Get matched with top emergency animal control pros in your area

DIY animal removal is rarely a good idea and is not advised for many reasons. First, these types of animals can carry diseases and, therefore, pose a health risk to you, your family, and your pets if mishandled. Second, depending on your city or municipality, it may be illegal to remove or handle wildlife yourself. 

Sealing your home against these animals yourself is also a bad idea. Trapping an animal under your house will cause odor and insect problems when it passes away. 

Pest control is not the same as animal removal. Pest control specialists treat for insects and bugs, often by using chemicals. Animal removal specialists try to avoid chemicals if possible and instead work to trap and move the animal that's causing problems. 

Since each expert has their own removal methods, it's best to contact a pest control professional for insects and bugs and an animal control specialist for other animals.

Animal removal specialists specialize in removing critters and wildlife from in and around your home. These include:

• Bats

• Birds

• Groundhogs

• Moles and voles

• Opossums

• Mice and rats

• Raccoons

• Skunks

• Squirrels

The specialist's method to remove these critters will depend on the animal. For example, groundhogs will be live-trapped and relocated, whereas, for birds, the expert will remove and discard the inactive nest and sanitize the area. 

You might be tempted to call your local municipality to remove animals from your property, such as a groundhog burrowing in your yard or raccoons getting into your trash cans. However, they typically only remove domestic animals like dogs and cats from properties, or sick and injured wildlife that pose a public safety risk or health threat, such as a rabid animal. They typically do not capture or remove healthy wildlife.

Animal removal professionals have the tools, knowledge, and skills to trap and remove wild animals adequately and humanely. They also can relocate them correctly.

Professional animal removal costs between $200 and $600 for average homeowners. However, depending on the type and number of critters removed, this cost could range from $85 to $1,400. 

This cost does not include the cost of home damage caused by the animal, which could be as low as $300 for minor drywall repair or as much as $15,000 for crawl space cleaning and restoration.