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Welcome to Urban Wildlife Control! We are a nuisance animal removal company that serves the greater Atlanta area. Rodent control and removal is one the services we perform most. There are common misconceptions about rodent control and rodent removal due to all the misleading websites and products on the market. Below is a list of questions we hear alot with answers we believe are honest and accurate based on our knowledge in the field of rodent removal.

If you are an Atlanta area resident and need to hire a professional, feel free to contact us, by phone for an estimate on any rodent pest control service. Urban Wildlife Control provides free inspections and written estimates for structural rodent control.

What exactly is a rodent?

A rodent is a mammal in the order rodentia, distinguished by thier two continously growing incisors (front teeth). Rodents front teeth are used for gnawing, eating food and self-defense. Almost half of the mammal species in the world are rodents.

Rats belong to the order of Rodentia and are members of the superfamily muroidea. Rats are short-bodied rodents, usually having a pointed muzzle, long slender, almost hairless tail and dexterous forepaws.

Squirrels are members of the Sciuridae family. Species in this family have four fingers on their front feet and five fingers on their hind feet. They have relatively large ears and thick body fur. Their bodies are slender and tails are furry. Some species are arboreal (flying squirrels and gray squirrels), they live in trees and your attic, while others are ground-dwelling (chipmunks) and dig burrows or live in crawl spaces.

Several kinds of squirrels, rats and mice are found around the United States. However, in Georgia, the Southern Flying Squirrel, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Norway rat, the roof rat, and the house mouse are the common pests found around farms and homes.

Can rodents get into my attic?

Yes. In fact, it is a very common rodent pest problem for atlanta residents. Most rodents prefer your attic over other dwellings due to the shelter your attic provides.

What types of damage do rodents cause in an attic?

The main problem rodents present, other than the noise they create and diseases they carry is the possibility that they will chew electrical wires creating the potential for a structure fire.

Other damage includes: Insulation damage thereby decreasing the thermal efficiency of your home. Rodents may also cause water damage from chewing on roof shingles, water pipes and fascia boards. and also chewing into HVAC ducts.

Should I use poison for rodent pest control?

If you are having a rat control issue outside of a commercial building poisoning may help reduce the number of rats present. If you are a home owner, we recommend you DO NOT use poison baits for rodent pest control due to the risk of rodents dying inside your home, causing an odor problem and a need for dead animal removal. It is a violation of Georgia law to poison squirrels.

Does rat poison mummify rats or make them thirsty so they go outside to die and won’t cause odor problems?

There are pest control companies that will tell you these false statements. The truth is there is NO such rodenticide. If you allow the use of rodent baits you can rest assured that they will die in areas where they normally frequent: their nesting site, your attic or walls; their food source, your bird feeder; or in between. If you chose poisoning over trapping and exclusion because of cost, you may end up paying a wildlife controller to remove a dead rat from your home, usually, by cutting walls open.

I am hearing noises. What kind of rodent is it?

Rats are nocturnal. So if you are hearing chewing and shuffling in the attic or walls, at night, chances are you may have a rat problem. Noises at night may also require flying squirrel control, raccoon removal or another rodent control service. Noises in the day time may require gray squirrel removal.

How many rodents can possibly be living in my home?

Rats, flying squirrels and mice are colonizing rodents and the number of these rodents present in your home usually depends on how long the problem has been present, the number of rats can be in the double digits making rodent control and removal a longer process. Gray squirrels are territorial; typically, only one family will live in an attic at any one time which makes this rodent removal process relatively quick.

I live in the greater Atlanta area and have tried other companies in the past, how can Urban Wildlife Control help me with rodent pest control?

Urban Wildlife Control uses an effective, 4 step, rodent pest control process to rid your home or office of unwanted rat pests.

Inspection- Urban Wildlife Control will first inspect the roof line, attic, crawl space, basement, etc. looking for rodent damage, rodent droppings, and rodent nesting sites to determine the species of rodent that is the problem.  Urban Wildlife Control will then determine how the rodents are gaining access to the building. Once we locate point(s) of entry we will also locate future vulnerable areas that may need to be reinforced.

Trapping- Rodent trapping takes place in the attic, basement and crawl space of the building.  Traps are set wherever activity is found. Rodent Traps are baited with food, not poison.

Exclusion- This step involves “rodent proofing” all the entry points identified during the initial inspection. This process is essential to solving the rat pest control problem long-term. Reinforcing vulnerable areas, such as a construction gap, is another component in proper “rat proofing”.

Deodorizing and Disinfecting- After the pest rodents have been trapped and the exclusion work is complete, Urban Wildlife Control offers deodorizing and decontamination services. This service eliminates the rat odors and the bio hazardous contamination that may be present in your home. 

Deodorizing and decontamination involves applying an organic enzyme and a hospital grade disinfectant. An atomizing sprayer “fogs” the area and breaks down rodent odors created by urine and other excrement.

This step is necessary because the bio-hazard and odor of rodents coming from an attic is a signal to other animals that your home is an excellent place to reside.

Learn more about our rat removal service.

Learn more about our squirrel removal service.

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