Lifetime Warranty
On workmanship and materials.
Prior Lake, MN · Serving since 2023
Humane Wildlife Removal in Prior Lake, MN
Skedaddle Minneapolis — serving the greater Prior Lake area since 2023.
No traps. No poison. Permanent exclusion.
Prior Lake sits on a 1,340-acre Upper and Lower lake system with 21 miles of shoreline and 15 lakes inside an 18-square-mile city, so many homes here back onto shoreline, wetland or open lot. That geography pushes bats into ridge vents and cedar-shake attics, squirrels into dormers and construction gaps, mice into walkout basements, and raccoons into attics off lakefront hardwoods. Skedaddle Minneapolis works those homes with an inspection-led method matched to the species, seals every opening permanently, and restores the attic where animals denned.
Serving Prior Lake since 2023
Skedaddle founded 1989
Humane, hands-on removal
At a Glance
- Service area: Prior Lake and every residential area of the city, including Lower Prior Lake, Upper Prior Lake, Spring Lake, Jeffers Pond, and the rural-edge and southern boundary communities
- Species handled: Bat, squirrel, mouse, and raccoon removal
- Inspection: Full-property inspection first — roof line, soffits, vents, ridge line, attic and foundation — before any work is quoted
- Method: Inspection-led humane exclusion matched to the species and the season, followed by decontamination 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 Prior Lake since 2023 · Skedaddle founded 1989 · 5+ humane wildlife removals completed in Prior Lake in the past 12 months
Reviewed by Bill Dowd, Founder, President & CEO, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. Last updated September 2026.
Why homeowners choose Skedaddle
When wildlife gets into a Prior Lake home, the fastest fix 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 behind, and stand behind the repair afterward.
How long has Skedaddle been removing wildlife in Prior Lake?
Skedaddle Minneapolis has served Prior Lake and the wider metro since 2023, applying methods the parent company has refined since it was founded in 1989. Prior Lake is a smaller, lower-volume part of that territory, with 5+ humane wildlife removals completed here in the past 12 months. The city's shoreline lots around Lower and Upper Prior Lake, the wooded parcels near Spring Lake, and the newer construction around Jeffers Pond each fail in different places, and technicians who see all three read the pattern quickly.
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 Prior Lake call that means identifying the animal first, choosing an 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 where animals denned. Bat colony work is planned around the Minnesota DNR's recommended pup-season avoidance window, so Skedaddle holds bat work until August 1.
The lifetime guarantee behind the seal
Every opening Skedaddle closes in Prior Lake is treated as a permanent repair rather than a seasonal patch, because a soffit return that lets go in a January thaw was never exclusion in the first place. The work carries Skedaddle's lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials: if anything gets back in through an opening the team sealed, the crew returns and re-seals it at no charge. Homeowners along the Spring Lake shoreline and the southern boundary see exclusion, cleanup and guarantee scope itemized on one written quote before deciding anything.
Meet the Team Behind Prior Lake'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 Prior Lake
Four species account for nearly all of Skedaddle Minneapolis's Prior Lake work, in this order: bats, squirrels, mice and raccoons. The city's geography explains the spread — 15 lakes and 21 miles of shoreline inside 18 square miles, shoreline forest ringing the Upper and Lower basins, wetland edges against walkout foundations, and rural-edge parcels on the southern boundary in Scott County. Each animal uses a different route into the house, and each has its own season for using it.
Bat removal
Peak Aug–May
Bats lead the list in Prior Lake. Shoreline forest ringing the Upper and Lower basins is prime foraging habitat, and colonies move into ridge vents and cedar-shake attics. The Minnesota DNR recommends avoiding exclusion between May 15 and August 1 while pups are flightless (MN DNR bat exclusion guidance), so Skedaddle holds bat work until August 1.
Squirrel removal
Peak year-round
What lets squirrels into Prior Lake attics? Dormer trim, thin vent screens and unclosed construction gaps on the newer builds near Jeffers Pond give way early, and gray squirrels raise young twice a year, in late winter and again in midsummer. Technicians fit a one-way door where appropriate, confirm dependent young are out by hand, then close every roof-line gap with heavy-gauge mesh.
Mouse removal
Peak Sep–Nov
Where do mice get in around Prior Lake? Walkout basements and foundation seams on lots bordering wetland and open lot sit right against field habitat, and a dime-width gap at a dryer vent, sill plate or utility penetration is an open door. Pressure builds from late September as overnight temperatures drop. Technicians seal every opening with rodent-proof material, then monitor indoors until activity stops.
Raccoon removal
Peak Mar–Nov
Where do raccoons den in Prior Lake? Lakefront hardwoods put a limb over the roof, and an adult female works lifted soffit returns, unscreened roof vents, uncapped chimneys and fascia gaps, with steady pressure from spring nesting into late fall near Spring Lake. Technicians retrieve kits by hand, let the adult out through a one-way door where appropriate, then seal the roof line.
Other wildlife we remove in Prior Lake
Fall brings the rest of Prior Lake's wildlife up against the house. Skunks den under decks, porches and lakeside sheds along the rural-edge and southern boundary communities, and the odor usually arrives before the sighting. Rats are uncommon here and turn up near creek and drainage corridors, handled by finding and closing the opening rather than baiting. Birds nest in dryer and roof vents through the warm months, where packed nesting debris blocks the duct. Call (952) 460-2680 or learn more about wildlife removal in Minneapolis.
Not sure which animal you’re hearing?
Our Prior Lake technicians can identify the species and confirm the entry points during a single on-site visit.
Neighborhoods in Prior Lake we serve
What areas of Prior Lake does Skedaddle service? Skedaddle Minneapolis serves every residential area of Prior Lake, from the homes along the Lower Prior Lake and Upper Prior Lake shorelines to the wooded parcels near Spring Lake, the newer streets around Jeffers Pond, and the rural-edge and southern boundary communities at the edge of the Scott County countryside. The city holds 15 lakes and 21 miles of shoreline inside 18 square miles, so shoreline, wetland and open-lot habitat sits directly against houses in nearly every part of town, and that is what shapes the wildlife pressure Skedaddle sees here through the year. If your home is inside Prior Lake city limits, Skedaddle services it.
What a Skedaddle inspection in Prior Lake looks like
What does the visit actually involve? One technician, roughly an hour or two on the property, and a written plan left behind. The route covers the attic hatch, roof edge, vent stacks, chimney, garage, and foundation line, settles which animal is using which opening, notes what it has already damaged inside, and prices the whole job before a tool comes out.
- Book the inspection — dial (952) 460-2680 or send the online request with a Prior Lake address and a line about the noises, smells, or damage you have noticed.
- Onsite inspection and removal plan — the technician follows the sign to each live opening, probes attic and wall cavities for droppings and flattened insulation, then walks you through the findings and the number.
- Humane removal and permanent sealing — the tactic follows the animal: where appropriate a one-way door lets the adult out on its own, young are lifted out by hand, and each opening is rebuilt behind heavy-gauge mesh and weather-rated material picked for Minnesota frost cycles.
- Decontamination and attic restoration — fouled insulation, droppings, and nest material get bagged out, surfaces are treated to kill the odor and the scent trail, and insulation is brought back where it was ruined.
- Guarantee and follow-up — the job closes out under the lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials, and a technician returns whenever a sound or smell does.
There is no pressure to book on the spot. Restoration scope is priced on the same written quote as the exclusion work, so a shoreline or Jeffers Pond 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.
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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 morePrior Lake wildlife by season
When is Prior Lake wildlife most active? Pressure runs nearly year-round on a lake system this size, with two clear peaks: spring nesting from March through June, when squirrels and raccoons look for attic space to raise young, and fall entry from September through November, when mice push indoors as overnight temperatures drop.
| Season | Active species | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) |
Mice (indoor activity), squirrels (attic denning), raccoons (attic denning) | Scratching in walls and visible insulation damage as animals settle in near the Lower Prior Lake shoreline |
| Spring (Mar–May) |
Raccoons (nesting), squirrels (nesting), bats (returning) | Attic scratching and chimney activity; bat colonies return to ridge vents before the May 15 avoidance window opens |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) |
Bats (MN DNR recommends avoiding exclusion May 15 to August 1; colony work resumes after August 1), juvenile squirrels | Bats in living spaces and fluttering at dusk around Upper Prior Lake shoreline homes; juvenile squirrels at roof vents |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) |
Mice (peak entry), squirrels (food storing), raccoons (pre-winter denning) | Highest mouse pressure at walkout basements and foundation seams on wetland-edge lots |
Quarterly focus: Fall is mouse season in Prior Lake. From late September, mice test foundation seams, walkout thresholds and utility penetrations on lots backing onto wetland and the Upper and Lower basins, while juvenile squirrels stay busy at dormer trim and roof vents. Bat colony exclusion is running again now that the Minnesota DNR's recommended avoidance window has closed for the year (Bat Exclusion, Minnesota DNR). Sealing openings before the first hard freeze keeps mice out for the winter. Call (952) 460-2680 or learn more about squirrel removal.
Fall Mouse Season: What Homeowners Ask Most
When does mouse season start?
Prior Lake mouse calls begin in late September and stay steady into winter. University of Minnesota Extension describes an increase in mouse activity as one of the signs fall is approaching, with mice searching out a safe, warm space in a shed, garage or house. Their nests turn up in sheltered locations, built from shredded paper and other fibrous material, so a lakeside household usually meets its first mouse in the kitchen or a utility room, not the attic.
How small a gap can a mouse use?
Barely any gap at all. The City of Minneapolis records that mice squeeze through holes a quarter of an inch or bigger and are great climbers. Around Upper and Lower Prior Lake, and on the newer builds near Jeffers Pond, that means walkout door thresholds, sill-plate seams, dryer and bath vents, service-line penetrations and the corners of a garage door.
What are the earliest signs of mice in a house?
City of Minneapolis guidance names droppings, gnawed doorways and packaging, a musty pungent odor, and rub marks on walls in heavily traveled areas as the things to watch for. Add the scratching heard inside a wall in the early morning, and begin the search at the kitchen baseboards, the pantry shelves and the stone sill in the basement.
How do you mouse-proof a house?
A full exterior inspection precedes any sealing, because a stone foundation usually offers several routes rather than one, and the fill has to be something a mouse cannot work through. Missouri Extension is clear that plastic sheeting, screen, wood and rubber are unsuitable for plugging mouse holes and that steel wool serves only as a temporary plug. The interior inspection then covers kitchen, basement, garage, wall voids and attic for nests and contaminated insulation, and you get a written, itemized quote 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 Prior Lake? An inspection comes before any equipment goes on the house, because the right approach depends on the species, the time of year and the structure itself. Nothing is trapped or killed. The animal leaves on its own, the opening is sealed permanently, and the attic is decontaminated and restored afterward.
01
A humane approach to wildlife removal
A cedar-shake lakeside home on the Upper Prior Lake shoreline offers different routes in than a newer Jeffers Pond build, so technicians select equipment to suit the situation in front of them. Where suitable, a one-way door lets an adult squirrel or raccoon leave on its own before the opening is closed for good. Bats are handled with species-appropriate exclusion equipment timed outside the May 15 to August 1 pup-season avoidance window, and mice are excluded by sealing the seams and penetrations they are using, then monitoring indoors until activity stops.
02
Reuniting mothers with young whenever possible
Attics along the Lower and Upper Prior Lake shorelines hold spring litters every year, and young too small to follow their mother out are never left behind a seal. Technicians retrieve them by hand and place them in an insulated reunion box at the entry point so the mother can carry them to an alternate den herself, on her own schedule. With bats, the same principle is expressed through timing rather than handling: work waits until the pups can fly. It is slower than removing the adult and closing up, and it is the reason this work is called humane.
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. Bat guano and rodent droppings are handled with protective equipment and HEPA filtration rather than swept out. Prior Lake homeowners see the cleanup and restoration scope itemized on the same written quote as the exclusion, not billed as an afterthought.
04
Why every seal carries a lifetime guarantee
A repair that fails in two winters is not exclusion. Skedaddle Minneapolis closes Prior Lake entry points with heavy-gauge mesh, weather-rated sealant and flashing chosen to hold against animals that will test them and against lakeside freeze-thaw, and every serviced opening carries Skedaddle's lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials. If anything gets back in through work the team sealed, the crew returns and re-seals it at no cost to the homeowner. That is why the inspection matters: the guarantee is only as good as the entry-point list behind it.
Ready to see the same method used on your home?
Get a Prior Lake-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
Prior Lake and the surrounding south-metro territory, including Savage, Shakopee and Burnsville
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 Prior Lake 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, Orono, Plymouth, Medina, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Minneapolis
Frequently asked questions about Prior Lake wildlife removal
How much does wildlife removal cost in Prior Lake?
Wildlife removal cost in Prior Lake depends on the species, how many entry points the animal is using, 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 starts, so a homeowner near Spring Lake or Jeffers Pond sees the whole scope and the whole price before deciding. Call (952) 460-2680 to book that inspection.
Can Skedaddle remove wildlife from my Prior Lake home the same day I call?
Same-day service is sometimes available, but it cannot be guaranteed. Priority goes to genuine urgency — a raccoon inside a Prior Lake living space, a bat in a bedroom, or an animal trapped where it cannot free itself. Every other call is booked into the earliest available inspection. Call (952) 460-2680 during business hours to check what the schedule allows today.
When can I schedule a bat exclusion in Prior Lake?
Bat exclusion in Prior Lake is scheduled outside May 15 to August 1, because the Minnesota DNR recommends avoiding exclusion while flightless pups are still in the roost, and Skedaddle holds bat work until August 1. Species-appropriate exclusion equipment goes on from August through mid-May. A call placed while the window is closed still gets an inspection, a dusk exit count at the ridge vent or soffit line, and a booked date.
What areas of Prior Lake does Skedaddle service?
Skedaddle Minneapolis services every residential area of Prior Lake, including the Lower Prior Lake area, the Upper Prior Lake area, the Spring Lake area, Jeffers Pond, and the rural-edge and southern boundary communities. That covers shoreline lots, wooded parcels and newer subdivisions alike, on a lake system with 21 miles of shoreline. If your home sits inside Prior Lake city limits, Skedaddle services it.
Does Skedaddle follow humane wildlife regulations?
Yes. Skedaddle Minneapolis works to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources guidance for humane wildlife handling, including the DNR recommendation that bat exclusion wait 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 Prior Lake job.
What wildlife is Skedaddle most likely to remove from Prior Lake homes this season?
Fall belongs to mice in Prior Lake. Lots bordering wetland and shoreline see the most pressure, and the first sign is usually droppings in a kitchen or utility room before anything is heard in a walkout basement. Juvenile squirrels keep working dormer trim and roof vents, raccoons still use lifted soffit returns on shoreline homes, and bat colony exclusion is running again now that the pups can fly. The inspection identifies the species before anything is quoted.
Does Skedaddle offer a warranty in Prior Lake?
Yes. Every full exclusion job in Prior Lake carries Skedaddle's lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials. If anything gets back in through an opening the team sealed, Skedaddle Minneapolis returns and re-seals it at no charge. The guarantee is written into the same quote that itemizes the exclusion and cleanup scope, so nothing about the coverage is left verbal.
What happens to the attic after the animals are removed?
Once the animal is out and every opening is sealed, droppings, urine-soaked insulation and nesting material are cleared out, and the space is treated to cut the odor and the scent trail that draws the next animal in. Insulation is restored where it was contaminated so the attic performs through a Minnesota winter. That restoration scope is itemized on the same written quote as the exclusion.
Book your inspection today
Wildlife problems in Prior Lake do not settle themselves: a bat colony in a ridge vent above the Upper Prior Lake shoreline returns to the same gap each season, a squirrel through failed dormer trim near Jeffers Pond reopens the same hole, and mice at a walkout sill on a wetland-edge lot 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.
