just simply looking for a safe, warm, dry place to curl up with their family - and your attic or garage is a home run! They're nocturnal, so you likely won't hear them during the day whatsoever. If you hear scratching, running, or playful sounds at night, investigate your attic and look for a few tell-tale signs: opossums have a unique footprint with an outward-facing thumb that you may notice in the dust on your ducts, and they will leave droppings or grease marks in random places that are going to be bigger than that of a rat or squirrel.
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Rats are widespread in DFW - in fact, we are the 10th rattiest city in America. We have no choice but to be on high alert for these furry friends as they'll nest and reproduce at a high rate and carry a number of diseases. One thing about rats is that they're not shy. Other pests may be too big or too afraid to make their way into your home's common space, but not the rat. The rat will get into your pantry and help themselves to snacks. A not-so-fun fact about rats is that they urinate every 3-5 steps they take, so their bellies are constantly moist and greasy. Two tell-tale signs of rats are the slick, yellow trails they leave behind and their small, black droppings. Rats will burrow through walls, insulation, chew wires and make a mess - they're not hard to detect, but it's essential to get rid of them ASAP, or you'll end up with a difficult infestation to remove.
Learn more about Rats"Serviced my home like their own! Roof rats removed just as promised. The owner ensured every step was taken care of (and it was!). Special thanks to my technician, Nic, for his attention to detail and excellent communication to walk me through his work. I highly recommend Critter Stop."
Debbie D. via Google
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