Lifetime Warranty
On workmanship and materials.
Wayzata, MN · Serving since 2023
Humane Wildlife Removal in Wayzata, MN
Skedaddle Minneapolis — serving the greater Wayzata area since 2023.
No traps. No poison. Permanent exclusion.
Wayzata packs heavy wildlife pressure into a small footprint: three square miles of land, more than 70 wetlands inside the city limits, and 5.5 miles of Wayzata Bay shoreline wrapped around some of the oldest housing stock on Lake Minnetonka. Original soffits, aging fascia, field-stone foundations, and detached carriage garages hand mice, squirrels, birds, and raccoons routes newer construction never offers. Skedaddle Minneapolis reads the house first, picks the method the animal and the calendar justify, closes the openings for good, hauls out fouled insulation, and puts the attic back the way a Minnesota winter demands.
Serving Wayzata since 2023
Skedaddle founded 1989
Humane, hands-on removal
At a Glance
- Service area: Wayzata and every residential area inside the city limits, including Ferndale, Holdridge, Bushaway, the Wayzata Bay area, the Ridgedale-adjacent streets, and Highcroft
- Species handled: Mouse, squirrel, bird, and raccoon removal
- Inspection: A walk of the attic, roof edge, vent stacks, chimney, garage, and foundation line comes first, before any hardware goes on
- Method: Inspection first, then hands-on removal chosen for the species and the season, with decontamination and insulation repair carried in the same scope. No traps. No poison. No lethal removal.
- Guarantee: Lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials
- Experience: Skedaddle Minneapolis serving Wayzata since 2023 · Skedaddle founded 1989 · 5+ humane wildlife removals completed in Wayzata in the past 12 months
Reviewed by Bill Dowd, Founder, President & CEO, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. Last updated September 2026.
Why homeowners choose Skedaddle
A cheap patch over a hole in a century-old Wayzata roofline buys a few weeks at most. Skedaddle Minneapolis would rather spend the first hour finding out what moved in and where it climbs, then remove the animal by hand, rebuild the opening in material it cannot chew, clear what it left in the insulation, and put the repair in writing.
How long has Skedaddle been removing wildlife in Wayzata?
Skedaddle Minneapolis has served Wayzata homeowners since 2023, under a company Bill Dowd founded in 1989. Wayzata is a compact, mature Hennepin County city on the northern shore of Lake Minnetonka, incorporated in 1883, and its three square miles hold both lakefront houses and inland blocks toward Ridgedale. Skedaddle Minneapolis has completed 5+ humane wildlife removals in Wayzata in the past 12 months, a modest count that follows from how few addresses the city actually contains.
Technician training and method
Skedaddle training runs through animal behavior, roofline and structural repair, cleanup, and insulation replacement, and every technician holds to humane standards approved by SPCAs and Humane Societies. On a Wayzata call, that shows up as patience: name the animal before touching the roof, pick the tactic the species and the season justify, and wait for proof the space is empty before anything is closed. Clearing the soiled areas belongs to the same job, and insulation repair is added wherever an animal denned.
The lifetime guarantee behind the seal
Wayzata's older rooflines have already survived a hundred freeze-thaw cycles, so a seal that lifts by the second February was never worth installing. Each opening is rebuilt to outlast the animal that found it, and the work carries a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials. If something pushes back in where the crew sealed, a technician comes back and re-seals it for free. The removal, cleanup, and guarantee terms all sit on one itemized quote handed over before the decision.
Meet the Team Behind Wayzata'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 Wayzata
Mice, squirrels, birds, and raccoons drive nearly every Wayzata call Skedaddle Minneapolis takes, in that order. Geography explains it: better than 70 wetlands inside three square miles of land, 5.5 miles of Wayzata Bay shoreline along the north side of Lake Minnetonka, and heavy canopy over housing that traces back to the city's 1883 incorporation. Four animals, four separate ways into the same house, and four separate calendars for trying it.
Mouse removal
Peak Sep–Nov
Mice lead the list because Wayzata's oldest houses sit on field-stone foundations whose mortar joints crumbled over a century of frost. A quarter-inch void behind a sill plate, a loose dryer vent, or a gas-line collar is invitation enough. Activity climbs once nights cool in late September. Crews close every void in rodent-proof material and watch the interior until it goes quiet.
Squirrel removal
Peak year-round
Squirrels come in high. Original soffit returns and softened fascia behind Wayzata Bay and through Highcroft give way at the seams, and gray squirrels bring off litters twice a year, in late winter and again in July. Where appropriate a one-way door lets the adult leave on its own; kits come out by hand first. Heavy-gauge mesh then closes the roof edge.
Bird removal
Peak Apr–Aug
Birds pick the warm exhausts. Dryer ducts, bath-fan outlets, and roof vents on Wayzata's older homes are the usual targets, especially where a plastic louver has cracked or original screening rusted through. Packed nest material chokes airflow and turns a lint-lined duct into a fire risk. Technicians wait for the nest to go inactive, clear the run, then screen the opening so exhaust stays free.
Raccoon removal
Peak Mar–Nov
Raccoons pull rather than squeeze. Torn soffits, unscreened vents, open flues, and the fascia-to-roof joint on a detached carriage garage all give under an adult female's weight. Wetland and shoreline cover along Wayzata Bay and Ferndale keeps them a block from houses, heaviest from spring denning into late fall. Crews carry any kits out by hand and rebuild the roof edge.
Other wildlife we remove in Wayzata
Fall pushes the rest of Wayzata's wildlife against the siding. Bats tuck into cedar-shake gaps and stone-chimney voids near the bay, and colony work waits for August 1 because the Minnesota DNR recommends avoiding exclusion from May 15 (Bat Exclusion, Minnesota DNR). Skunks burrow beneath three-season sunrooms and garden beds, announcing themselves by smell. Rats turn up rarely and get the same treatment: shut the opening instead of laying bait. Call (952) 460-2680 or learn more about wildlife removal in Minneapolis.
Not sure which animal you’re hearing?
Our Wayzata technicians can identify the species and confirm the entry points during a single on-site visit.
Neighborhoods in Wayzata we serve
What areas of Wayzata does Skedaddle service? Skedaddle Minneapolis services every residential area of Wayzata, from the lakeshore streets along Wayzata Bay to the inland blocks nearer Ridgedale, and the city is small enough that one technician can reach several addresses in a morning. If your home is inside the Wayzata city limits, Skedaddle services it.
What a Skedaddle inspection in Wayzata 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 Wayzata 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.
Nothing gets upsold at the door; a recommendation only appears if the technician can point at it on the building. Because restoration is quoted beside the removal, a Wayzata homeowner reads one figure for the finished job instead of a run of surprises. Call (952) 460-2680 or read what to expect.
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 moreWayzata wildlife by season
When is wildlife busiest in Wayzata? Two windows carry most of the work. Between March and June raccoons and squirrels hunt dry space for litters while birds start filling exhaust vents; from September into November mice work the foundation line as the wind off Lake Minnetonka turns cold. Winter is quieter, though whatever is already inside can be heard.
| Season | Active species | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) |
Mice indoors, squirrels denning in attics | Scratching in walls, droppings in the pantry and basement, insulation flattened where a squirrel worked |
| Spring (Mar–May) |
Raccoons and squirrels with litters, birds filling exhaust vents | Kits at soffit returns and roof edges; bat exclusion stops before May 15 |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) |
Bats, birds, juvenile squirrels and raccoons | Minnesota DNR recommends avoiding bat exclusion May 15 to Aug 1; dryer vents blocked by nests |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) |
Mice at foundation and sill plates, raccoons denning ahead of cold | Nighttime scratching, mouse droppings in kitchens and basements, mortar joints and vent screens tested |
Right now in Wayzata: fall is mouse season. Field-stone foundations and cedar-shake walls on the Ferndale, Bushaway and Holdridge streets give mice mortar joints and sill-plate gaps to work from late September, and juvenile squirrels are still pushing out through tired soffits. Bat colony exclusion is running again now that the avoidance window the Minnesota DNR recommends has closed for the year (Bat Exclusion, Minnesota DNR). Call (952) 460-2680 or learn more about squirrel removal.
Fall Mouse Season: What Homeowners Ask Most
When does mouse season start?
The Wayzata mouse season opens in late September, as soon as overnight temperatures drop. University of Minnesota Extension lists an increase in mouse activity among the signs fall is approaching, with mice looking for a safe, warm space in a shed, garage or house. Since their nests turn up in sheltered locations and are made of shredded paper and other fibrous material, the first evidence in an older Wayzata house tends to appear in a kitchen or a basement storage room.
How small a gap can a mouse use?
A quarter of an inch is all it takes. The City of Minneapolis states that mice squeeze through holes a quarter of an inch or bigger and are great climbers. On field-stone foundations and cedar-shake walls near Wayzata Bay, that means open mortar joints, sill-plate seams, gaps behind shake courses, dryer and roof vents, and the threshold under a service 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 Wayzata? Nothing goes on the building until the inspection is done, because the animal, the month, and the construction all change the answer. No trap is set and no animal is killed. It leaves under its own power, the hole is rebuilt to stay shut, and the space it fouled is cleaned and re-insulated.
01
A humane approach to wildlife removal
A hundred-year-old lakeshore house on Wayzata Bay offers a different climb than a mid-century build near Ridgedale, so the technician selects hardware around what the walk-through turned up. Where appropriate, a one-way door lets an adult squirrel or raccoon leave under its own steam before the opening is rebuilt. Kits and pups come out in hand, vent nests are pulled once inactive, and mice lose their routes when the seams and utility penetrations are closed.
02
Reuniting mothers with young whenever possible
Spring litters turn up in Wayzata attics and carriage garages every year, and anything too small to climb out behind its mother is never sealed in. The technician lifts the young out by hand into a lined, warmed box placed at the opening, letting her carry them to a den she chooses. It costs more time than driving the adult off alone, which is precisely why the word humane belongs on the invoice.
03
Decontamination and attic restoration
Getting the animal out is half a job. Droppings, urine-soaked batts, and nest material are bagged and carried down, the deck is treated so leftover scent no longer signals an empty den, and spoiled insulation is replaced so the attic keeps its rating through a Minnesota February. Wayzata homeowners read that cleanup and insulation scope on the same quote as the removal, not on a later invoice.
04
Why every seal carries a lifetime guarantee
If a repair gives out in two winters, it was a patch. Skedaddle Minneapolis rebuilds Wayzata openings in heavy-gauge mesh and weather-rated material chosen for animals that will lean on them, and every closure carries a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials. Should anything find its way back through work the crew sealed, a technician returns and re-seals it at no cost to the homeowner.
Ready to see the same method used on your home?
Get a Wayzata-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
Wayzata plus neighboring Hennepin County communities, among them Minnetonka, Orono, Plymouth, and Medina
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 Wayzata 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 Wayzata wildlife removal
How much does wildlife removal cost in Wayzata?
There is no flat rate. What a Wayzata job costs tracks the species, how many openings the inspection turns up, and how much insulation has to come out and go back. A technician prices it on site and hands over an itemized written quote covering removal, sealing, cleanup, and guarantee before a single fastener goes in. Call (952) 460-2680 to get that quote.
Can Skedaddle remove wildlife from my Wayzata 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 Wayzata living space, or one trapped where it cannot free itself. Every other call is booked into the earliest available inspection. Phone (952) 460-2680 between 6:30am and 8:00pm on weekdays, 7:00am and 4:00pm Saturday, or 9:00am and 3:00pm Sunday, to check what the schedule allows today.
When can I schedule a bat exclusion in Wayzata?
Before May 15 or after August 1. The Minnesota DNR recommends avoiding bat exclusion in between, since pups cannot yet fly and would be shut in away from their mother, so Skedaddle holds bat work until August 1. A Wayzata homeowner who calls during those weeks still gets the inspection and a dusk exit count, with the exclusion booked for early August.
What areas of Wayzata does Skedaddle service?
All of it. Skedaddle Minneapolis covers Ferndale, Holdridge, Bushaway, Highcroft, the Wayzata Bay area, and the Ridgedale-adjacent streets, which between them take in the century-old lakeshore houses and the newer inland blocks alike. Wayzata runs to only about three square miles, so no address inside the city limits falls outside the service area, and the crew works the adjoining Hennepin County cities on the same route.
Does Skedaddle follow humane wildlife regulations?
Yes. Work in Wayzata follows Minnesota Department of Natural Resources guidance, which recommends avoiding bat exclusion between May 15 and August 1 while pups are still flightless. Technicians study wildlife biology, structural repair, decontamination, and insulation work, and hold to humane standards approved by SPCAs and Humane Societies. Nothing is trapped, baited, or poisoned on a Wayzata property, and no animal is killed to get it out of a house.
What wildlife is Skedaddle most likely to remove from Wayzata homes this season?
Fall belongs to mice in Wayzata. They test mortar joints and sill plates on field-stone foundations first, and most households find droppings in a kitchen or basement before they hear movement in a wall. Squirrels continue at worn soffits and fascia, raccoon calls hold steady near Wayzata Bay, and bat colony exclusion is running again now that the pups can fly. Bird nesting in dryer and roof vents has finished for the year, so the inspection identifies the animal before anything is quoted.
Does Skedaddle offer a warranty in Wayzata?
Yes. A completed exclusion in Wayzata carries Skedaddle's lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and materials. Should anything push back in where the crew sealed, Skedaddle Minneapolis comes back and re-seals it for free. That commitment is printed on the same itemized quote that lists the removal, the decontamination, and any insulation work, so the terms are settled before the job starts.
What happens to the attic after the animals are removed?
It gets cleaned and rebuilt. With the openings closed, droppings, soiled insulation, and nest material come out, and surfaces are treated so odor and scent trails stop advertising the space to the next animal. Insulation goes back wherever it was ruined so a Wayzata attic holds its rating through a Minnesota winter. That scope is quoted up front, never billed later.
Book your inspection today
A wildlife problem in Wayzata waits for nobody: the raccoon that pulled a soffit return open on a Wayzata Bay bungalow will be back at the same spot, the squirrel through failed fascia in Highcroft will reopen the same seam, and mice at a field-stone foundation joint in Ferndale bring company as the nights get colder. Skedaddle Minneapolis carries the whole job — name the animal, match the tactic to the species, rebuild the opening permanently, clear what was left behind, re-insulate where it denned, and guarantee the work for life. Crews hold to humane standards approved by SPCAs and Humane Societies. Call (952) 460-2680 or request an inspection online and the office will follow up.
