Wildlife

Wildlife problems are entry problems. Gray squirrels chew through fascia and rooflines to nest in attics (twice a year — spring and late summer litters), raccoons rip soffit vents, skunks den under porches and sheds, and bats slip through gaps as small as ½ inch. Unlike insect work, wildlife control is about exclusion and one-way doors, done humanely and legally — several species (bats especially) have protected windows when exclusion can't be performed because young are present.

Worth knowing

• A gray squirrel's front teeth grow six inches a year — attic wiring and cedar trim are how they file them down.
• Bat exclusion is seasonally restricted (roughly June–August maternity season) — timing isn't optional, it's law.
• Feeding stations and unsecured trash are the #1 predictor of raccoon problems; the fix starts in the yard, not the attic.