Since a Vancouver animal control specialist is not an exterminator, he or she will usually set traps in areas around your property. Traps can be place at exit and entry points if, for example, the animal in question happens to be a rat, mouse, or raccoon that has decided to make its home beneath your house. If the animal in question is particularly evasive, traps may be placed along trails it utilizes as a highway to hunt for prey and gather food to take back to the nest it has made in your house. While poison and other non-humane methods that may put your domestic pets at risk or leave your house smelling of chemicals are used by exterminators, an animal control specialist will trap the animal and deal with it humanely.



You might be asking ‘Why not trap it myself?' Well, there are many reasons, one of them being that a Washington animal control specialist knows the behavior of the animals they deal with, as well as what to do with the creature after it has been trapped. People who trap animals themselves sometimes neglect checking traps and the animal will die of dehydration or starvation before they are recovered. Being in a cage is also stressful for a wild animal and can lead to health complications such as a heart attack. If you are using mouse traps or glue traps, mouse traps are often unreliable and, in the case of glue traps, mice have been known to tear their skin or chew their legs off to escape.

To prevent the need for traps in the first place, it is recommended that you secure your garbage in a way that doesn't allow for entry by wild Vancouver animals. Locking lids can do the trick, or even bungie cords in a pinch. The most reliable option is to wake up a bit earlier on trash day so as not to give the cleverer creatures a chance to weasel their way in. Make sure to keep pet food indoors and, if you have a bird feeder, keep it fenced off or hung high on a light branch that won't hold the weight of heavier critters. In the case of smaller rodents, keep your pantry goods sealed, keep your floors clean, and don't leave food out on the counters.

You can also put lattice or wire netting up around the base of your porch and over any areas at the base of the house where critters might get in. Wire netting is cheap and you can find it online or at home depot. Lattice is a bit more expensive and can be chewed through, but it looks better. If you go with the latter option, make sure to do regular checks around the house, keeping an eye out for chew marks or holes that may arise. Perhaps the safer option is to put wire mesh down first and the lattice up over this to offer two lines of defense and a more aesthetically pleasing product.

If you choose to use traps, make sure to check them often and put them in an area where the Washington animal will be the most comfortable (i.e. level ground, in the shade). Call your local animal control specialist for handling, as many rodents carry diseases and parasites that could put you or your loved ones at harm if handled incorrectly.

Visit our Vancouver wildlife trapping home page to learn more about us.