Nuisance Wildlife and Animal Control

From time to time, animals who are not technically considered "pests" nonetheless create a nuisance, usually when they decide to take up residence too close to human-occupied dwellings. That's why in addition to our pest control services, Cavalry Pest Control also provides animal trapping and nuisance wildlife control throughout our service area. The most common wildlife control problems we deal with include:

Squirrel Removal and Control

Squirrels are furry rodents whose species include gray squirrels, flying squirrels, chipmunks, and many others. The squirrels we encounter as nuisance animals most often in Virginia are gray squirrels.

Squirrel trapping and relocation becomes necessary when squirrels get into attics, roof voids, or other enclosed parts of buildings. Squirrels can do considerable damage to a building because of their gnawing. In addition, they also present a fire hazard when they gnaw on electrical wiring, and a health risk because of their urine, droppings, and parasites.

Bird Control

Pest birds can create a problem when they nest on or in homes, commercial buildings, monuments, airports, grandstands, and anyplace else where they're not wanted. The most common pest birds in Virginia are pigeons, sparrows, and starlings.

Birds can be a problem for several reasons, including:

Bird droppings are unsightly, contain disease-causing pathogens, and can damage building and vehicle paint and finishes.
Birds often have ticks, mites, and other parasites that can carry disease.
Bird nests, feathers, and even the birds themselves can clog up air conditioning, heating, and ventilation ducts.
Birds can create a hazard to navigation around airports.

Bat Control

Bats are nocturnal mammals who are mainly beneficial in that most species consume hundreds or thousands of insects every night.

But when bats get into attics, roof voids, belfries, bell towers, and other areas of occupied buildings, they can create a health hazard. Bats are very susceptible to rabies, their guano (droppings) contain numerous disease-causing pathogens, and parasites carried on the bats' bodies may also carry diseases.

Skunk Control

Skunks are primarily nocturnal animals who are primarily beneficial because they consume insects and small rodents. Although disliked by most people because of their ability to spray a noxious fluid with pinpoint accuracy, skunks are passive by nature and rarely spray unless they are in fear for their lives.

When skunks decide to move into basements, barns, under porches, and in other areas in or near buildings occupied by people or domestic animals, however, skunk control often becomes necessary.

Groundhog (Woodchuck) Control

Groundhogs are large rodents who are primarily herbivores, but who will occasionally eat insects, grubs, snails, and other small animals. They are disliked primarily because of the damage they do to lawns and fields by their burrowing, and because or the damage they do to garden and agricultural crops.

Groundhog burrows can be as long as 50 feet in length, with multiple entrances and exits. Burrows often extend as far as five feet below the surface, and extensive groundhog burrowing may undermine building foundations and damage farm equipment.