What Is Critter Control and Why Do You Need It?

What is Critter control, you ask?

When I am asked what critter control is, I know I need to ask more questions to help me figure out which particular critter my customer is referring to. Rats, squirrels, skunks, opossums, coyotes or raccoons are all considered ‘critters’ in the eyes of the public.

In this post, I am going to discuss a couple of the larger vertebrate critters; one of which is the raccoon since it is usually one of the most frequent requests – which is right up there with skunks! I usually begin the conversation by asking if they happened to have seen the actual culprit causing the damage. If they have not seen the actual pest causing the problem, I ask them to describe the specific damage they are experiencing or what specific sounds or noises they are hearing and if it is daytime or night time.

Raccoons and Skunks are mostly nocturnal which means they are awake during the night. Sometimes they may be seen in the early hours especially if they are foraging for food for their babies. Usually, you will see them scurrying from their hiding place to gardens, trash cans or you might even catch them digging up your lawn. Both pests do damage to lawns because they are searching for grubs for food.

The damage is very different between the two pests, so it is very easy to determine which animal pest you have visiting your yard. Raccoons typically will roll back the lawn as if someone just laid down new carpet and decided they didn’t like it, so they rolled it back up. Skunk damage looks as if someone had just aerated your lawn leaving small, triangular shaped hole punches the size of their noses.

Why do you need critter control?

These critters can carry diseases like leptospirosis, and if a human encounters their infected urine or contaminated soil and water, they may also become infected.

Additionally, raccoons and skunks are primary carriers of the rabies virus. If you see an animal staggering or acting erratic and not reacting to noise or movement close to them, then they may become rabid. This type of behavior would warrant a call to your local animal control department or AIPM so we can help you determine if this is a sick or healthy animal.

Lastly, Raccoons can also carry roundworm which is found in their feces. Their infested scats can also infect humans and our pets if they come in contact with the infected feces. Because of this, it is important to keep them from defecating on your patios, or in your attics and crawl spaces. Clean up of their latrine areas (where they defecate) needs to be done cautiously, avoiding the possibility of coming in contact with their feces. All latrine areas should then be disinfected properly. Do you have a question? Please feel free to contact us anytime by emailing happytohelp@myaipm.com with your question or comments.