Over 3 million people call the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area home. Nicknamed “The Twin Cities”, the area has abundant water sources and greenspace that help contribute to a thriving urban wildlife population.
Residents of Minneapolis are well familiar with the species of wildlife that call the city home and the need for safe, humane and effective removal services when clever animals get too close for comfort. Attics, walls and chimneys are common nesting and den sites for wildlife in Minneapolis. Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control is here to help with wildlife removal in Minneapolis when your best efforts to deter animals fail.
At Skedaddle, we provide humane removal tactics that keep you and your family safe and protect your home against future wildlife entry. We humanely remove raccoons, squirrels, skunks, bats, birds and mice from homes and businesses across Minneapolis.
Geography of Minneapolis
Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota and a bustling metro area. Modern Minneapolis grew out of Saint Anthony Falls, the only natural waterfall on the Mississippi, which was used as a source of energy for industry. While urban centers are not often associated with abundant wildlife, Minneapolis’ unique geography helps make it a hotbed for wild animal activity.
The city is defined in many ways by its water resources. Minneapolis is home to over 22 lakes, the largest of which, Bde Maka Ska, covers 421 acres and is one of five lakes that form the Chain of Lakes located just 2 miles southwest of downtown. In addition to lakes, the mighty Mississippi River, and smaller tributaries like Minnehaha Creek, Bassett Creek and Shingle Creek also meander through the city.
Most of these lakes and waterways were altered, dredged or rerouted as part of Minneapolis’ industrial and population boom during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite human intervention and expansion, these waterways and the surrounding shoreline and greenspace still provide local wildlife with important food, habitat and travel routes through the city.
Minneapolis continues to have strong urban wildlife populations in the form of raccoons, squirrels, skunks, birds and bats. These species of wildlife have been able to thrive in cities like Minneapolis in large part due to their ability to adapt to changing environments. In addition to natural nesting and den sites clever urban animals very often make their home inside the attics and walls of homes or below, decks, porches and sheds. These structures not only provide shelter from the elements and Minneapolis’ notoriously frosty winters, they also serve as nurseries for the arrival of wildlife babies in spring and summer.
Wildlife in Minneapolis
Urban wildlife are by their nature opportunistic; they take advantage of food and shelter opportunities as they find them. Raccoons easily scale trees and downspouts to access roofs and from there make their way into attics either by taking advantage of damage or rot or creating an opening with their powerful paws. Once inside their weight and activity compresses attic insulation and can lead to attic mold and increased heating and cooling bills for homeowners.
In addition to raccoons, squirrels, both red and gray, call Minneapolis home. Minneapolis has a mature and extensive urban tree canopy, covering nearly 30 percent of the city. Wherever you find dense pockets of trees, you will find squirrels. Trees offer nuts and seeds to eat, a place to build a nest and safe travel above the dangers of the city below. Unfortunately, urban squirrels don’t limit their nesting to the branches of trees, they also enjoy attics and soffits and will chew through wood, vinyl and aluminum to make their way in.
Smaller rodents, like mice and rats, can be found in the walls, basements, attics and crawl spaces of Minneapolis. They only need the smallest of gaps or openings to chew their way in and once established inside a home their population can quickly grow and lead to unsanitary conditions.
Making your property an inhospitable environment for wildlife can help keep them out of your home. Pay special attention to habits that deter small animals such as bats, skunks, squirrels, raccoons and mice as these creatures are the most likely to find their way inside your house. Removing food sources, keeping your yard free of clutter and staying on top of household maintenance can help to prevent infestation.
Wildlife Removal in Minneapolis
Despite your best efforts, you may still find your home playing host to unwanted wildlife visitors. When you hear noises from behind walls or discover droppings in your cupboards you need expert wildlife removal. Our team of wildlife removal specialists at Skedaddle Minneapolis is here to provide safe, effective and humane results using a proven process.
Assess and Remove: To begin, we need to know exactly what type of animal you are dealing with, where they are active and how they are gaining access. Once we understand the situation we will create a customized removal plan. During the spring and summer birthing season that often means removing litters of babies by hand and returning them to their mother outside of your home.
Clear and Clean: Wildlife are not clean house guests and the longer they are allowed to occupy your home the more damage they will leave behind. Their presence can lead to expensive water or fire damage. Wildlife damage comes in many forms but they commonly destroy roofing materials, insulation, ductwork and electrical wiring. They also introduce harmful bacteria in the form of urine and droppings.
Prevent and Protect: Once we have removed wildlife from your home we take the steps necessary to prevent their reentry. That means securing not only their current entry points but also using our knowledge and experience to identify and reinforce any other vulnerable areas. Wildlife is here to stay but by wildlife-proofing your roof and home you can protect your greatest investment from future damage.
Contact an Expert for Wildlife Removal in Minneapolis
Sharing your home with wildlife is never an ideal situation. If any type of wild animal has taken up residence inside your house, it’s time to call in Skedaddle’s experts for help with wildlife removal in Minneapolis. You should never try to remove wildlife yourself; doing so could lead to your injury and added property damage. Instead, it’s best to call Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control immediately when you suspect there are wild animals in your home. Contact us today for help with safe, effective and humane wildlife control in Minneapolis.
Contact us today for help with wildlife control in Minneapolis.
Skedaddle Minneapolis, Did You Know?
Where does Skedaddle Minneapolis provide service?
We provide service across the Twin Cities metro area and Hennepin, Ramsey, Carver, Anoka, Sherburne, and Wright Counties, including Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Wayzata and Minnetonka.
Does Skedaddle Minneapolis offer a guarantee?
Yes, we’re proud to offer a lifetime guarantee on the workmanship and materials we supply and install to keep wildlife out of your home.
Does the City of Minneapolis remove nuisance wildlife?
City employees do not respond to calls concerning nuisance wildlife in homes or businesses. This means that removing nuisance wildlife on or in a property is the responsibility of the property owner.
Does Skedaddle Minneapolis take in sick or injured wildlife?
We specialize in the humane removal and exclusion of nuisance wildlife from homes and businesses. If you have found a sick or injured animal we suggest contacting the city or a wildlife rehabilitation center.
Are there rabid animals in Minneapolis?
Each year dozens of bats and skunks test positive for rabies across the state of Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, skunks are the most common transmitter of rabies to domestic animals. Minnesota does not have the raccoon strain of the rabies virus so confirmed rabid raccoon cases are quite rare. When a raccoon does get rabies, it has the skunk strain of the virus.
Does Skedaddle Minneapolis Trap and Relocate Wildlife?
Trapping and relocating wildlife is not an effective solution for resolving complex wildlife challenges and very often leads to unnecessary death. Skedaddle Minneapolis uses hands-on techniques to remove wildlife from homes, sheds, garages and attics and follows up by repairing the entry point and reinforcing it against future intrusion.
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MEET OUR TECHNICIANS
Brett Robertson
Co-Owner
Brett Robertson launched Skedaddle Minneapolis with the desire to bring humane wildlife control services to the community he calls home. As a resident of Plymouth, Minnesota, with his wife and two kids, Brett has...
CONTINUE READINGMatt Sanders
Co-Owner
Matt Sanders launched Skedaddle Minneapolis with long time friend and colleague Brett Robertson. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Matt now lives with his wife and children in a house across the street from his...
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