Critter Control of Portland

Signs of Nuisance Wildlife?
Call for a Free Inspection

Call to Schedule an Inspection

(503) 244-0993

Portland neighborhoods are overwhelmed with squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks, snakes, opossums, bats, rats, and mice. There are different regulations for removing certain animals and may require consultation with various programs, including the County Animal Control office, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

So, what exactly is nuisance wildlife? Oregon defines them as any wildlife posing a threat to the public, causing damage to your property, or is annoying to the public. At Critter Control, we know the laws and how to get the permits necessary to remove nuisance wildlife. Below are a few examples of our inspection, removal, and repair process that helps us get rid of nuisance wildlife.

Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process

Critter Control is here for you every step of the way in the wildlife removal process. From inspection to removal—and even exclusion and repair—we have the services you need to get rid of raccoons, rodents, and other nuisances fast. First, we identify the animal on the property, then use humane methods to remove the animal and secure weak points where more could enter. If damage has been done, we can make those repairs for a complete restoration. Contact a Critter Control office near you today.
STEP 1

Animal Inspection

The technician observes the natural environment to ascertain potential species and investigates your property for signs of wildlife. Typical signs of wildlife include entry sites, animal droppings and urine, foul odors, nests or dens, marks like tracks, claw or smudge. During an inspection, the technician will determine the severity of the problem, identify the species (if possible) develop a custom strategy to your property to remove the animal, and identify solutions to prevent the issue.
STEP 2

Animal Trapping and Control

Before you can protect your home, the animal must be removed. Wildlife sealed in your home creates another host of problems, and a mother separated from her children will do everything in her power to reunite with her babies. Based on the inspection, the Wildlife Service Technician will deploy a humane, environmentally safe plan to remove the animal from your property.
STEP 3

Prevention and Repair

Wildlife exclusion services provide a safe and effective way to control wildlife. When done professionally, wildlife exclusion provides immediate and long-term protection. The barriers naturally are chemical free so it is safe to people, animals and the environment. Animals are creative and resourceful. After removal, an animal might attempt to regain entry to your home. Exclusion techniques should be monitored and occasionally updated.

Squirrel Removal

There are four native tree squirrels in Oregon: the Western gray, Douglas, Northern flying, and American red squirrels. There are also invasive nonnative species like the Eastern fox and gray squirrels. They are listed as predatory animals.

Squirrels can find every crack and hole to enter your home. The squirrel entry gap ranges from golf ball to softball size. While they are fun to watch, pest squirrels will cause damage to your property.

From March to September, squirrels give birth in a nest they created, possibly in your attic or chimney. Squirrels’ teeth or constantly growing, and if they get too big, they are painful. Squirrels chew on anything hard, including metals, wood, siding, shingles, pipes, ducts, and drywall, to keep them small.

Never try to catch a squirrel. They can carry diseases and will bite or scratch if they are cornered

According to Oregon laws, squirrels cannot be relocated unless it is on the same property. Trapping and transporting a squirrel to a facility that will take in the rodent requires a special permit. Hunting permits may be required for certain species during particular seasons. Rather than going through these processes, contact Critter Control.

Inspection

Inspection

Wildlife specialists look for signs such as chewing on, in, or around your home, small openings leading to the attic or the crawl space, droppings, and debris like nuts or nesting material. Beams, wires, pipes, and insulation may all show signs of damage from squirrels.

Squirrel Trapping

Squirrel Trapping

Live trapping or one-way doors are the most effective and humane ways to get rid of squirrels. One-way doors should never be used during birthing seasons (Spring & Fall), so our specialists will decide which is the best tool for the job. If we have to trap, we place traps strategically to safely catch the squirrels and check those according to state laws.
Repairs

Repairs

We can restore your home or office by squirrel proofing all entry points after we have removed the offenders. We can also clean-up the nesting sites and remove any debris, food, feces and soiled insulation. 

Raccoon Removal

Raccoons are active at night. While you sleep, they are out scavenging for food. There are plenty of sources in Portland. Raccoons eat just about anything, from restaurant scraps and pet food to garden crops and chickens. Their hands resemble human hands and allow them to turn doorknobs, open storage bins, and climb trees, chimneys, and poles.

Raccoons have a permanent mask and banded tail. They would be cute if they weren’t so destructive. They will do what they can to get into parts of your house they see fit to sleep and give birth to pups. If they must rip, tear, or break something to get to that spot, they will. Raccoons make lots of noises, like whimpers, growls, and screams. They leave feces and urine nearby their shelter.

Before trying to remove a raccoon from your home by yourself, remember they can carry diseases, and if threatened, they may bite. Calling nuisance wildlife animal control experts is recommended. Critter Control's three-step process works well for raccoon removal.

Inspection

Inspection

During the inspection, we determine the severity of the raccoon infestation. We look for physical evidence like footprints in or around the home, stains from raccoon feces and urine. On the exterior of the house, we look for damage like scratches on boards, broken vents and screens, ripped apart shingles, destroyed soffits, and every possible entry point.

Raccoon Trapping

Raccoon Trapping

Live trapping is one of the most efficient ways to get rid of a raccoon. Depending on the situation, a one-way door or excluder valve can be installed. An excluder valve works by allowing the raccoon to leave but blocks its reentry. The choice of device is largely dependent on the season and location of the raccoons on your property. Direct capture is not commonly used because raccoons are a rabies vector species. If we must trap, we place traps strategically to safely catch the raccoons and we check traps frequently, based on state laws.
Repairs

Repairs

We provide a wide range of repair and restoration services. We can repair raccoon damage like broken screens on vents and chimneys and broken boards on decks and porches. It is essential to apply cleaning agents and ectoparasite treatments on areas inhabited by raccoons.

Rodent Removal

Rats and mice are some of the most common pests in Portland homes. Rodents can damage homes by chewing through electrical wiring, causing fire hazards. They also gnaw wooden beams, making your home structure unstable. To make their nests, these pests remove insulation, carpet, drywall, and anything else. They enter pantries and raid food sources, contaminating those areas and costing you money. Rats and mice also leave feces and urine throughout your home, transmitting diseases.

The rats and mice roaming our Portland neighborhoods are the Norway rat and the house mouse, even though there are nearly 30 species of rodents in our area. Critter Control understands the habits and habitats of rats and mice to control their population on your property. This is important since rats and mice multiply five or more times a year and give birth to at least five babies in each litter. Before your rodent problem multiplies, call us.

Inspection

Inspection

During a rodent inspection, we thoroughly inspect your attic and provide a complete exterior home inspection. The most common signs of rodent activity are gnaw marks, feces, rub marks, nesting material, runs in insulation material, and small entry points.

Rodent Trapping

Rodent Trapping

A Critter Control wildlife specialist will create a strategic trapping plan to remove the rodents found in your home. Critter Control specialists may use snap traps and live traps to capture and remove mice and rats. Rodent trapping can usually takes between five to fourteen days. 
Repairs

Repairs

The best way to reduce the possibility of letting unwanted rodents into homes is to seal possible entrances. Exclusion methods include caulking cracks in foundations, capping chimneys, and installing mesh covers over vents and crawl space entrances. We also strongly recommend a maintenance service. Rodents have front teeth that continuously grow, which means they can gnaw a new way back into your home.

Bat Removal

In Portland, bats are everywhere. Big and little brown bats, hoary bats, and silver-haired bats are frequent flyers in our area.

Bats need food and water for survival. They consume thousands of insects every night, making them essential for the ecosystem. But if you have a source on your property that attracts thousands of insects, you won’t find them so necessary. They will be annoying. Wherever they find food and water, they will find shelter nearby, whether in your home or another structure on your property.

If you already have a bat problem, then you know they can be loud, and their waste is smelly and toxic. Bat guano contains uric acid and can corrode wood and metals. It can also stain the side of your home permanently.

Because bats carry diseases, it is never a good idea to try and remove bats by yourself. Instead, call our professionals. We know how to remove bats properly. We also understand the laws regarding mating and maternity season, which are times when removing bats and their babies is illegal due to their federal and state protections.

Inspection

Inspection

We perform a full interior and exterior inspection and search for signs such as rub marks, guano, a strong scent of ammonia, and small openings. The most common sign is the accumulation of guano (feces).

Bat Removal

Bat Removal

The most effective and humane way to remove bats is by utilizing a bat valve in conjunction with a full home exclusion. A bat valve allows for bats to exit your home but not re-enter. We follow all local ordinances for humane bat removal. We will never abandon flightless pups in your attic.
Repairs

Repairs

After removing the bat valves, we seal the entrance hole(s) so bats can no longer enter your home. If there is substantial guano in your attic, you should consider taking advantage of our attic remediation services to remove the soiled insulation and replace it.

Skunk Control

Skunks are a common animal in Portland during their breeding seasons. They're distinctive black and white fur, and their pungent odor that can linger for days, are unmistakeable. Stripped skunks breed from February through March. Spotted skunks breed in September and October. 

During breeding season, skunks will look for convienent denning sites. Skunks will create dens under elevated sheds, under porches, and inside crawlspaces

These pests are known for foraging for food in trash bins and pet food bowls. They're also profound and efficient diggers, and can mutilate an entire yard in a single night searching for grubs. If you happen to cross paths with a skunk, do not try to scare it away. Please also remember that skunks can carry rabies; therefore, it’s best to let a professional handle removal for you.
Inspection

Inspection

In addition to noting any pungent odors that signal the presence of a skunk, we will inspect the condition of your landscaping, as skunks are known for tearing-up lawns and shredding grass while hunting for grubs and insects. We will also inspect the perimeter of your building's foundations and under decks, to locate burrows.
 

Trapping and Removal

Trapping and Removal

Never try to remove a skunk from your property yourself. Getting sprayed is a very unpleasant experience. Furthermore, these animals may carry diseases that can spread to humans and pets, such as rabies. Our specialists will use live traps to capture and remove skunks for you, or they'll use a one-way exclusion device to evict skunks from their harborage areas. The most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification.
Skunk Control

Skunk Control

The most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification. Methods like sealing foundation gaps, replacing and screening broken foundation vents and installing hardware cloth (rat walls) around unprotected sheds and decks are the most effective and permanent ways to keep skunks out.
We recommend keeping pet food inside and securing any trash bins.

Pigeon Control

Pigeons are a common sight in Portland. We commonly encounter the rock pigeon and the band-tailed pigeon. They perch on rooftops, office buildings, statues, trees, electrical wires, and anywhere else they want.

Pigeons scavenge for food in the mornings, eating grains, seeds, and human garbage. They aren’t very picky. Pigeons pose a threat due to their toxic droppings, which can host numerous diseases. Because their feces is so acidic, it can damage buildings and homes. Never try to catch a pigeon. They carry parasites, fleas, ticks, lice, and more. Let Critter Control get rid of the pigeons on your property.

Inspection

Inspection

We thoroughly inspect the area for things that attract birds, like harborage and loafing areas, as well as food and water sources. Also, we look for where birds may be entering your home or business. We also inspect for damage caused by birds, whether it's by nesting, or by droppings.

Trapping & Removal

Trapping & Removal

After identifying the bird species, we may start by physically removing the species in question. In rescue situations, such as chimneys or basements, birds can be released on-site if the entrance has been secured properly. Occasionally, live traps will be used, especially if flocks of birds are involved. For persistent birds and larger flocks, several advanced techniques may be applied simultaneously including netting, spikes, ledge products, scare tactics, misting and more. The most effective method of bird control is prevention and exclusion.

Repairs & Prevention

Repairs & Prevention

We can repair the damage that is allowing birds entry to your home, like broken siding, weakened gutters, rotted soffits and fascia. We can also install protective screens on chimneys and vents. We can also remove nesting materials and accumulated droppings, then clean surface stains. We can use netting over fruit and vegetable crops and water basins. Netting can also be used in car ports, building overhangs and food courts. We also install a large number of different types of roof ledge barriers too.
Get them out.
Keep them out.®
Call For A Free Inspection Today
Click to call

The Critter Control Difference

Benefits of Hiring a Professional Hiring a professional usually will save you time and money in the long run. The wildlife experts in Portland understand the wildlife habits and habitats, all the wildlife regulations (local, state, and federal), and the proper tools and equipment to get the job done safely.
Trained Specialists Animal removal is a highly sophisticated job. As such, we vet and train our team members to ensure they have the knowledge and skill to remove any pest from your building. Our wildlife experts utilize advanced removal and exclusion techniques and damage repair.
Guaranteed Work Your satisfaction is always guaranteed. Critter Control® takes great pride in providing quality workmanship resulting in customer satisfaction.
Residential and Commerical Invading nuisance wildlife can wreak havoc on property. If left unattended wildlife and pests can cause costly property damage. Whether a residential property, apartment buildings, retail stores, office buildings, industrial plants, medical facilities, or warehouses, our trained professionals can handle any wildlife removal problem.

FAQ Nuisance Wildlife

What are some of the most common wildlife issues that homeowners face in Portland?

Squirrels, raccoons, bats and birds are the most common. We also handle mice and rats. We typically find nuisance wildlife in people's attics and crawlspaces. 

How do the seasons in Northwest Oregon affect wildlife activity?

In the fall and early winter, it's mostly squirrels and rodents in homes. The rest of the year it is everything else.

Any pest prevention tips for residents in your area?

Keep pet food sealed, remove bird/squirrel feeders, and call Critter Control to take preventative measures so wildlife does not enter your home.

What are some common signs of nuisance wildlife activity?

Strange sounds and smells are usually the first sign of nuisance wildlife. People tend to notice rodent droppings in their kitchen if they have a rat or mouse infestation. 

When should homeowners call Critter Control?

Whenever they suspect they may have a wildlife issue. If they want to prevent themselves from having a wildlife issue and the associated cost. If they want to replace/increase their insulation in their homes.
Contact Form