Raccoons
Raccoons can really be a nuisance. Being a dexterous animal they use their hand much like a human uses theirs. They are the #1 garbage can raider, stringing garbage everywhere when they get the chance. They also love to take up residence in chimneys, attics and crawl spaces & under decks. They don’t even need a tree to get up on your roof, they can shimmy up a gutter just like a monkey. Once up there, an uncapped chimney is the perfect alternative to a hollow tree. They climb down and sleep on the damper. We remove countless numbers of raccoons year round and many baby raccoons in the spring from chimneys. Some people don’t realize they are in there until they hear chitter chatter of noisy babies or until they get fleas in the house. Raccoons also enter attics through unscreened louver vents, attic air fans, gaps where roofs meet. They can tear a hole in the roof and move in. Raccoons enter crawl spaces under houses through missing or open crawl space doors, vents missing or poor foundation. They also will tear up your lawns in the fall “grubbing” for grub worms, and will roll back freshly laid sod night after night in search of worms to eat. Last but not least, they are masters at figuring out pet doors to get a free meal of dog food or cat food.

Skunks
Skunks are a nuisance when they move into crawl spaces under houses or burrow dens under slab concrete such as sidewalks, patios & stoops. Decks are also a favorite living space for them. The amount of foundation they dig out can cause concrete damage. The odor they emit can run a person right from their home. They have one litter a year in the spring. They also like raccoons will tear up lawns in the fall searching for grubs & insect larvae.

Moles
Moles are a member of the Talpidae family. The most common mole, which we deal with here in Kentucky, is the eastern mole. Moles are about the size of chipmunks and can weigh from three to six ounces. They are six to eight inches long. Moles have one litter a year. They generally breed in February and after a six week gestation period they produce litters of two to six moles. They are mammals and nurse from their mother. In April thru June, they disperse from their mother’s tunnel system and this can last thru fall and early winter until they are on their own for good. They remain solitary until breeding season starts back up. They do not hibernate and are active year round. Because of specialized bone and muscle construction, a mole can exert a lateral digging force thirty two times its body weight. They can dig tunnels at a rate of 18 feet per hour and can do a hundred feet of tunneling a day. They also throw up “molehills” from their deeper tunnels; they excavate. Surface tunnels are for feeding and the deeper tunnels, 18 to 24 inches below the ground, lead to living chambers and connect their systems. Because mole tunneling is progressive and they continue to add onto tunnels year after year, the amount of lawn damage is not indicative to the amount of moles present. An average yard usually contains one to three moles per acre, unless there is a female with dispersing young.

Moles can be trapped year round unless the ground is frozen. Anytime of year is a good time to trap moles. Do not ignore your lawn in the winter because moles breed in February so if you trap in the winter you can avoid the springtime litters. Give us a call if you need help!

Squirrels
If squirrels really want to get into an attic, they will. They do this by chewing holes in gutter boards, fascia boards, or going through unscreened attic vents. They have a fall & spring litter. Since they are rodents they chew constantly to keep their teeth worn down, and unfortunately a lot of chewing on electrical lines & wood occurs when they are in attics.

Groundhogs (woodchucks)
Groundhogs cause problems mostly due to the extensive burrowing activity when making dens. They like to burrow under slab concrete such as stoops, sidewalks, retaining walls & patios & under decks. The amount of foundation they dig out from under concrete can cause damage to the concrete.  They are vegetarians and love to raid your vegetable gardens.

Chipmunks
Chipmunks have two litters a year, in the spring and fall. They become a nuisance when they burrow around the base of bushes and plants, chewing in the roots or digging under your slab concrete causing concrete damage.

Beavers
Beavers become a nuisance because of their ability to construct dams and flood areas. They also take down trees to feed on the underlayment of bark & to construct lodges and dams. They breed in the springtime.

Possums
Opossums like to live under decks, crawl spaces under homes, will take over dens dug by other animals and will get into attics. They breed in the spring and fall.

Birds
Our #1 problem bird is the Starling. They, along with other birds, will move into bathroom fan vents, louver vents, & dryer vents clogging them up with bird nesting material.

At Animal Ridders, we remove animals such as these and many others. For more information, call us at 502-423-0461 or click here to submit a request for consultation .