Dangers of Attempting Animal Removal Yourself

Americans are fond of DIY, whether it is a home renovation project or repairs. Considering the hefty charges taken by professionals, homeowners always believe it is a good idea to handle the project themselves and save a good amount of money. However, “animal removal” is quite different than many other home improvement or repair projects.
‍When mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, or other wildlife invade property, homeowners might believe that they can take matters into their own hands and get them out of their houses. However, As a wildlife removal expert in Dallas-Fort Worth, we can say that DIY animal removal methods often make the situation worse. Most homeowners use poison to get the unwanted critters out of their houses. Unfortunately, these poisons are often mishandled by homeowners, causing unintended damage to them, their family, or their neighborhood pets.

‍Relying on DIY critter removal solutions to make your house animal-free is not a great idea at all. You might have heard about your friend or neighbor's success with DIY animal removal. However, DIY animal removal solutions only temporarily fend off the animals. When they inevitably come back, they can do thousands of dollars worth of damage to wiring and duct work before you even know they are back.

‍If your house is infested with critters, you must hire a professional critter removal company to humanely remove the critters and seal off all their entry points to avoid future infestations. However, many homeowners might be tempted to remove the unwanted critter all by themselves. Do you fall in a similar category? Read on to learn about the risks associated with DIY critter control solutions. 

5 Major Risks Associated with DIY Animal Removal 

Animal removal might seem like an easy project with gazillions of traps, baits, and pesticides with huge claims lying on store shelves. Many traps or pesticides with claims of "100% effective,” “performance guaranteed," or “money back guarantee” may give homeowners the confidence to try dealing with the wildlife on their own. However, animal removal can be anything but easy. At Critter Stop, most of our customers have tried a slew of DIY solutions before finally giving up and calling us, sacrificing crucial time in removing the animals before they cause extensive or irreversible damage.

‍We have provided animal removal services to thousands of customers in Dallas - Fort Worth, and we found that Over the years, critters have become increasingly keen on humans’ removal methods. Most wildlife, especially rodents, have a sharp sense of smell, helping them identify poisonous bait's strong and unusual smell.

‍Ignoring the difficulty and low rate of success, DIY animal removal is not safe if you do not known what you are doing. The animals you are dealing with are not some cartoon characters that you watch on your television. Instead, they are wild animals and can become quite aggressive when feeling threatened. 

‍Are you still not convinced enough to leave the critter removal to professionals? Here are a few major risks associated with DIY animal removal that every homeowner must know about:

Underestimating the Problem 

When homeowners deal with a wildlife issue on their own, they often underestimate it. The reality is, if you see one mouse or rat in your garage or house, or notice a few droppings in your living space, there are most likely dozens more hiding in your attic in walls. Rodents often only come into the living space when they become overpopulated and their current food source cannot sustain their growing population, forcing them to come into the living space, even though they know it is dangerous, because they would otherwise starve.

‍In other words, the problem is rarely fixed if you catch or find one dead mouse or rat. There are often many, many more! The majority of critters want to avoid human contact so are very sly when living in your attic or walls, sneaking out for food and water in the middle of the night and quietly slipping back into the house. Deterrents, poisons, and traps, are only a temporary solution. While you may get rid of the critters you see now, it does not guarantee that others will not be hiding somewhere in large numbers or will not return. The only permanent solution is to seal off all of their entry points so they cannot continue going in and out as they please.

‍During these multiple rounds of fixing the problem, the animals will continue defecating and urinating, and creating more damage. This is why it is highly recommended to address the problem immediately instead of putting it off - especially since animals living in your attic rarely leave on their own accord!  

‍Wildlife removal experts such as Critter Stop have the training to identify the type and severity of the infestation. After performing a free inspection and estimate, Critter Stop will recommend the best critter removal method for your situation. We will find all entry points that provide access to the home and seal them off with materials strong enough to keep them out permanently. 

Risk of Bites 

Wild animals like rats, mice, raccoons, or opossums often find their way on your property in search of food and shelter. While they have honest intentions, they can become quite aggressive and bite when they feel threatened.

‍These wild animals are carriers of many contagious diseases. Because they do not receive shots like domesticated pest, any contact with wild animals can expose you to many fatal diseases. For example, you are >10,000 times more likely to die of rabies from a random raccoon, skunk, or other wild animal than you are from an unprovoked shark attack. Crazy, right? Rabies causes ~59,000 deaths each year, or one death every 9 minutes. 

Other Health Concerns 

Pests, especially rodents, are carriers of pathogens that have the potential to cause many harmful diseases. Any contact with the rodent or its urine, droppings, or saliva can make you and your loved ones sick. 

‍Also, once rodents gain access to your property, they will make a latrine out of your lovely house by urinating and defecating almost everywhere. These droppings can destroy the air quality of your house, resulting in you and your loved ones having many respiratory problems. Therefore, the sooner these pests are removed, the safer you and your loved ones are!

DIY Animal Removal Solutions Put Your Pets at Risk 

Many homeowners turn to harmful pesticides and poisonous baits when dealing with a rodent or wildlife infestation. However, because the poison is not properly secured to something, like within a bait box or tied to a joist in the attic, rodent can carry pieces of it off where it can be eaten by pets, or worse, children. Instead of unwanted critters consuming the poisonous bait, the homeowner's beloved pets end up consuming it. 

‍Although your family members might be aware that the poison is harmful for consumption, your beloved pets might not know it. Even a small amount of poison or pesticide can take your pet's life. If you want to remove the critters from your house while keeping your furry family members safe, you can abstain from poison and pesticides in your DIY attempts, or use a professional animal removal company such as Critter Stop. 

Waste of Time and Money 

One of the more common reasons homeowners turn to DIY critter removal, just like other DIY projects, is because of cost savings. However, when not done properly, the total cost of wildlife in your home can multiply quickly with chewed wires, damaged duct work, or compromised insulation. At Critter Stop, we have seen it countless times with homeowners in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex.

‍Without professional sanitation to kill the animals’ pheromones, critters will continue to be re-attracted to your home every time it gets cold out and they are looking for a warm place to build a nest, or they are looking for a safe place to have their babies. This is why sanitation is such an important part of our process at Critter Stop. It effectively camouflages your house from animals going forward. 

‍Many homeowners find that the best approach is to make a one-time investment - enlisting the help from professionals and getting the critters out for once and all. If you don’t believe us, check out our reviews anywhere customers leave reviews and you will see just how happy our customers are!

Conclusion

Do you have animals in your attic? Taking a DIY route often does not provide an effective and permanent solution to combat the infestation. A professional company can save you time, money, and many headaches!

‍Not sure which critter removal company to contact? Critter Stop is a reliable critter removal company in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. We will remove any and all critters and offer an industry-leading warranty on our work. Call us today at 214 234-26-16!