Can I trap a raccoon or a squirrel myself?

It depends entirely on where you live. Many states and provinces regulate trapping and relocation of wildlife, some require a permit or a licensed operator, and several prohibit relocating an animal away from the capture site. Check your state or provincial wildlife agency before buying a trap, because the rules are real and they carry penalties.

Will they leave on their own?

Sometimes seasonally, and the damage does not. Chewed wiring, contaminated insulation and a hole that the next animal finds are all still there. Exclusion and repair are what actually end it.

What is making noise in my attic?

The short answer

Time of day is the best first clue. Daytime scampering and rolling sounds are usually squirrels. Night-time scratching and scurrying is more often rodents. Heavy thumping and vocal noises at dusk point at raccoons. A rustling that starts around sunset, with no scratching, can be bats.

What each one usually sounds like

Squirrels: active in daylight, especially early morning and late afternoon. Fast scampering, and sometimes the distinctive sound of a nut or an acorn rolling.
Mice and rats: mostly after dark. Light, quick scurrying, scratching inside walls, and gnawing.
Raccoons: heavy, slow, deliberate movement, usually starting around dusk, often with vocalisations. The weight is the giveaway.
Bats: no scratching or gnawing. A soft rustling or squeaking around dusk as they leave, and staining and droppings near the exit point.
Birds: daytime chirping and fluttering, usually near a vent or a soffit gap.

Why this is a wildlife job rather than a pest job

Most of these are protected to some degree, and the rules differ by state and province: many jurisdictions restrict what may be trapped, where an animal may be released, and what may be done during a breeding season. Bats in particular are protected in much of North America, and exclusion during a maternity season can trap flightless young inside a building. A company that does wildlife work will know the local rules; a company that only does insects generally will not.

Do not seal the entry hole until somebody has confirmed nothing is inside, and specifically that there are no dependent young. Sealing an animal in is how a noise problem becomes an odour problem inside a wall.

What a proper wildlife job looks like

Inspection to identify the species and find every entry point, not just the obvious one.
A one-way exclusion device over the main entry so the animals leave and cannot return, left in place for several days.
Permanent sealing of every opening once the space is confirmed empty.
Cleanup of droppings and nesting material, and repair of damaged insulation and wiring.

Also asked

Can I trap a raccoon or a squirrel myself?: It depends entirely on where you live. Many states and provinces regulate trapping and relocation of wildlife, some require a permit or a licensed operator, and several prohibit relocating an animal away from the capture site. Check your state or provincial wildlife agency before buying a trap, because the rules are real and they carry penalties.
Will they leave on their own?: Sometimes seasonally, and the damage does not. Chewed wiring, contaminated insulation and a hole that the next animal finds are all still there. Exclusion and repair are what actually end it.

Companies whose reviewers name wildlife

2,506 pest control businesses in the United States and Canada have reviewers who write about wildlife. Every listing shows the full rating distribution rather than the average, the share that is one or two star, and whether the owner replies.

Wildlife →