Wildlife Removal

Wildlife

Bats

Bats are common in South Dakota. Thousands of bats, and nine different species, live within the Jewel Cave National Monument. Unfortunately, they don't stick to the wilderness, often finding their way into homes, sheds, attics, and basements. While they're on your property, they spread disease like it's their favorite pastime, and damage the areas they choose to sleep. Bats often find their way inside through small holes in buildings or gaps in the roof. Once they set up shop, the winged mammals are there to stay. The accumulation of guano and urine can cause significant damage, carries diseases, and the smell of is difficult to get rid of. Bats play host to over 60 different viruses that can infect humans. The list is scary, including things like various coronaviruses and Ebola, and rabies. If you find even a single bat in your home, you'll need to contact a licensed professional to handle the creature immediately.
Free Estimate

Squirrels

While squirrels may appear cute and fuzzy, you'll find out quickly that hosting the creature in your home is anything but adorable. The animals are vermin that spread disease, destroy your home, and leave nothing but waste behind. In Western South Dakota, Red Squirrels are the most common form of the "tree squirrels" that most people are familiar with. Statewide, the Eastern Fox Squirrel is the most common. You've likely seen a squirrel dart up a tree, rustling around and making a ruckus. Imagine that noise continually coming from your attic or roof. Like any other rodent, squirrels are notorious for their destructive habits once they make it into your attic. They shred insulation and chew up wood to build themselves nests, and gnaw through electrical wiring, putting your home at risk of fire. They carry diseases like rabies and Salmonella, and you don't need to come in close contact with the animal to get it. The pathogens can spread through their droppings.
Free Estimate

Raccoons

Raccoons love to sneak under decks and trailers, or inside attics and chimneys. These creatures eat anything they can get their hands on and can survive in conditions other animals might find unsuitable. They also do terrible damage to buildings and gardens alike. They're most attracted to areas with an easy access to water. The animals are so populous in South Dakota, it's nearly a guarantee that you'll have a run-in with one if you live near a body of water. Dozens of raccoons caught in South Dakota test positive for rabies. If not treated immediately, the disease can be fatal. They also carry distemper and roundworms, which they can deliver to your pets as well. Raccoons are known to be vicious when they feel threatened and are also fearless because they lack many natural predators. That makes them incredibly dangerous to handle on your own. If you have a raccoon problem you'll need help from an expert to get rid of them.
Free Estimate

Skunks

Skunks have plenty of cute names. "Striped Bandit" and other monikers make a mockery of the damage they're truly capable of. While they usually dig dens under porches or sneak into other animals' nests, they may choose to set up shop in your home, digging away and forming holes in the wood of your attic or walls. Skunks spray a foul chemical when they feel threatened. The odor is incredibly challenging to remove and harmful if sprayed in the eyes. However, it isn't the only vile smell the animals are responsible for. They also leave behind droppings and urine that build up in the "dens" they set up in your building. Skunks are the most common carriers of rabies in South Dakota, with more documented cases each year than bats, cows, cats, dogs, horses, goats, and raccoons combined. They also carry leptospirosis, tularemia, and more. Those diseases are so common, it's illegal in most places to keep skunks as pets. 
Free Estimate

Snakes

While most household pests are a nuisance, snakes are downright scary. The reptiles slither into your house through even the smallest gaps. That could be spaces between bricks, a door that's slightly ajar, or a garage that was left open. In some cases, the snakes are exploring; sometimes they're seeking shelter; often, they're attracted to your home by the smell of mice, and come in your home on edge, hoping to hunt. In years of heavy rain, snake sightings increase. In South Dakota, that means specifically an increase in the number of Prairie Rattlesnakes, the only venomous species in our region. There are two other snakes indigenous to South Dakota whose populations skyrocket some years. Bull Snakes are not poisonous but are aggressive and will strike with a nasty bite if they feel even slightly provoked. Plains Garter Snakes have a similar temperament, and their bite causes a burning rash. It is not recommended to handle a snake on your own if you find one in your home.
Free Estimate

Birds

Though bird watching is a great pastime when done from afar, no one wants birds shacking up in their homes. Starlings, pigeons, and house sparrows are common nuisances in South Dakota. However, most birds are protected by the federal government, so you'll need help from licensed professionals to deal with them appropriately. Birds commonly carry mites, lice, and several diseases. The five most common diseases transmitted by birds are Salmonella, Trichomoniasis, Aspergillosis, Avian Pox, and Lyme Disease. Those infections can take hold if someone so much as touches a bird or its droppings. Because the diseases are spread so quickly, the areas that the birds inhabit become hotbeds for them. The contaminants can be spread by way of the ventilation ducts and air conditioning systems. Birds build nests in gutters, causing backups during storms that can rip the structure from your roof. They may also find a home in your chimney where an obstruction of dry nesting materials can cause a fire hazard.
Free Estimate

Voles

While commonly mistaken for the House Mouse, Voles rarely venture into a house. They are at home digging holes and burrowing in your yard. They can start breeding at just 3 weeks of age and a mating pair can give birth to 100 in a year. Add in the offspring and the damage to your yard compounds quickly. As an herbivore, they will eat tubers and roots, which will prohibit healthy lawn growth and even plant death. In the garden, they have been known to chew the crowns of plants and have also been to blame for damaging young trees. heir constant trips along the same routes will cause a “runway” effect in the grass. Additionally, the build up of urine and feces will exacerbate the damage. When it comes to turf pests, voles are among the most likely vertebrate culprits. One acre of land can support up to 300 voles.
Free Estimate

Pocket Gophers

Pocket Gophers can turn your yard into an 18-hole golf course in no time. One can create several mounds a day and move a ton of earth to the surface in a year. They will eat bulbs and roots along the way, destroying the landscape above it. Their tunnel system can reach up to two-thousand square feet. Their path of destruction is not limited to your land. Damage to irrigation systems, buried electrical and telephone lines, and machinery is in the millions of dollars annually. It is not recommended to try and get rid of gophers yourself. They are known carriers of hantavirus, leptospirosis and monkeypox, and the parasites that they carry can be transmitters of plague. Even a dead gopher should be handled by a professional. During mating season and when threatened, they will attack pets and even humans and their bite can cause serious damage.
Free Estimate

Bats

Bats are common in South Dakota. Thousands of bats, and nine different species, live within the Jewel Cave National Monument. Unfortunately, they don't stick to the wilderness, often finding their way into homes, sheds, attics, and basements. While they're on your property, they spread disease like it's their favorite pastime, and damage the areas they choose to sleep. Bats often find their way inside through small holes in buildings or gaps in the roof. Once they set up shop, the winged mammals are there to stay. The accumulation of guano and urine can cause significant damage, carries diseases, and the smell of is difficult to get rid of. Bats play host to over 60 different viruses that can infect humans. The list is scary, including things like various coronaviruses and Ebola, and rabies. If you find even a single bat in your home, you'll need to contact a licensed professional to handle the creature immediately.
Free Estimate

Squirrels

While squirrels may appear cute and fuzzy, you'll find out quickly that hosting the creature in your home is anything but adorable. The animals are vermin that spread disease, destroy your home, and leave nothing but waste behind. In Western South Dakota, Red Squirrels are the most common form of the "tree squirrels" that most people are familiar with. Statewide, the Eastern Fox Squirrel is the most common. You've likely seen a squirrel dart up a tree, rustling around and making a ruckus. Imagine that noise continually coming from your attic or roof. Like any other rodent, squirrels are notorious for their destructive habits once they make it into your attic. They shred insulation and chew up wood to build themselves nests, and gnaw through electrical wiring, putting your home at risk of fire. They carry diseases like rabies and Salmonella, and you don't need to come in close contact with the animal to get it. The pathogens can spread through their droppings.
Free Estimate

Raccoons

Raccoons love to sneak under decks and trailers, or inside attics and chimneys. These creatures eat anything they can get their hands on and can survive in conditions other animals might find unsuitable. They also do terrible damage to buildings and gardens alike. They're most attracted to areas with an easy access to water. The animals are so populous in South Dakota, it's nearly a guarantee that you'll have a run-in with one if you live near a body of water. Dozens of raccoons caught in South Dakota test positive for rabies. If not treated immediately, the disease can be fatal. They also carry distemper and roundworms, which they can deliver to your pets as well. Raccoons are known to be vicious when they feel threatened and are also fearless because they lack many natural predators. That makes them incredibly dangerous to handle on your own. If you have a raccoon problem you'll need help from an expert to get rid of them.
Free Estimate

Skunks

Skunks have plenty of cute names. "Striped Bandit" and other monikers make a mockery of the damage they're truly capable of. While they usually dig dens under porches or sneak into other animals' nests, they may choose to set up shop in your home, digging away and forming holes in the wood of your attic or walls. Skunks spray a foul chemical when they feel threatened. The odor is incredibly challenging to remove and harmful if sprayed in the eyes. However, it isn't the only vile smell the animals are responsible for. They also leave behind droppings and urine that build up in the "dens" they set up in your building. Skunks are the most common carriers of rabies in South Dakota, with more documented cases each year than bats, cows, cats, dogs, horses, goats, and raccoons combined. They also carry leptospirosis, tularemia, and more. Those diseases are so common, it's illegal in most places to keep skunks as pets. 
Free Estimate

Snakes

While most household pests are a nuisance, snakes are downright scary. The reptiles slither into your house through even the smallest gaps. That could be spaces between bricks, a door that's slightly ajar, or a garage that was left open. In some cases, the snakes are exploring; sometimes they're seeking shelter; often, they're attracted to your home by the smell of mice, and come in your home on edge, hoping to hunt. In years of heavy rain, snake sightings increase. In South Dakota, that means specifically an increase in the number of Prairie Rattlesnakes, the only venomous species in our region. There are two other snakes indigenous to South Dakota whose populations skyrocket some years. Bull Snakes are not poisonous but are aggressive and will strike with a nasty bite if they feel even slightly provoked. Plains Garter Snakes have a similar temperament, and their bite causes a burning rash. It is not recommended to handle a snake on your own if you find one in your home.
Free Estimate

Birds

Though bird watching is a great pastime when done from afar, no one wants birds shacking up in their homes. Starlings, pigeons, and house sparrows are common nuisances in South Dakota. However, most birds are protected by the federal government, so you'll need help from licensed professionals to deal with them appropriately. Birds commonly carry mites, lice, and several diseases. The five most common diseases transmitted by birds are Salmonella, Trichomoniasis, Aspergillosis, Avian Pox, and Lyme Disease. Those infections can take hold if someone so much as touches a bird or its droppings. Because the diseases are spread so quickly, the areas that the birds inhabit become hotbeds for them. The contaminants can be spread by way of the ventilation ducts and air conditioning systems. Birds build nests in gutters, causing backups during storms that can rip the structure from your roof. They may also find a home in your chimney where an obstruction of dry nesting materials can cause a fire hazard.
Free Estimate

Voles

While commonly mistaken for the House Mouse, Voles rarely venture into a house. They are at home digging holes and burrowing in your yard. They can start breeding at just 3 weeks of age and a mating pair can give birth to 100 in a year. Add in the offspring and the damage to your yard compounds quickly. As an herbivore, they will eat tubers and roots, which will prohibit healthy lawn growth and even plant death. In the garden, they have been known to chew the crowns of plants and have also been to blame for damaging young trees. heir constant trips along the same routes will cause a “runway” effect in the grass. Additionally, the build up of urine and feces will exacerbate the damage. When it comes to turf pests, voles are among the most likely vertebrate culprits. One acre of land can support up to 300 voles.
Free Estimate

Pocket Gophers

Pocket Gophers can turn your yard into an 18-hole golf course in no time. One can create several mounds a day and move a ton of earth to the surface in a year. They will eat bulbs and roots along the way, destroying the landscape above it. Their tunnel system can reach up to two-thousand square feet. Their path of destruction is not limited to your land. Damage to irrigation systems, buried electrical and telephone lines, and machinery is in the millions of dollars annually. It is not recommended to try and get rid of gophers yourself. They are known carriers of hantavirus, leptospirosis and monkeypox, and the parasites that they carry can be transmitters of plague. Even a dead gopher should be handled by a professional. During mating season and when threatened, they will attack pets and even humans and their bite can cause serious damage.
Free Estimate
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