Nuisance Wildlife: Identify the Animal and Keep It Out Humanely

Something is thumping in the attic at dawn, or the lawn looks like it was dug up overnight. Wild animals move into homes and yards for the same reasons insects do: food, water and a safe place to raise young. This hub helps you figure out which animal you are dealing with, keep your family safe, and choose a humane, legal way to get it out and keep it out.

What’s causing it? Match the sign to the animal

Bats

Bats are protected by law in many states, and some species are endangered. You generally cannot kill or poison them. Instead, bats in a building are removed by exclusion: one-way devices made of netting or screening let bats fly out at night but not return, and the openings are sealed once they are gone.

Timing matters. Bats raise flightless young in summer maternity colonies. The CDC advises taking care not to trap young bats inside from May through August and suggests fall or winter for bat-proofing. Some states set fixed dates: Wisconsin, for one, does not allow exclusions from June 1 through July 31. Check your state wildlife agency before you start.

Bats and rabies. Bats are a leading cause of human rabies deaths in the US, and bat bites can be too small to notice. If a bat may have touched anyone, or you wake up with a bat in the room, do not release it. Call your health department so it can be tested, and see a doctor. If you must capture it, wear leather gloves, cover it with a container and slide cardboard underneath.

Skunks and opossums

Both are mostly active at night. In towns they raid trash cans and look for den sites under porches, decks, crawl spaces and outbuildings. Skunks also dig up lawns hunting for grubs. A skunk or opossum seen in daylight is not automatically rabid. Signs that do warrant a call to your health department include stumbling, foaming at the mouth and unusual aggression. Seal openings under structures after the animal leaves, and remove food left outside.

Groundhogs and moles

Groundhogs (woodchucks) dig burrows with large mounds of dirt at the entrances. If one is raiding the garden, the damage table in our rabbit control guide helps you tell its feeding from a rabbit’s.

Moles tunnel through lawns hunting earthworms. Do-it-yourself trapping is more likely to succeed with moles than with most wildlife, where your state allows it.

Prevention: the humane, legal-first approach

Most wildlife problems end with the same steps:

1. Remove what attracts them. Keep trash in animal-proof cans with latching lids, or store it indoors until pickup. Feed pets indoors. Clean up fallen fruit and spilled birdseed. Never feed wildlife on purpose.
2. Trim branches that let animals reach the roof.
3. Seal openings under decks, sheds and porches and into attics, vents and chimneys, but only after you are sure the animal and any young are out.
4. Do not rely on repellents or scare tactics. Lights, noise and reflective tape may help briefly, but animals get used to them.

Our pest prevention hub covers home sealing and seasonal timing more broadly.

Trapping, relocation and the law

Wildlife removal is regulated by each state. In many states it is illegal to trap an animal and release it somewhere else. Virginia, for one, prohibits relocating trapped animals. Trapping laws vary from state to state, so check with your state wildlife agency before you set a trap. Never use poison on wildlife.

Rabies safety

Bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes are the animals most often found with rabies in the US. Do not touch or feed wild animals, and keep pets’ rabies vaccinations current. If any mammal bites or scratches you, wash the wound right away with soap and water and get medical care promptly. Rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms start, but treatment given soon after exposure prevents it.

When to call a professional

Call a licensed wildlife control operator (sometimes called a nuisance wildlife control operator) when:

• An animal is living in your attic, chimney or walls, especially during baby season.
• You need ladder work or access to tight spaces like crawl spaces.
• You have bats in the building.
• You are not sure what your state allows.

Ask how they handle young animals, what happens to any animal they catch, and whether they will seal the entry points. Our guide to choosing a pest control company has more questions to ask.