Nuisance Wildlife/Animal Poop Feces Identification Guide

Identifying the poop left behind in your attic to determine what type of critter issue you have.

During the initial visit finding poop is a common way to determine what is living with you, in your walls, or in your attic.  Most of us know that when there is food going in, there is poop coming out. However, there are 5 different and very distinct poops for each of the critters you may find in your home. This is important as it will tell us w20191107_153939hat we are dealing with before we havean encounter.  

 

There are many reasons why animals come into our home.  Perhaps it is cold outside and the attic is very warm. Maybe they are just looking for food and shelter, which your home provides both. They will get braver and start to come further into the home. Be sure that all your food items are securely stored. Remember, many of these species multiply rapidly, so getting them out should be a number one priority.  One of them can quickly become a small herd, which can cause even more damage.

Let’s take a look at the different feces these animals produce and see if you can determine what your infestation is.

What does Bat Poop Look Like?

Bats do veryIMG_20191108_142304522 little damage when inside the home.  But their poop can really stink, and remember, where there is one, there will be more!  This means that the bat poop can really accumulate and cause a stink. It looks like brown grains of rice,sort of.  And, typically it is piled up where they are nesting. Sometimes these small turds are clumped together with urine but the small rice gains are pretty distinct.  Besides the smell, this poop can also make you pretty sick and should only be dealt with by professionals or with protective gear. When cleaning up bat poop you will need to wear protective gear and especially a good HEPA mask, not just one of those cheap disposable ones. Bats can also carry rabies as well as other health hazards.  20191021_113532

In some cases, the bat poop piles up so much that it can destroy the ceiling of a home. It can also eat at the drywall and wood which can cause ceilings to collapse.  This is why you should get the bats out as soon as you are aware of the problem.  

The only way to get the bats out is by extraction.  Even at night when the adults are out feeding there are flightless babies left in the roost.  

What does Rat Poop Look Like?

Rat poop is about 1/2-3/4″ long and oblong in shape.  It is usually a shiny black, but if it is old it can turn to a dull charcoal color.  If you are familiar with mouse droppings, they are similar but much larger. These should certainly cause concern because if you see rat poop that is a good indication that you have a rat infestation. 20191120_113325

Rats are of the rodent family and they will do damage to the home.  This damage can be something as simple as chewing up the bottom of the couch.  However, the damage could be much worse by chewing up wiring found in the walls of the home.  This wiring issue could cause fires and lead to more damage. Rat poop is only one indication that you have a rat problem.  Maybe your dog seems a little on edge or you are hearing things in the walls or ceiling.

Over time the rat poop can give off a smell as well.  The smell is a musty sort of smell that doesn’t go away by opening up a window or turning on a fan.  

What does Raccoon Poop Look Like?

Raccoon poop is long and tubular.  It is often confused with a small dog or cat poop.  However, if you look closely at the poop you will usually find some food that is undigested.sually, it is dark in color due to their diet as well and typically 1 1/2″-3″ long.  And, many times you will find the poop piled up on top of old feces. If you have an established group of raccoons then they will all use the same area to relieve themselves. This is typically easy to find.  Raccoons live in groups and are social animals by nature.  

 Raccoon feceIMG_0615s is some of the most dangerous to deal with and shouldn’t be dealt with without protection.  The raccoon poop can carry all kinds of various diseases as well as eggs of worms that can be ingested either via the mouth or through the air.  These parasites, if left untreated could actually cause the death of a human.  

If you think you have a raccoon problem, the first thing you need to do is secure all food items.  This means not only people food that you may have outside in the trash can, but your pet’s food and trash as well.  Raccoons are not picky eaters and will take advantage of anything they can consider food.  

 

What does Opossum Poop Look Like?

Opossum poop is very similar to raccoon poop.  It is tubular and about 1 1/2″-3″ in length and being 1/2-1″ in diameter.  The sides are usually smooth and have pointed ends. They too will use the same area over and over again.  This area is typically easy to find and will have a pile of poop that has accumulated over time. If you find this pile, do not touch it.  Just like with raccoon poop, opossum poop contains a lot of possible diseases and you shouldn’t be breathing around it either. This is very dangerous to be around and shouldn’t be cleaned up without  a very nice HEPA filter mask. 

OposIMG_2785sum poop can contain spores that you could breathe in and contaminate you.  You can pick up parasites from their poop by not only touching it but being near it and breathing.  Be careful! Opossum poop tends to be more curly than straight which is one feature that is different from raccoon poop.  

Opossum poop smells.  Yes, it has a very strong odor that is mixed with urine.  Many insects are attracted to it and will lay their eggs on it. Be very careful and call a professional if you think you have opossum poop in or around your home.  There are all kinds of diseases that can be caused by opossum poop and you need to get that and the animal removed immediately.  

What does Squirrel Poop Look Like?

Squirrels are super cute but also a nuisance that can get into your home or buildings.  These critters are considered rodents and like rats, they like to chew on things. Squirrel poop is oblong pellets that are typically bulging in the center.  They are 1/8″-3/8″ long and are dark brown, although they lighten with age. They have a very similar look to rat poop, but are usually a little bit fatter and tend to grow much lighter over time.  Unlike mouse droppings, you will tend to not find them in the kitchen or pantry but near the entrance, they use to get into the home.  20191121_131835Squirrels can make nests and multiply like other rodents, fairly quickly.  So, if you see signs of a squirrel problem, it is best to get that under control quickly.  They chew on things and it can become quite dangerous. Many times you might see other signs of squirrels such as nutshells and bits around the home or building.  They are typically not clean critters and tend to leave messes just about anywhere.

Removing Wildlife from Your Home

When it comes to removing the animals from your home, you can certainly attempt it on your own.  But, be sure you are fully aware of the consequences of messing with wild animals. They may be cute, but they 20200407_082225are not friendly.  You will need to understand what motivates them, what their paths are, and how to rid your home of them. This also goes for their poop.  They will leave behind a mess that needs to be taken care of. Remember when you are cleaning up any of this wild animal poop you need to wear a Hazmat suit and HEPA filtration.  Many have parasites that you can pick up just from breathing in the fumes of the poop. This is not a job if you have a queasy stomach either as it will most likely smell. There may be some damage that will need to be repaired due to the animal’s feces, urine, or just their chewing.  If you have had a rodent problem for a while but didn’t know it, you should have your home inspected to ensure that it is safe. As we have said, rodents can chew on wires and cause all kinds of internal damage to your home’s structure.  

Wild Animal Poop Dangers

We cannot stress this enough.  Do not be around wild animal poop without proper ventilation.  You need to wear a mask to protect yourself from all kinds of things including parasites that get in through your lungs.  You should not use a cheap throw away mask, but one that has powerful filters to ensure you don’t get sick.

DoeDSCF6032s this sound like too much work for you?  You can certainly call in a professional. This is not a job that you should take lightly.  These animals multiply fast and you need to get on it quickly. Bats, for example, are hard for homeowners to deal with as they tend to leave their young behind. You will need to get into the area that they are and ensure you get them all out.  Doing this on your own can be dangerous. Be sure you wear the proper clothing and protect yourself from being bit. Or call a professional to remove the animals as well as clean up all the mess they leave behind. This is the option that many go for.  After all, this is a dangerous job and the clean up can present quite a few problems.  

Beware of Frightened animals

IMG_20180621_145722250If you have ever seen a frightened animal, you understand the dangers.  Identifying what animal you have living in your home or building by their poop will help you identify what you need to do to get them out.  Sometimes the amount of animal poop will also be an indication of how many there are. If there are a lot of them, then you have a serious infestation on your hands and certainly will need professional help.  If you have a single bat that has found its way into your garage, then a simple broom and shooing might do the trick. Remember to never touch any poop or animal with your bare hands.  

 

 

How Much Does Raccoon Removal Cost?

Raccoon Removal is a VERY uniqu circumstance that has many variables that need to be taken into consideration when determinig pricing. That is why we always perform FREE Raccoon Removal Inspections to properly evaluate the needs of your individual situation.

Here are some of the variables/factors that need to be considered:

Step 1: Free Inspection | Every Home has different unique variables that need to be considered

Daniel inspection

Professional Wildlife & Animal trapping generally involves the Wildlife & Animal trapping company to initially come out to your home and perform a free inspection and evaluation in order to determine that you indeed are having an issue with Wildlife & Animals or that you may have Wildlife & Animals in the Attic. During this free inspection and evaluation, the professional wildlife and Animal removal company will get in the attic and take a look at everything that’s going on and identify whether or not you do have Wildlife & Animal in your attic. We will look for Wildlife & Animal poop and we will also identify the Wildlife & Animal poop based on smell, appearance, shape, size and even take a look at and listen for the sounds of the Wildlife & Animals. Once we are in the Attic and it is confirmed that you are having an issue with Wildlife & Animals, a professional Wildlife & Animal removal company will then get on the roof and walk the exterior of the property to identify the areas that the Wildlife & Animals are using to get into your home.
Your local professional Wildlife & Animal removal company will have a preset list of charges that depend on your Wildlife & Animal infestation. Wildlife & Animal removal costs vary based on the infestation of the Wildlife & Animals in the Attic or around your home, but also on how difficult it is to remove that Wildlife & Animal and close off the access points that the Wildlife & Animal(s) is using.

If you find Wildlife & Animal feces in your attic, read more information about Wildlife & Animal poop removal and be sure to hire a professional wildlife removal company to prevent any health issues related to Wildlife & Animal droppings.

Depending on where you live there will generally always be local Wildlife & Animal trappers near you. Wildlife & Animal control is a service that can be provided by your local wildlife removal company. Check out all the areas that I and Centurian Wildlife Control provide inspections for, and feel free to call. It never hurts to speak to a live representative and at least go over your concerns, remember we are here to help! Centurian Wildlife Control is a nationwide company and directory with local technicians throughout the country.

 

Step 2: Animal Trapping

possum in trap

We provide Wildlife & Animal removal service and we also set traps to humanely remove the Wildlife & Animals. Wildlife & Animal removal is something that should always be done by a professional company, whether you go with us or you want to get other estimates, make sure the company that you hire to remove your Wildlife & Animals is professional, humane, licensed and insured. The last thing that you want is to hire a Wildlife & Animal control company that results in an awful job, making your Wildlife & Animal infestation even worse and end up costing you more money to fix those problems.

If you have nuisance animals and pest wildlife on your property or in your attic, the safest and most humane way to remove them is to perform a live trapping, and then relocated the trapped animal or animals. You will need to set the appropriate traps & bait for the species of wildlife you are encountering. A trap too small can be considered cruelty or harassment towards wildlife, which is punishable by fines or jail time in some cities. Using the incorrect bait to trap the type of animal causing you problems can result in you trapping the wrong animal and having to start the process over again. If you do it properly, you should only need to set your traps a few times to eliminate nuisance wildlife. Once the animal is caught, and all nuisance wildlife is safely and humanely relocated to a wildlife preserve. Every animal removal and wildlife control situation is different, and will require not only different types of traps, but also different trapping strategies. Most wildlife control companies will offer a free inspection with trapping services.

 

 

Step 3: Exclusion Work

squirrel-damage

Customers ask me all the time how to get rid of Wildlife & Animals permanently and the simple answer is once you catch that Wildlife & Animal and you know that there are no more Wildlife & Animals in the Attic, you need to close off the access point to prevent more Wildlife & Animals from coming back. This is called an exclusion; you definitely want to hire a professional Wildlife & Animal removal company to perform exclusion work and Wildlife & Animal removal of the home in order to guarantee that no more Wildlife & Animals come back.

Once you know that you have animals in your home, the only way to keep them from coming back is to exclude them. This is done by closing off any access points around your home where the animal may have been using to access. When performing an exclusion it is best to only use metal and concrete materials, ensuring the animals cannot chew through it. Depending upon the species of wildlife, you may need to adjust the type and placement of materials to best suit your wildlife control problem. Most trapping and handyman work done by wildlife removal services to ensure the protection of your home comes with a 1 year renewable warranty. Ask your local service professional about warranty service.

Wildlife exclusion is based on a few simple principles. The first principle of wildlife exclusion is that no harm comes to the animals you are excluding whatsoever. Exclusion is the most humane way to remove animals from your home for this reason. The second principle is that animals are leaving the space of their own accord. All wildlife species that enter an attic or porch space will eventually need to leave this space to feed or to reproduce. The third and final principle of exclusion is that once the animals have vacated the space, they should not be able to re-enter the space by any means, including the access point they use to leave the space. Sounds tricky, right? It can become extremely complicated if you have multiple access points, multiple species of wildlife, or if you simply do not have the tools and skills required to place exclusion devices on your home.

Materials:

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Technicians who operate through 24/7 Wildlife Control use high-quality, durable materials to exclude animals from your home. They are experts at determining entry points of various wildlife species, and have years of experience building these devices to fit unique wildlife removal cases like yours. While it is entirely possible to build and place exclusion devices around your home, we recommend using a professional service in order to minimize the risk to your safety and to save valuable time.

Post Exclusion:

Exclusion services offered by 24/7 Wildlife Control and its affiliates are immediately followed up by an inspection, sanitation, and repair service. It’s not enough to simply remove wildlife that has made its home in your attic or garage space; you will need to remove any feces/animal waste, as well as fur, nesting materials, dirt, and oils they have brought into the home. Once the tangible waste has been removed, a thorough cleaning of the air inside of the attic or other space is required. If it is possible to air out the space naturally, your technician will do so, and then proceed to treat the air with commercial sprayers loaded with antimicrobial solutions specifically for this purpose. After your space has been sanitized, the repair team will restore your home to like-new condition by sealing entry points and replacing parts of the home that were beyond repair.

 

Step 4: Antimicrobial Treatment

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After a technician has removed the Nuisance Animal from your attic they will need to clean up the mess left behind. When an animal is in your attic they can cause damage from urinating, defecating and breeding. All of these are contaminates left behind in your attic, including bacteria, diseases and insects, can spread throughout your home’s insulation. These hazards can lead to severe respiratory problems- bacteria getting into the airways of your home through leaks in A/C tubing, wall voids, and more. After a full cleanup and restoration of your attic, it will be like you never had a problem!

 

Now for Pricing, Here are some points to consider:

FREE – Again, we must reiterate that in many instances, you can address the raccoon problem in a simple and humane manner with easy, no cost techniques. Read our ways to eliminate raccoons yourself guide to find out more.

AVERAGE PRICES – Unfortunately, there’s absolutely no typical standard price in professional nuisance wildlife control. In some ways, it is like asking for the normal price of car restoration. There’s no great answer, because each job is extremely different. Additionally, different businesses simply charge different prices, with no great rhyme or reason, aside from the business motivations of the firm. Higher cost doesn’t always correlate with better support. All that said, we’ll analyze a few of the kinds of raccoon jobs under.

In most states, the animals have to be euthanized, and even if they are relocated, they often won’t survive. Additionally, cage trapping is just a temporary fix to a raccoon battle, and after trapping, lots of individuals soon find themselves in precisely the exact same situation again, using a new raccoon. But many businesses participate in cage trapping. It is sort of the strangest job – to get a wildlife man to catch the creature in a cage and triumphantly cart it off. Most companies will charge a service fee or trap setup fee to arrive at the home and set traps. These prices can vary to as little as $150 total, to much greater in some cases over $1000, depending on the business and the amount of service trips and number of animals captured.

But in other situations, it’s a legitimately challenging situation that needs professional work. In case a pro must manually get rid of the baby raccoons along with the mother. Or remove the youthful and snare the mother and deliver them away together, the minimum is generally over $300, usually higher than that. Much of the expense comes from cleaning and repairs.

DAMAGE REPAIRS – When a raccoon is in a home or attic, they’ve damaged part of the house to get indoors, or gone through a glaringly open home issue. This may require repair to fix, and the repairs have to be very powerful to maintain future raccoons out. If you’re handy, you can do these repairs yourself. Additionally, the raccoon could have ruined large areas of the interior of the loft, including ripping all of the duct work, the insulation from piping, or eliminating or trampling insulation.

EXCLUSION BARRIERS – When a raccoon lives under an elevated home, shed, porch, deck, or other floor structure, following removal, a homeowner may consider an exclusion barrier to maintain future raccoons (and stray cats, skunks, etc.) from living under there. This is a steel mesh barrier, bolted into the construction, and burrowing into the ground.

ATTIC CLEANUP – This is a place to possibly beware of. It’s a fact that raccoons in a loft will defecate a long time. It is very rare, but it is possible. Raccoons may also bring parasites to the loft, even though they won’t last long. It is possible that the urine and waste will attract cockroaches, or fresh wildlife, etc.. So many people do consider it advisable to clean out the attic. Having said that, there’s an entire industry surrounding the cleaning of attics inhabited by raccoons, under the particular loophole that cleanup is often covered by homeowner’s insurance. Insurance pubs against covering rodent damage, but raccoons aren’t rodents. Thus some firms exploit this, aggressively seek to wash attics, and charge the insurance, usually over $10,000. This cost isn’t to you, but bear in mind that some businesses work solely to execute such cleanups, and will work to get them, irrespective of necessity. Other firms will do more small cleanup, including removal of feces, contaminated insulation, and appropriate antimicrobial fogging, for as little as $500.

Truly, the best way to discover the price tag would be to call a local raccoon professional, and get an estimate! Some will provide ballpark estimates on the telephone, some will provide free on-site inspections, but not all. For effective ways to resolve a raccoon problem yourself, or to find local Assistance and prices, click on the Locations Tab:

http://www.centurianwildlife.com/locations.html

 

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Author: Brendan Mangnitz

https://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/academics-directory/online-learning/testimonials/

Fort Lauderdale, Fl Wildlife Removal

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Wild Animal Control Services: 

Here at Centurian Wildlife Control, we know exactly what you are going through when animals have invaded your home. As a local family owned and operated company, we know what it’s like to worry about the safety of our kids and pets. With the individual needs of every family hitting so close to home for us, we put an extreme emphasis on speed, efficiency and safety. We are here for you no matter if your problem is a dead animal stinking up your home, a skunk that’s fallen down a window well, squirrels dashing across your attic or you have a rat that is just too smart to trap. You will always be greeted by knowledgeable friendly voice on the other end of the line.

Steph Truck
Wildlife Removal & Control Services:
DEAD ANIMAL REMOVAL
ATTIC CLEAN OUT SERVICES
ANIMAL PROOFING & WILDLIFE EXCLUSION
HUMANE ANIMAL TRAPPING SERVICES
Are you completely fed up with nuisance raccoons, squirrels, Rats and Iguanas? Are you encountering bats flying in or around your house, putting your children’s health in risk with the dangers of rabies and histoplasmosis? Nuisance wildlife can tear a home apart in a matter of days and when you have such a problem on your hands we are available 24/7 to put your life at ease. We offer services ranging from dead animal removal to attic clean out services and emergency Fort Lauderdale wildlife control.

Daniel inspection
Have Iguanas moved onto your property creating unbearable smell? Iguanas can dig holes under decks and stoops creating huge amounts of debris and gravel along with the unbearable odors that they produce. They also will destroy your lawn if they are looking for grubs. They can eat all of your shrubs, hibiscus and beautiful landscape! Nuisance squirrels can be a real headache too. Squirrels reproduce 2 litters of young annually causing complete havoc in homes if left unattended. It is not difficult for squirrels to enter the attic right through factory made attic fans or vents since they are not animal proof, which makes entry very easy for problematic animals. Birds can also cause a lot of difficulties if they decide to make nests in your attic, this nesting can create a large amount of damage to attic insulation and create unpleasant smells along with bird mites.
Fort Lauderdale, FL Faqs:

Fort Lauderdale boasts 23 miles of sandy beaches and is known to be the western corner of the Bermuda Triangle. Fort Lauderdale is home to over 100 marinas, 300 miles of inland canals and has over 50,000 registered yachts. The subtropical marine climate makes the area one of the top vacation destinations in the U.S. Over 70 artificial reefs lie off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, making this location an excellent destination for scuba divers and snorkelers.
Did you know there is a whole other side to Fort Lauderdale than the 24 hour night life? We all know about the amazing restaurants, endless nightlife options, expensive homes, and amazing hotels, but did you know about the vast wildlife options?

The Flamingo Gardens is about 20 miles west of Ft. Lauderdale and offers 60 acres of beautiful botanical gardens as well as a wildlife sanctuary. There you can find wildlife native to Florida like alligators, bobcats, eagles, otters, panthers, and more.

What would a trip to Florida be without an airboat ride to get up close and personal with wildlife in its natural habitat. Take a 30-minute tour on the Everglades to see what you can find!

What happens though when one of these animals finds a home outside of where they belong? Like in your attic or garage? That’s where we can help you! We are a humane company that puts wildlife back where they belong. In the wild!

Fort Lauderdale, FL Raccoon Trapping & Control Services:
HUMANE RACCOON REMOVAL
RACCOON FECES CLEAN UP
RACCOON DAMAGE REPAIRS
BABY RACCOON REMOVAL

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Are Nuisance Raccoons tearing up your attic and making disturbing noises at night? Raccoons in the house are a serious trouble. They can dig into the attic through your roof in less than an hour, which in turn can cause serious water damage to your home and attic insulation. The trouble doesn’t end there either, if a raccoon gets inside, your insulation will be destroyed in a matter of days just from them trailing back and forth. In addition to this, Raccoon Poop is toxic as well as containing parasites called raccoon roundworm which can potentially be fatal. We have professional experts who know exactly how to deal with these issues safely, have your animal damages repaired and back to normal. We provide guaranteed raccoon exclusion services to ensuring raccoons can no longer take advantage of old entry points. For the attic damage, our staff handles the complete clean up and restoration from start to finish.
Fort Lauderdale, FL Bat Removal & Exclusion Services:
BAT EXCLUSION FROM ATTICS
HUMANE BAT REMOVAL
GUARANTEED BAT PROOFING SERVICES
QUALITY HOME BAT INSPECTIONS

brendanraccoon
Do you see bats flying around your gutters, soffits, vents or roof line? Or even worse have they moved into your attic? Does your house or attic smell of ammonia? There are specific signs of bats making a home inside of your attic including strong ammonia odor due to urine and guano build up, visible guano in the attic or stuck around entry points and of course random bats making their way into the living quarters of your house. We offer our Professional Animal Control & Wildilfe Removal Services for Fort Lauderdale Florida to provide you with efficient bat control, guano removal and exclusion services. According to federal law bats can only be removed during a time of the year, so please be aware of attempting to rid bats yourself without knowing the federal laws protecting them. After our bat exclusion service is completed, we then proceed with restoration and clean out of your damaged attic insulation.

 

For More Information please Visit:

Centurian Wildlife Control of Fort Lauderdale Florida

http://www.centurianwildlife.com/fort-lauderdale-animal-control.html