Lifetime Warranty
On workmanship and materials.
Hopkins, MN · Serving since 2023
Humane Wildlife Removal in Hopkins, MN
Skedaddle Minneapolis — serving the greater Hopkins area since 2023.
No traps. No poison. Permanent exclusion.
Hopkins is a compact Hennepin County city hemmed in by Minnehaha Creek along its southern edge, small ponds on its west side, and the headwaters of the north branch of Nine Mile Creek inside city limits. About 60% of its owner-occupied housing is at least 60 years old. Original soffits, worn fascia, field-stone basement walls, and century-old chimneys are exactly the openings mice, squirrels, birds, and raccoons use. Skedaddle Minneapolis inspects the whole envelope first, matches the removal method to the species, seals every opening permanently, and decontaminates and restores what the animals left behind.
Serving Hopkins since 2023
Skedaddle founded 1989
Humane, hands-on removal
At a Glance
- Service area: Hopkins and every residential area inside city limits, including Downtown Hopkins, the Excelsior Boulevard corridor, Interlachen Park, Bellgrove, Peaceful Valley, and the western pond communities
- Species handled: Mouse, squirrel, bird, and raccoon removal
- Inspection: Full-property inspection of the roofline, soffits, vents, chimney, and foundation first
- Method: Inspection-led humane exclusion matched to the species and the season, followed by decontamination of the areas wildlife used and attic restoration where animals denned. No traps. No poison. No lethal removal.
- Guarantee: Lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials
- Experience: Skedaddle Minneapolis serving Hopkins since 2023 · Skedaddle founded 1989 · 10+ humane wildlife removals completed in Hopkins in the past 12 months
Reviewed by Bill Dowd, Founder, President & CEO, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. Last updated September 2026.
Why homeowners choose Skedaddle
The fastest fix on a Hopkins house is rarely the lasting one. Every Skedaddle Minneapolis visit follows the same sequence: identify the species and the opening it is using, get the animal out without traps or poison, close that opening for good, clean up what was left inside, and stand behind the repair.
How long has Skedaddle been removing wildlife in Hopkins?
Skedaddle Minneapolis has served Hopkins homeowners since 2023, as part of a company founded in 1989, and has completed 10+ humane wildlife removals in Hopkins in the past 12 months. The city's geography concentrates that work: Minnehaha Creek runs along the southern edge, small ponds sit on the west side, and the north branch of Nine Mile Creek begins inside city limits. Streets platted around the 1947 incorporation era put mature housing stock directly against that water and cover.
Technician training and method
Skedaddle technicians train in wildlife biology, home repair, decontamination, and attic restoration, and work to humane standards approved by SPCAs and Humane Societies. On a Hopkins call that means identifying the animal before anything goes on the house, choosing the approach that suits the species and the season, and closing the opening only once the animal is confirmed out. Cleanup of the areas wildlife used is part of every job, and attic restoration is added wherever animals denned in insulation.
The lifetime guarantee behind the seal
An opening Skedaddle closes in Hopkins is treated as a permanent repair, not a seasonal patch, because a soffit return that lets go in February was never exclusion in the first place. The work carries a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials: if something gets back in through an opening the crew sealed, Skedaddle returns and re-seals it at no charge. Homeowners in Interlachen Park and Bellgrove see exclusion, cleanup, and guarantee scope itemized on one written quote first.
Meet the Team Behind Hopkins's Wildlife Removal
Matt Sanders
Co-Owner
Matt Sanders launched Skedaddle Minneapolis with long time friend and colleague Brett Robertson. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Matt now lives in a house across the street from his childhood home, with his wife and children. He has a passion for the community he calls home and is proud to provide home and business owners with humane solutions to their wildlife conflicts. Matt graduated from Bethel University with a double major in Philosophy and Biblical and Theological Studies in 2004. He then returned to Minneapolis to begin a decades-long career in supply chain management in the food production industry. Launching a Skedaddle franchise has allowed Matt to fulfill his dream of operating a business that could have a more direct impact in his community. As a local business owner, Matt relies on his decades worth of management experience to provide Skedaddle clients with a high level of customer service.
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 first hand knowledge of the area and the wildlife that thrive in the city. Brett graduated from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2006, and before joining Skedaddle spent several years working in corporate America across the Midwest. Becoming a Skedaddle Franchise partner has allowed Brett to put his decades worth of management experience and business knowledge to use helping property owners in Minneapolis with their wildlife challenges. Brett loves the outdoors and is thrilled to deliver unique solutions and high level customer service to clients.
Jesse Graham
Lead Wildlife Technician
Jesse is a Lead Wildlife Technician with Skedaddle’s Twin Cities branch. Raised in Union City, California, he graduated early from James Logan High School before jumping straight into blue-collar work. He started his career in tree care with Davey Tree’s Tree Surgery Division, trimming trees near power lines for PG&E, and later worked with Acorn Tree Company on residential projects. Along the way, he developed a love for working outdoors and even rescued baby squirrels and hummingbirds, bringing them to rehab centers. After moving to Minnesota, Jesse discovered Skedaddle—a unique opportunity that fit his skills and passion for hands-on work.
Logan McCallister
Wildlife Control Inspector
Logan is a Wildlife Inspector with Skedaddle. She grew up in rural Southeastern Ohio and earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from West Virginia University. Since 2015, Logan has gained extensive experience working with wildlife, including live removals and rehabilitation. She is a licensed Wildlife Educator in Tennessee and a former permitted Wildlife Rehabilitator. Before joining Skedaddle, Logan worked for the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency and later with a wildlife control company, where she also helped launch a sister company focused on attic and crawlspace restoration. Now based in the Twin Cities, Logan handles everything from detailed home inspections and emergency animal removals to building relationships in the community.
Mia Bagley
Lead Wildlife Control Technician
Mia Bagley is a Lead Wildlife Control Technician with Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. She grew up on a small farm along the Utah–Idaho border, where a lifelong love of animals first took root. Mia earned her degree in Environmental Sociology with a minor in Equine Studies from Utah State University. After graduation, she moved to Minnesota to manage a horse farm—a role that further strengthened her passion for hands-on animal work. Skedaddle appealed to her as a place where she could combine her interest in wildlife with her problem-solving skills, all while helping people and animals safely coexist. Since joining Skedaddle, Mia has taken on the role of lead technician, working closely with homeowners to assess wildlife concerns and provide effective, humane removal and exclusion solutions.
Caleb Hardekopf
Wildlife Control Inspector
Caleb is a Wildlife Inspector with Skedaddle who brings a unique background to the team. A native of Parkers Prairie, MN, he briefly attended Saint Cloud State University to study economics before exploring a variety of career paths. His experience includes roles in food service and tech, along with certifications in forklift operation and aerial lifts. What drew Caleb to Skedaddle was the opportunity to join a growing branch led by people he respected and a collaborative environment where everyone motivates each other to succeed. At Skedaddle, Caleb focuses on putting homeowners at ease during stressful wildlife situations by creating effective, humane solutions that restore peace of mind. Outside of work, he enjoys golf, gardening, fishing, thrift shopping, playing volleyball, and gaming with friends across the country. Caleb and his wife share their home with three beloved cats and are excited about the next chapter of building a home and family together.
Meet Brett Robertson, Co-Owner of Skedaddle Minneapolis
We are thrilled to announce the launch of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control's newest franchise in the vibrant city of Minneapolis, Minnesota and surrounding communities! Meet dedicated co-owner, Brett Robertson as he leads the charge in providing humane and effective wildlife solutions.
Wildlife we handle in Hopkins
Four animals account for nearly all of Skedaddle Minneapolis's Hopkins work, in this order: mice, squirrels, birds, and raccoons. The city's shape explains it. Minnehaha Creek along the south edge, ponds to the west, and the north-branch Nine Mile Creek headwaters inside the boundary keep cover and water within a block or two of most homes, while housing largely built before 1966 offers worn soffits, open vents, and field-stone foundations as routes inside.
Mouse removal
Peak Sep–Nov
Why are mice the first call in Hopkins? Older foundations do it. Field-stone and block basement walls, rim-joist gaps, and gas and dryer penetrations on pre-1966 houses leave dime-width openings a mouse can use, and pressure climbs sharply once overnight temperatures drop in late September. Technicians seal every opening with rodent-proof material rather than baiting, then monitor indoors until activity stops.
Squirrel removal
Peak year-round
What lets squirrels into Hopkins attics? Gray squirrels raise young twice a year, in late winter and again in midsummer, and original soffits and worn fascia on Downtown Hopkins and Interlachen Park houses give way at the roof edge first. Technicians check for a litter, use a one-way door where appropriate once the young can travel, then close every roof-line gap with heavy-gauge mesh.
Bird removal
Peak Apr–Aug
Birds nest where warm air leaves the house, and on Hopkins homes that means dryer ducts, unscreened gable vents, and the open eaves common on Mainstreet-era construction. Nesting season runs spring into late summer, and packed debris blocks the duct before anyone hears the chicks. Technicians clear the nest by hand, decontaminate the duct, and screen the opening with vent guards.
Raccoon removal
Peak Mar–Nov
Where do raccoons get into Hopkins houses? The Minnehaha Creek corridor and the western ponds form travel routes that put adults on rooflines a block from open water, and the century-old brick chimneys downtown, uncapped roof vents, and lifted soffit returns are the openings they test. Spring denning through late fall is heaviest. Dependent kits are retrieved by hand and reunited with the mother.
Other wildlife we remove in Hopkins
Fall pushes the rest of Hopkins's wildlife up against the house. Skunks dig in under back-porch steps, decks, and sheds in the overgrown side yards along the Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail. Bats roost in stone-and-mortar gaps and older ridge lines near the creek, and colony exclusion waits until after August 1 because the Minnesota DNR recommends avoiding the May 15 to August 1 pup season (Bat Exclusion, Minnesota DNR). Rats are uncommon here and are handled by closing openings, not baiting. Call (952) 460-2680 or learn more about wildlife removal in Minneapolis.
Not sure which animal you’re hearing?
Our Hopkins technicians can identify the species and confirm the entry points during a single on-site visit.
Neighborhoods in Hopkins we serve
What areas of Hopkins does Skedaddle service? Skedaddle Minneapolis services every residential area of Hopkins, from Downtown Hopkins and the Excelsior Boulevard corridor out to Interlachen Park, Bellgrove, Peaceful Valley, and the western pond communities. Hopkins is compact enough that a single crew covers the whole city in a day, and the mix of Mainstreet-era housing near the historic district, mid-century streets platted after 1947, and pond-adjacent lots on the west side shapes what turns up where. If your home is inside the Hopkins city limits, Skedaddle services it.
What a Skedaddle inspection in Hopkins looks like
What happens during a Skedaddle wildlife inspection? A technician walks the whole property — interior, exterior, roofline, soffits, vents, chimney, attic, and foundation — to find every active and likely entry point, confirms which animal is using it, documents the damage inside, and leaves a written quote itemizing exclusion, cleanup, and guarantee scope before any work begins.
- Book the inspection — call (952) 460-2680 or request a visit online with your Hopkins address and a short description of what you are hearing.
- Onsite inspection and removal plan — the technician traces the entry points, checks the attic and wall voids for droppings and matted insulation, and explains the plan and the pricing before touching the house.
- Humane removal and permanent sealing — the method is matched to the species: dependent young are retrieved by hand, adults leave on their own through a one-way door where appropriate, and every vulnerable opening is closed with heavy-gauge mesh and weather-rated materials chosen for Minnesota freeze-thaw.
- Decontamination and attic restoration — droppings, urine-soaked insulation, and nesting material come out, the space is treated to cut the odor and the scent trail, and insulation is restored where it was contaminated.
- Guarantee and follow-up — the job closes with a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials, plus a return visit if anything needs a second look.
There is no pressure to book on the spot. Restoration scope is priced on the same written quote as the exclusion, so a Peaceful Valley or Bellgrove homeowner can weigh the whole job in one place instead of in stages. Call (952) 460-2680 or see the full inspection process.
Skedaddle's Three-Step Wildlife Removal Process
Step 1
Assess and Remove
We begin with a detailed inspection of your home to identify the wildlife, locate active entry points, and assess the extent of the problem. Our technicians then use proven, species-appropriate methods to remove animals safely and humanely.
Learn more
Step 2
Clear and Clean
After the animals are removed, we clean and decontaminate affected areas, removing nesting materials, droppings, and other traces left behind. When needed, we also address damaged insulation and help restore the space to a clean, healthy condition.
Learn more
Step 3
Prevent and Protect
Finally, we identify vulnerable areas and seal confirmed or potential entry points to help prevent wildlife from returning. Our durable exclusion work provides lasting protection and includes a lifetime warranty on the entry points we seal.
Learn moreHopkins wildlife by season
When is Hopkins wildlife most active? Activity peaks twice. Spring, from March into June, brings raccoons and squirrels looking for attic space to raise young and birds building in vents. Fall, from September into November, brings mice indoors as overnight temperatures drop. Denning continues quietly through the coldest weeks of winter.
| Season | Active species | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) |
Mice (indoor activity), squirrels (attic denning), raccoons (attic denning) | Scratching in walls and ceilings, insulation displacement as animals settle into Downtown Hopkins and Interlachen Park houses |
| Spring (Mar–May) |
Raccoons (nesting), squirrels (nesting), birds (nest building) | Attic scratching and chimney activity; birds packing dryer vents and gable vents along Mainstreet-era construction |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) |
Birds (peak nesting), juvenile squirrels, bats (MN DNR recommends avoiding exclusion May 15 to August 1) | Birds blocking dryer and roof vents through the Excelsior Boulevard corridor; juvenile squirrels at soffits over Bellgrove |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) |
Mice (peak entry), squirrels (food storing), raccoons (pre-winter denning) | Highest mouse pressure at mortar joints, basement window frames, and utility penetrations on pre-1966 Hopkins houses |
Quarterly focus: Fall is mouse season in Hopkins. From late September, mice work mortar joints, basement window frames and utility penetrations on the Mainstreet-era houses downtown and in Interlachen Park, while juvenile squirrels stay busy at worn soffits and fascia. Bat colony exclusion is running again now that the avoidance window the Minnesota DNR recommends has closed for the year (Bat Exclusion, Minnesota DNR). Sealing openings before the first hard freeze is what keeps mice out through winter. Call (952) 460-2680 to book an inspection.
Fall Mouse Season: What Homeowners Ask Most
When does mouse season start?
Hopkins homes start reporting mice in late September, and the calls hold through the first hard freezes. University of Minnesota Extension names an increase in mouse activity as one of the signs fall is approaching, with mice seeking a safe, warm space in a shed, garage or house. Their nests turn up in sheltered locations, made from shredded paper and other fibrous material, which is why the kitchen cupboard or the basement usually gives them away before the attic does.
How small a gap can a mouse use?
Less than most homeowners expect. The City of Minneapolis states that mice squeeze through holes a quarter of an inch or bigger and are great climbers. In older Downtown Hopkins and Peaceful Valley housing, the weak points are mortar joints, basement window frames, gaps where original soffits meet fascia, dryer vents and the threshold under a side door.
What are the earliest signs of mice in a house?
Look for what the city's guidance describes: droppings, gnawed doorways and packaging, a musty pungent odor, and rub marks on walls in heavily traveled areas. Night scratching inside a wall counts as well, and the quickest places to check are the back of the kitchen cabinets, the laundry area and the joist line above a basement wall.
How do you mouse-proof a house?
Every opening has to be found before anything is closed, which is what the exterior inspection is for, and the seal has to be made with material a mouse cannot get through. Missouri Extension notes that plastic sheeting, screen, wood and rubber are unsuitable for plugging mouse holes, and that steel wool holds only as a temporary plug. Indoors, the inspection covers kitchen, basement, garage, wall voids and attic for nests and contaminated insulation, and a written, itemized quote comes before any work is authorized. Call (952) 460-2680 to schedule an inspection.
Inside the Skedaddle exclusion process
How does Skedaddle remove wildlife humanely in Hopkins? The inspection comes before any equipment goes on the house, because the right approach depends on the species, the time of year, and how the building was put together. Nothing is trapped or killed. The animal leaves on its own, the opening is closed permanently, and the attic is decontaminated and restored afterward.
01
A humane approach to wildlife removal
A Mainstreet-era house downtown offers different routes in than a mid-century rambler off the Excelsior Boulevard corridor, so technicians select the approach that suits the structure and the season. Where appropriate, a one-way door lets an adult squirrel or raccoon leave on its own before the opening is closed. Birds are cleared from ducts and vents by hand, mice are excluded by sealing the foundation seams and penetrations they travel, and dependent young are always accounted for before anything is sealed.
02
Reuniting mothers with young whenever possible
Hopkins attics and chimneys along Minnehaha Creek hold spring litters every year, and young too small to follow their mother out are never left behind a seal. Technicians retrieve kits and kits-in-nest by hand, then place them in an insulated reunion box at the entry point so the mother can carry them to an alternate den herself. It takes longer than removing her, and it is the reason a mother does not tear a new hole in the roof to get back to them.
03
Decontamination and attic restoration
An emptied attic is not a finished attic. Droppings, urine-soaked insulation, and nesting material come out, the space is treated to cut the odor and the scent trail that signals the next animal in, and contaminated insulation is replaced so the attic insulates properly again through a Minnesota winter. Bird nesting pulled from a dryer duct gets the same treatment, because packed debris is both a blockage and a fire risk. Hopkins homeowners see cleanup and restoration itemized on the same written quote as the exclusion.
04
Why every seal carries a lifetime guarantee
A repair that fails in two winters is not exclusion. Skedaddle Minneapolis closes Hopkins entry points with heavy-gauge mesh and weather-rated materials chosen to hold against animals that will test them, and hand-fits that work to original soffits, worn fascia, and field-stone foundations where the house calls for it. Every completed job carries a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials. If something gets back in through an opening the crew sealed, the team returns and re-seals it at no cost.
Ready to see the same method used on your home?
Get a Hopkins-specific inspection and a written scope that spells out exclusion points, decontamination, and our lifetime guarantee before any work begins.
Service area and contact information
Business name
Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control — Minneapolis
Phone
Service area
Hopkins and the surrounding Hennepin County communities, including Minnetonka, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, and Wayzata, plus the full Minneapolis service area
Hours
Mon–Fri 6:30am–8:00pm
Sat 7:00am–4:00pm
Sun 9:00am–3:00pm
Sat 7:00am–4:00pm
Sun 9:00am–3:00pm
Established
Serving Hopkins since 2023 · Skedaddle founded 1989
Google Business Profile
Regulatory guidance
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR); bat exclusion follows the state's recommended May 15 to August 1 pup-season avoidance window
Wider service area
Minnetonka, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Edina, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis
Frequently asked questions about Hopkins wildlife removal
How much does wildlife removal cost in Hopkins?
Wildlife removal cost in Hopkins depends on the species, the number of entry points, and whether decontamination or insulation replacement is needed afterward. Skedaddle Minneapolis inspects the property first and leaves a written, itemized quote covering exclusion, cleanup, and guarantee scope before any work begins, so a Hopkins homeowner sees the full scope and price before committing. Call (952) 460-2680 to book that inspection.
Can Skedaddle remove wildlife from my Hopkins home the same day I call?
Same-day service is sometimes available, but it cannot be guaranteed. Priority goes to genuine urgency — an animal loose in a Hopkins living space, or one trapped where it cannot free itself. Every other call is booked into the earliest available inspection. Call (952) 460-2680 during business hours, Monday to Friday 6:30am to 8:00pm, Saturday 7:00am to 4:00pm, or Sunday 9:00am to 3:00pm, to check what today's schedule allows.
When can I schedule a bat exclusion in Hopkins?
Bat exclusion in Hopkins is scheduled outside the Minnesota DNR's recommended May 15 to August 1 avoidance window, because sealing an opening while flightless pups are in the roost would trap them inside. Skedaddle Minneapolis inspects and plans the work year-round, then books the physical exclusion for the first available date after August 1, or from fall through early spring.
What areas of Hopkins does Skedaddle service?
Skedaddle Minneapolis services every residential area of Hopkins, including Downtown Hopkins, the Excelsior Boulevard corridor, Interlachen Park, Bellgrove, Peaceful Valley, and the western pond communities. That covers Mainstreet-era housing near the historic district, mid-century streets platted after the city's 1947 incorporation, and the pond-adjacent lots on the west side. If your home is inside the Hopkins city limits, Skedaddle services it.
Does Skedaddle follow humane wildlife regulations?
Yes. Skedaddle follows Minnesota wildlife guidance, including the Minnesota DNR's recommendation that bat exclusion be avoided from May 15 to August 1 until pups can fly. Technicians train in wildlife biology, home repair, decontamination, and attic restoration, and use humane methods approved by SPCAs and Humane Societies. No traps and no poison are used on a Hopkins job, and nothing is killed to get it out of a house.
What wildlife is Skedaddle most likely to remove from Hopkins homes this season?
Fall belongs to mice in Hopkins. Households usually see droppings in a kitchen drawer or under a sink first, then hear movement in a basement or wall void as more use the same opening. Squirrels are still working soffits and worn fascia, raccoon activity holds steady along the Minnehaha Creek corridor, and bat colony exclusion is running again now that the pups can fly. The inspection identifies the animal before any work is quoted.
Does Skedaddle offer a warranty in Hopkins?
Yes. Every full exclusion job in Hopkins carries a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials. If something gets back in through an opening the crew sealed, Skedaddle Minneapolis returns and re-seals it at no additional charge. The guarantee is written into the same quote that itemizes the exclusion, decontamination, and restoration scope for the property.
What happens to the attic after the animals are removed?
Once the animal is out and every opening is sealed, the attic is cleared of droppings, urine-soaked insulation, and nesting material, then treated to cut the odor and the scent trail that draws the next animal in. Insulation is restored where it was contaminated so the space performs through a Minnesota winter. In Hopkins, that scope is itemized on the same written quote as the exclusion.
Book your inspection today
Wildlife problems in Hopkins do not settle themselves: a raccoon working a century-old brick chimney downtown will come back to the same flue, a squirrel through worn fascia in Interlachen Park will reopen the same hole, and mice at a field-stone basement wall keep bringing more indoors as the nights cool. Skedaddle Minneapolis handles it end to end — identify the animal, match the method to the species, seal the opening permanently, decontaminate what was left behind, restore the attic where animals denned, and guarantee the work for life. Technicians work to humane standards approved by SPCAs and Humane Societies. Call (952) 460-2680 or request an inspection online.
