Top Wildlife Removal in West Allis, Wisconsin Ranked

Living alongside nature is part of Wisconsin's charm, but when wild animals decide to move into your attic, garage, or under your deck, the situation quickly becomes a nuisance. Wildlife removal in West Allis involves safely and humanely resolving conflicts with animals that cause property damage, create health hazards, or pose a threat to safety. This process is governed by a combination of local guidance, which emphasizes prevention, and specific state regulations that dictate how and when animals can be managed. Whether you're dealing with raccoons rummaging through your trash or hearing squirrels scampering in your walls, understanding your options for animal control and exclusion is the first step to reclaiming your home.

This resource is designed to help West Allis residents navigate the complexities of nuisance wildlife management. We'll cover the common species you might encounter, what you are legally allowed to do yourself, when you must call a professional, and what to expect from the process. Our goal is to connect you with the information and local expertise needed to address your specific wildlife problem effectively and responsibly.

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control

milwaukee

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control provides humane wildlife removal and exclusion services in Milwaukee, WI. They address urban wildlife challenges involving raccoons, squirrels, skunks, bats, rodents, and birds, using ethical methods that safely relocate animals to natural habitats. Their expertise includes thorough property assessments to identify entry points and prevent future intrusions, ensuring long-term solutions tailored to local wildlife behavior. Skedaddle emphasizes environmentally conscious practices that support the local ecosystem while maintaining the safety and integrity of homes and businesses. They also serve surrounding Wisconsin communities such as Lake County, Madison, and Waukesha.

4.9

172 Reviews

Critter Control Milwaukee

milwaukee

Critter Control Milwaukee provides wildlife removal and pest control services in Milwaukee, WI. They handle a variety of nuisance animals including raccoons, rodents, squirrels, bats, opossums, skunks, and birds. Their process includes inspection, humane trapping and removal, exclusion to prevent re-entry, and repair of any damage caused by wildlife. The company offers specialized services such as bat exclusion with bat valves and rodent control with sealing of entry points. They serve both residential and commercial properties, addressing issues from attics to crawl spaces and outdoor areas.

4.8

229 Reviews

Pest Badger Waukesha

milwaukee

Pest Badger Waukesha offers comprehensive pest control services in Milwaukee, WI, addressing issues with bed bugs, ants, rodents, mosquitoes, and wildlife. Their process includes thorough inspections, eco-friendly treatments, and prevention measures to help keep homes pest-free. The company also provides lawn care services such as fertilization and weed control. Pest Badger uses products that are safe for children, pets, and beneficial wildlife while effectively targeting pests.

4.9

43 Reviews

Bat Specialist of Wisconsin

milwaukee

Bat Specialist of Wisconsin provides bat removal and control services in Milwaukee, WI. The company focuses on humane and environmentally responsible methods to safely remove bats from buildings and prevent future infestations. Their approach avoids pesticides, traps, and netting, ensuring bats are safely reintroduced to their natural habitats.

5.0

17 Reviews

Orkin

16335 W Lincoln Ave, New Berlin, WI 53151

Orkin provides comprehensive pest control services in Milwaukee, WI, specializing in residential and commercial pest management. Their expertise includes bed bug treatment, termite inspections and control, rodent and ant extermination, mosquito control, bee and wasp removal, and wildlife management. Orkin uses science-backed methods and advanced technology to address pest problems effectively, including Sentricon® bait systems for termite control. With over 120 years of experience in the pest control industry, Orkin offers 24/7 availability to respond to urgent pest issues and supports year-round pest management tailored to seasonal pest activity in the region.

4.5

1.7k Reviews

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Common Nuisance Wildlife in West Allis

West Allis residents share their neighborhoods with a variety of wildlife. While many of these animals are a normal part of the local ecosystem, they can become problematic when they seek food, water, or shelter in human dwellings. The most frequently encountered nuisance species fall into two main categories: mammals and birds ^{1 2 3}.

Mammals:

• Raccoons: Intelligent and dexterous, they are notorious for tipping over garbage cans and gaining access to attics, where they can cause significant damage and create latrines.
• Squirrels: Both gray and fox squirrels commonly chew entry points into soffits, eaves, and attics to nest, and they can gnaw on electrical wiring, creating a fire hazard.
• Opossums: Often found under decks, sheds, or in crawl spaces, they are scavengers attracted to pet food and open compost.
• Skunks: Known for their defensive spray, they dig for grubs in lawns and may den under porches or outbuildings.
• Rodents: This includes rats and mice, which can infiltrate homes through incredibly small gaps, contaminating food and spreading disease.
• Other Mammals: Residents may also encounter woodchucks (groundhogs) burrowing in yards, foxes, coyotes on the urban fringe, and beavers in areas near waterways.

Birds:

• Bats: Several species of bats are protected in Wisconsin but can become a nuisance if they colonize an attic. Their guano (droppings) can pose serious health risks, such as Histoplasmosis.
• Pigeons, Starlings, and House Sparrows: These birds often nest on building ledges, in vents, or in other structural cavities. Their nests can block vents, and their droppings are corrosive and unsightly.

Understanding Wisconsin Wildlife Laws and Regulations

Before taking any action, it's crucial to understand the legal framework. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sets regulations that balance property rights with wildlife conservation. A key principle is that landowners or occupants may handle certain species causing damage on their own property without a hunting or trapping license ¹.

What You Can Do (Generally):

• Unprotected Species: You may shoot or trap animals like opossums, skunks, weasels, European starlings, and house sparrows on your property without a license ¹.
• Certain Protected Species Causing Damage: The DNR also allows you to shoot or trap coyotes, beavers, foxes, raccoons, woodchucks, rabbits, and squirrels on your own land without a license when they are causing damage ¹.
• Recommended Methods: Authorities like the Wisconsin Humane Society strongly advocate for non-lethal methods first. This includes habitat modification (securing garbage with locking lids, removing pet food, cleaning up fallen fruit) and exclusion (permanently sealing potential entry points with appropriate materials) as the most effective and humane long-term solutions ^{1 4}.

Important Legal Restrictions:

• Relocation: Relocating a live-trapped animal is heavily restricted. You must obtain permission from the landowner of the release site. Relocating animals to any state-controlled land is generally prohibited without a special permit ^{1 5}.
• Hiring Help: If someone is assisting you with trapping on your property (and is not a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator), they must possess a valid Wisconsin hunting or trapping license and have your written authorization ^{1 6}.
• Protected Species: Federal and state laws protect nearly all birds, their active nests (with eggs or young), and endangered species. It is illegal to harm, possess, or disturb them without specific permits from the DNR. This includes bats, which are protected but can be legally excluded from buildings using specific techniques and timing ^{1 4 7}.

When and How to Get Professional Help

For many wildlife conflicts, especially those inside your home, professional assistance is the safest, most effective, and legally compliant choice. Local animal control services in West Allis typically focus on domestic animals like stray dogs and cats ⁸. For wildlife issues, you have several pathways:

1. Contact the Wisconsin Humane Society: For advice on common, low-risk conflicts, the Wisconsin Humane Society offers excellent resources. They provide guidance on humane, do-it-yourself techniques for resolving issues with animals like squirrels or raccoons in a chimney ^{4 9}.

2. Hire a Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO): This is the recommended course of action for most invasive wildlife situations. An NWCO is a trained, licensed, and insured professional specializing in resolving human-wildlife conflicts.

• When to Call: Situations involving animals inside the living structure of your home (attic, walls, crawl space), significant property damage, protected species (like bats), or any scenario where you feel unsafe handling it yourself.
• What They Do: A professional wildlife removal service will conduct a thorough inspection, humanely remove the animals, implement permanent exclusion measures to prevent re-entry, and can often provide repair and restoration services for damaged areas ^{2 9 10}.

3. Contact the Wisconsin DNR: For issues involving strictly protected species, endangered animals, or to report specific problems like mute swans, contacting the DNR directly for guidance is the appropriate step ^{1 10}.

The Professional Wildlife Removal Process

Knowing what to expect when you hire a professional can make the process less stressful. A reputable NWCO will typically follow a multi-step approach to ensure the problem is solved completely.

1. Inspection and Assessment: The process begins with a detailed inspection of your property, both inside and out. The technician will look for entry points, signs of animal activity (droppings, tracks, nesting material), and assess the extent of any damage. This consultation often has a flat fee and results in a specific plan and quote ¹¹.

2. Humane Removal and Trapping: Using methods compliant with Wisconsin law, the operator will remove the animals. This may involve live trapping, one-way exclusion doors, or other techniques. The cost for trapping and removal varies widely, generally ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars, depending on the species, number of animals, and how long the process takes ^{12 13}.

3. Exclusion and Wildlife-Proofing: Simply removing the animals is not a solution if they can get back in. Exclusion is the most critical step. A professional will seal all identified entry points-such as gaps in rooflines, unscreened vents, and holes in siding-with durable materials like steel mesh, hardware cloth, or specialized sealing products to create a long-term barrier ¹⁴.

4. Cleanup and Restoration: After animals are removed, they often leave behind biohazards. This step addresses health risks and repairs damage.

• Sanitation: Removing feces, urine, and nesting materials is essential, especially with rodents or bats, due to disease risks.
• Attic Restoration: In severe cases, contaminated insulation must be removed and replaced, and ductwork may need cleaning. This restoration work can be a significant portion of the total cost, sometimes reaching several thousand dollars, but it is vital for restoring your home's safety and air quality ¹¹.

Cost Considerations for Wildlife Control

The cost of professional wildlife removal in West Allis is not one-size-fits-all. It depends on several key factors:

• Type of Animal: Removing a colony of bats or a family of raccons is typically more involved and costly than evicting a single squirrel.
• Extent of Infestation: The number of animals and the duration of the problem affect the time and materials required.
• Location and Accessibility: An animal in a hard-to-reach part of the attic will take more labor to remove than one in an accessible crawl space.
• Amount of Damage: The need for major exclusion work, decontamination, or insulation replacement will increase the overall price.

For an accurate estimate tailored to your specific situation, you will need to contact a local West Allis wildlife control company directly for an on-site evaluation ⁸.

Prevention: Your First Line of Defense

The best and most cost-effective strategy is to make your property less attractive to wildlife in the first place. Here are key preventative measures every homeowner should consider:

• Secure Food Sources: Use locking lids on garbage and compost bins. Feed pets indoors and never leave pet food outside overnight. Clean barbecue grills after use.
• Eliminate Shelter: Seal off openings under decks, porches, and sheds with sturdy wire mesh. Keep woodpiles elevated and away from your home's foundation.
• Perform Regular Maintenance: Conduct seasonal inspections of your roof, soffits, vents, and foundation. Look for loose boards, damaged vent screens, or new gaps, and seal them promptly.
• Manage Your Yard: Trim tree branches that overhang or touch your roof. Pick up fallen fruit from trees and keep bird feeders at a distance from the house, as spilled seed attracts rodents.

Frequently asked questions

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