Phones have been ringing off the hook since July…

The mouse population in MA and RI is *BOOMING* this year! We’re definitely seeing more mice than normal.

The calls started coming in this past July and there really is no end in site.

With the onset of cooler weather, what I call the yearly “Mouse Exodus” is taking place (only there’s no Charlton Heston playing a mouse leader here!)

You see, mice are starting to migrate from the fields and woodland to your home. It’s a yearly nightmare many homeowner’s have to endure.

Of course, our mouse removal experts take care of everything from trapping the mice, mouse-proofing your home by eliminating any entry points, and of course cleaning up the mess left by the nasty rodents.

If you need help getting rid of mice just give us a call, we’re experts at solving all of your rodent removal needs.

– Gary

P.S. This is a first hand look at what mice can do to your insulation!!

If you see damage on the outside of your home, it’s a good indicator that some kind of animal family is living on the inside! This new season calls for squirrels, raccoons, skunks (though they’re on the way out), and bats. As the month of May approaches, so does the activity of bats in MA.

They may be cute, but bats and squirrels would like nothing better than to spend the rest of their lives in your Massachusetts home.

Here in MA we get plenty of squirrel calls between March and May. Typically that’s when baby squirrels (as well as their parents!) are jumping around the attic.

By the first of March the squirrels have usually finished building their nest and chewing holes into the attic. You may hear some subtle scratching (or maybe nothing at all!) as the squirrel mother sits on her nest for a couple weeks.

Don’t Be Fooled By This Lull – This Is When Squirrels Get Crazy

After a couple weeks when the baby squirrels start exploring it may sound like they’re having a squirrel party in the attic! (Hope you didn’t store your “disco ball” from the old days in that attic!) But seriously, this is when the damage begins. There will be lots of chewing (due to the squirrel’s teething) and also poop and urine in the insulation. This will accumulate as the squirrels grow into adulthood in your attic.

Raccoons Will Also Start Giving Birth Around This Time

You’ll distinguish baby raccoons by the loud chirping noise they make as the mother raccoon moves around, or as the young are nursing. Lots of people will confuse the sound with baby birds. So if you hear chirping sounds in the ceiling or coming from the fireplace/chimney, you probably have a family of raccoons to contend with.

As with squirrels, the longer you let them reside in the attic or in your home the bigger their mess will be.

Bats Are Waking out Of Hibernation Here in MA

We’ve also noticed the number of bat complaints have increased – this means the bats are awake and they’ve resumed their normal routine of feeding and roosting in nice, dry, attic spaces.

Bats here in MA should give birth at the end of June into July; so at this point all you would notice is scratching in the walls and ceiling and bat droppings accumulating in the attic or insulation.

We’ve even had calls about stray bats finding their way into the living space of the house!

When this happens it’s usually a good indication of a bat colony in the attic of the home. (After all, the lost bat flying around the house had to come from somewhere.)

The flying squirrel population seems to be growing at a good clip.. we’ve noticed they’re busy as ever, colonizing attic spaces for the winter.

Some areas of Massachusetts Have higher populations of “flyer’s” than other parts– Metro West sure has been keeping us on the go!

You’ll also notice a healthy population of Grey squirrels– with their breading season approaching, things are going to get crazy for a lot of home owners!

Mice have also been real active– with all the acorns last fall, they’ve had plenty of time to store away many meals in their homes for the cold weather. Unfortunately, they think that basements and attics make a great retreat for the winter… so their home is actually YOUR home!!

If you hear any noises night or during the day, odds are you have one or more of the three rodents mentioned above.

The phones are a buzz with frantic homeowners wanting our expert help removing baby Raccoons and baby Squirrels

You see, the babies have been deposited in their attic spaces by the adults which have found that an attic is a perfect place to bring the next generation of wildlife into this world.

Bat Season Starting Early This Year?

We have also noticed increased calls for bats in buildings, this may indicate that the bat season has begun a little early. This is actually the perfect time of year to perform a bat exclusion as the young bats usually don’t arrive till the end of June into July.

Give us a call at 508-946-0060 – we’re delighted to give you our expert assessment.

We have also noticed an increase in the amount of attic cleanouts we have done. It seams that the cold drawn out winter has kept the animals inside more than usual, creating more of a mess than normal. Grey Squirrels, Flying Squirrels and Raccoons have been the dirty culprits.

It seems most people cant stand the thought of animal fecal matter piled up above their head in the attic, and insist we take the animal waist along with the animals. So as we go into the spring season one must be careful investigating the subtle scratched in the ceiling . It very well could be larger than a mouse and coming face to face with a momma Raccoon, protective momma squirrel or a colony of bats could be a little more than your mouse trap could handle!!!

We’ve been *flat out busy* this winter with plenty of grey and flying squirrel exclusion work.
Mice are very active too!

You see, they’ve stored all their food “safely” away in your crawl spaces, attics, basements – even inside the walls of your home! – a good indicator is when you hear scratching, gnawing and bumping sounds!

Grey squirrels are also beginning their breeding cycle this creates plenty of activity

in the attic as males are busy chasing reluctant females!

Night time temps have been at all-time lows for the year, which makes nocturnal flying squirrels reluctant to leave and spend more time playing in your attic.

(One lady called us and said the noise sounds like “a bowling ally in my attic!”)

Bats are mostly tucked away safe and sound – hibernating in the depth of the building structure – though they will occasionally make an appearance during the February thaw. (They’re just out for a quick drink and a stretch of their wings – as cold returns they go back to sleep!)

Needless to say, we remain quite busy with home inspections of things that go thump in the night.

With the new year upon us, squirrel breading season will be in full swing. You’ll probably start to notice one squirrel being chased by several at once or running crazily from tree to tree. This might look entertaining from the outside but watch out when you start hearing squirrels in your attic!

How To Tell If Squirrels Are In Your Home

A quick glance around the outside of your home can indicate whether squirrels have gotten in. Insulation pieces on the ground, holes chewed through the gable vents or openings to the attic from loose trim boards are common signs.

Keep in mind that some noises heard at night during this time of year might also be from hibernating bats under the insulation. Or the common house mouse!

Flying squirrels are also denning up for the winter. You’ll know pretty quick if they chose your attic – It’s not uncommon in parts of Mass. for 10 – 30 flying squirrels to live in one attic.

Here in Massachusetts, Bats will typically go into hibernation between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Be careful though: They’ll hibernate right in your attic!

Remember, bats are not aggressive by nature. A loose bat flying around the house is not attacking you — it’s just looking for a way out!

PS – We now offer Attic Cleanout and Restoration services. Why is that important, you ask? Well, how else would you clean this?

Massachusetts Goes Batty

The end of May is when bat season kicks into high gear here in MA. On a positive note, the bats will help rid your property of pesky mosquitoes — but when the bats start moving into your home — that’s when the trouble begins.

Well, It’s Definitely Not Your Cologne

Lots of people ask “Why me?” There are lots of indicators!

Up until Thanksgiving (that’s when the bats go into hibernation) we’ll be traveling from Boston to Cape Cod, and all throughout Eastern MA to service our valued clients.

With the onset of cooler nights and shorter days, mice and squirrels are actively seeking shelter for the winter months.

Looks like this little guy picked the wrong wire.

Speaking of squirrels, we recently finished documenting a squirrel removal and attic cleanout job on Cape Cod. You see, one of the buggers managed to create a semi-biohazard by chewing through an electical-wire! (This was a serious fire hazard!) Click here for the full story.

Phones have been ringing off the hook since July…

The mouse population in MA and RI is *BOOMING* this year! We’re definitely seeing more mice than normal.

The calls started coming in this past July and there really is no end in site.

With the onset of cooler weather, what I call the yearly “Mouse Exodus” is taking place (only there’s no Charlton Heston playing a mouse leader here!)

You see, mice are starting to migrate from the fields and woodland to your home. It’s a yearly nightmare many homeowner’s have to endure.

Of course, our mouse removal experts take care of everything from trapping the mice, mouse-proofing your home by eliminating any entry points, and of course cleaning up the mess left by the nasty rodents.

If you need help getting rid of mice just give us a call, we’re experts at solving all of your rodent removal needs.

– Gary

P.S. This is a first hand look at what mice can do to your insulation!!

Give us a call at 508-946-0060 – we’re delighted to give you our expert assessment.

Our esteemed owner, Gary Paduch, is interviewed by Bella English of the Boston Globe about keeping bats out of your house.

Check out the articles right now featured at Boston.com!

Getting Bats Out Of The Belfry

Special Note: Don’t be alarmed by the futuristic picture of Gary in a bio suit. He’s actually a very friendly guy. (Wouldn’t YOU be wearing that suit if you had to touch a bat?

When There Are Bats In The Belfry

We’ve already had several calls regarding those pesky “FLYING RODENTS”– BATS!! Yes, I said bats!

You see, as bats hibernate they move around under the insulation on top of the sheet rock, convincing you that you have a mouse problem.

Lots of folks will assume they are mice at first (because of the noise), but once we perform our initial inspection on a mouse call and find only Bat droppings– that’s when people tend to get a little uneasy. Most home owners can handle a mouse problem but are not prepared to deal with a bat infestation!!

We do travel all over Massachusetts but recently the phones have been especially ringing off the hook with calls from Cambridge MA and Boston MA. It’s certainly no fun having bats in your house..

Proper removal of bats is *very* important for the health and safety of your home. (Not to mention your sanity– having to listen to them thumping , bumping , and scratching night after night.

If you need help getting rid of bats just give us a call, we’re experts at solving all of your rodent removal needs.

– Gary

Give us a call at 508-946-0060 – we’re delighted to give you our expert assessment.

Easter marks a time for baby squirrels to go nuts (no pun intended!) — they just love to move about while momma squirrel goes feeding!

Whether you’re in Boston, Cape Cod, or parts of eastern MA — the spring season brings out new life that loves to roam about your attic. Not only are squirrels a problem in MA, but raccoons and bats are also “in the market” for our houses!

… and you thought it was only for humans!

February marks the beginning of Skunk Breeding Season here in MA. It’s not uncommon for male skunks to spray your property, deck, and crawl spaces to mark their territory. We have noticed increased and surrounding suburbs. Cape cod is also a ‘skunk hot spot’ this time of year. Feel free to browse our information about skunk prevention in your MA home.

Also, pay close attention to squirrel activity around your house and property. Baby squirrel season is just around the corner, which means they’ll be busy constructing their nest. Your attic and crawl spaces make perfect homes for them! Here’s everything you need to know about squirrels in your MA home, attic, fireplace.

Make sure you take time to read up and educate yourself about preventing, and getting rid of skunks.

Most of our calls during the winter months deal with squirrels, flying squirrels (they’re not the same!), and mice. You see, cold weather makes them all the more eagar to find a nice, comfy spot in your home!

If you hear running and thumping sounds during the day, you probably have gray squirrels. If those noises come out at night, it’s likely flying squirrels.

If you’re hearing scratching noises in the walls and ceiling at night, it’s probably mice or bats (or even both!).