Top Wildlife Removal Companies in Tempe, Arizona Ranked

When wildlife like raccoons, squirrels, or rats decide your home is their home, it's more than a nuisance-it can lead to property damage, health risks, and significant stress. Professional wildlife removal and animal control services are essential for safely and legally resolving these conflicts. This guide is designed to help Tempe residents understand their options, from do-it-yourself prevention to knowing when to call a licensed professional, so you can reclaim your space from unwanted wild guests.

Understanding Nuisance Wildlife in Tempe

The urban environment of Tempe, nestled in the Sonoran Desert, creates unique intersections between human habitats and native wildlife. Animals such as raccoons, rock squirrels, roof rats, and pigeons are commonly involved in nuisance situations. These creatures are often seeking shelter, food, or water, and an accessible attic, crawlspace, or unsecured trash can becomes an irresistible resource. It's important to recognize that while these animals can be a bother, they are simply following their instincts to survive.

The goal of effective wildlife management is not to harm local ecosystems but to implement humane exclusion and control strategies. This involves removing animals safely, sealing entry points to prevent re-entry, and modifying the environment to make your property less attractive. Successfully addressing a wildlife issue requires a clear understanding of both animal behavior and Arizona's specific regulations governing wildlife control.

Common Wildlife Intruders and Their Signs

Different species present different challenges. Knowing what you're dealing with is the first step toward a solution.

Raccoons & Squirrels: These agile mammals are notorious for finding their way into attics and crawlspaces. Signs include hearing scurrying or thumping noises, especially at night or dawn, finding torn insulation, or noticing damage to roof vents, soffits, or fascia boards. Raccoons may also raid pet food left outside or overturn trash cans.

Rats & Mice: Rodents are stealthy and can squeeze through incredibly small gaps. Indicators include droppings, gnaw marks on wires or wood, greasy rub marks along walls, and scratching sounds within walls or ceilings. A rodent infestation poses a serious fire hazard due to their tendency to chew electrical wiring.

Pigeons & Other Birds: Birds often nest on ledges, in vents, or under solar panels. Problems arise from their droppings, which are corrosive and can damage structures, as well as the nesting materials that can block vents and create fire hazards. Excessive feeding of pigeons can even become a city code issue ¹.

Bats & Other Species: While bats are beneficial for insect control, a colony in your attic is a health concern due to the potential for histoplasmosis from accumulated guano. Other wildlife like snakes, skunks, or even coyotes may also venture into yards, particularly if food sources like fallen fruit, pet food, or unsecured garbage are present.

Your Action Plan: From DIY to Professional Help

Not every situation requires immediate professional intervention. Here's a tiered approach to managing wildlife conflicts in Tempe.

Step 1: Immediate DIY Prevention & Habitat Modification

Before or after removal, making your property less inviting is crucial. This is the foundation of long-term wildlife control.

• Secure Food Sources: Use locking lids on trash cans, never leave pet food outdoors overnight, and pick up fallen fruit from trees.
• Eliminate Shelter: Seal off potential den sites like gaps under decks or sheds. Keep woodpiles elevated and away from the house.
• Modify Entry Points: This is key for rodents and squirrels. Conduct a thorough inspection of your home's exterior and seal any cracks, holes, or gaps with sturdy materials like steel wool, hardware cloth, or caulk. Ensure attic and crawlspace vents are covered with proper screening².

Step 2: Know When and Who to Call

Arizona has strict laws about handling wildlife. It is illegal for an unlicensed individual to trap and relocate most native wildlife. Here's a guide to navigating the proper channels:

• Call a Licensed Wildlife Control Professional: This is your go-to for the removal and relocation of nuisance wildlife from your home or property (e.g., raccoons in the attic, squirrels in the chimney, a rat infestation). Only licensed Wildlife Service Permittees (WSPs) are authorized to perform this service. You can find a list of licensed businesses on the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD) website.
• Contact Tempe Animal Welfare (480-858-PETS): This city department handles specific situations. Call them to borrow humane traps for certain scenarios (like community cats for Trap-Neuter-Return programs), or to report general animal welfare concerns. They are not typically the primary responders for wildlife removal from structures³.
• Contact Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD): State wildlife managers generally respond to situations involving injured or orphaned wildlife (if you cannot safely transport it to a rehabilitator), threatened or endangered species, big game animals (like a javelina in a yard), or immediately dangerous situations.

The Professional Wildlife Removal Process

When DIY methods aren't enough or the infestation is established, hiring a professional is the safest and most effective course of action. A reputable wildlife control service in Tempe will typically follow a multi-step process.

1. Inspection and Assessment: A specialist will perform a thorough inspection of your property to identify the species, locate all entry points, and assess the extent of the damage. This critical step informs the entire removal and exclusion plan.
2. Humane Removal and Trapping: Using methods appropriate for the species and situation, professionals will remove the animals. This may involve one-way exclusion doors, live trapping, or other techniques. They will then legally relocate the animals in accordance with Arizona state regulations.
3. Clean-up and Sanitation: After removal, affected areas like attics or crawlspaces often require cleaning to remove droppings, urine, and nesting materials. This may include disinfection and deodorization to eliminate health risks and smells that could attract new wildlife.
4. Exclusion and Repair: This is the most important step to prevent future problems. The company will permanently seal all identified entry points using durable materials like steel flashing, hardware cloth, and professional-grade sealants. They may also install chimney caps or vent screens⁴.
5. Prevention Advice: A good professional will provide recommendations for ongoing habitat modification to keep your property wildlife-free in the long term.

Understanding the Costs of Wildlife Control in Tempe

The cost for professional wildlife abatement services in Tempe varies widely based on the species, the severity of the infestation, and the extent of repairs needed. Here is a general breakdown of what you might expect:

• Initial Inspection: Many companies charge for a detailed inspection, which can range from approximately $200 to $600. This fee is often credited toward the total service cost if you hire them.
• Removal/Trapping Services: The cost for trapping and removal can be priced per animal, per trap, or per service visit. Prices typically fall between $100 and $500 for this phase of the work.
• Exclusion and Repairs: Sealing entry points and making repairs to damage caused by wildlife is where costs can increase significantly. This critical work can range from $500 to over $1,000, depending on the number of entry points and materials required.
• Complete Service Packages: For a full-service job encompassing inspection, removal, clean-up, and exclusion, homeowners should be prepared for costs starting in the high hundreds of dollars and easily exceeding $1,000 for complex situations like a large raccoon family in an attic that has caused extensive damage^{5 6}. Medium-sized jobs often start around $300 or more⁷.

Legal and Safety Considerations

Navigating wildlife issues requires an awareness of both safety and legality. Never attempt to handle a wild animal directly, as even small animals can bite or scratch and may carry diseases such as rabies or leptospirosis. The use of poison (rodenticide) is strongly discouraged, as it can cause animals to die in inaccessible places, creating odor problems, and can poison non-target animals like pets, birds of prey, or neighborhood cats⁸.

As emphasized, Arizona law prohibits the relocation of live-trapped wildlife without a permit from AZGFD^{9 10}. This law exists to prevent the spread of disease and to avoid ecological disruptions. Licensed wildlife control operators have the necessary permits and knowledge to relocate animals appropriately. Always verify that a company is currently licensed as a Wildlife Service Permittee with the state before hiring them for removal services¹¹.

Frequently asked questions

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