Being a homeowner in the beautiful state of Georgia is great, but with the lovely landscape comes plenty of wildlife that you may not be so keen about. Have you ever had an animal make a home out of your chimney before? If you have an older home, chances are good that you’ve at least had a bird or two make a nest in your chimney. As Marietta raccoon removal experts, we at Critter Busters want you to know that birds may be the least of your worries!

Georgia Raccoons

Although breeding for raccoons in Georgia is at its height in February and March, mothers may have litters of ‘kits’ anywhere from December to June. You may not realize it, but your chimney may be the perfect place for an expectant raccoon mother to den in (at least in her eyes). You can tell if a raccoon is in your chimney by listening for scratching and squealing noises; if you hear a noise but are not sure of what type of animal is in your chimney, Critter Busters will determine the problem for you.

Raccoon Removal

For your safety and those of the animals, please do not try lighting a fire to make your temporary guests exit the chimney. This will induce panic in the mother raccoon (and babies) and could cause her to come down into your home instead of up and out. Like most animals, it’s not a good idea to be close to a protective new mother, especially if you are causing harm to her babies. Also, raccoons are notorious for carrying diseases that can be easily transferred to humans and pets.

Professional Raccoon Removal

Most Marietta homeowners do not relish the idea of letting the mother raccoon and her babies enjoy their 8-10 weeks of maternity time. So if you need to evict your unwelcome furry friends, call Critter Busters to take care of it for you. We pride ourselves on our safe wildlife removal practices. We will carefully live trap the mother raccoon and retrieve the kits (babies), as humanely as possible. Our experienced critter control team is fully licensed and insured by the state of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, and always offers competitive rates for animal removal and exclusion. We even offer a WARRANTY with full-service exclusions that ensures that your home will remain pest free!

Please contact Critter Busters for your Marietta raccoon removal today if you think there is a raccoon or other animal living in your chimney. Call 404-372-1645 at any time, as we have a 24/7 emergency line, or fill out a contact form online. We look forward to helping you with all of your local wildlife nuisances.

Not located in Marietta, Georgia? That’s okay! Take a look at our service areas to see if we can help you!

You may not always be aware of them, but there are usually several types of critters lurking around your home during the night. One in particular you may have seen eating your pets outside food when you turn on your outdoor lights or while you are driving on a dark road…the opossum. While these creatures of the night typically come and go without incident, some homeowners will require opossum control and Critter Busters is ready to help!

Local Opossum Control

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), “The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), or “opossum” as it is commonly known, is a native mammal in Georgia…about the size of a house cat; They have long, dense body fur that is usually a grayish white color…An opossums face is white with a pointed snout and whiskers…the tail is about a foot long…The tail is “prehensile” which means it is can be used to grasp onto objects such as tree limbs…An adult opossum has 50 teeth, quite a lot, and is not afraid to bare them when scared or angry…”

Critter Busters may need to get involved if you have an opossum that is becoming a nuisance at your home or around your neighborhood or business; if you have an opossum consistently getting into garbage, bird feeders, pet food or destroying bird nests in your yard, you may want to consider our opossum control services.

At Critter Busters we provide humane animal removal of nuisance wildlife along with professional exclusion. All of our full-service exclusions come with the security of a WARRANTY that ensures your home will remain pest free. Plus, our experienced critter control team is fully licensed and insured by the state of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources. We also offer Emergency Services 24/7 for your immediate assistance and convenience.

Stopping Lyme Disease

Did you know that opossums eat ticks? They are one of the few mammals that actually help prevent the spread of Lyme Disease by eating the adolescent ticks that carry the bacteria. These ticks are usually most active during late April and May, so if you happen to see an opossum every once in awhile around your home that isn’t being a nuisance, think twice before sending it packing. While Critter Busters is always glad to take your call and help with wildlife removal, it is not always necessary. Next time an opossum stalks across the road in front of you in the night, just think, it could have just eaten harmful ticks that were living near your home or where your children play!

Questions or concerns? Please feel free to contact our team Critter Busters online or by phone at 404-372-1645.

Have you been enjoying our lovely Spring weather lately? The temperature has been mild, the sun has been shining and on the wind you can hear…buzzing?! Yes, our little-winged bee friends are beginning to emerge for spring. Critter Busters of Acworth wants you to know that we handle bee and wasp removal, so if these outdoor insects become a problem for your home or business, simply give us a call!

Common Stinging Bees/Wasps in GA

The following are common types of bees or wasps that most people living in Georgia may come into contact with:

• Bumble Bees
• Yellow Jackets
• Honey Bees
• Hornets
• Mud Daubers
• Paper Wasps

Of the many flying insects inhabiting Georgia that appear dangerous, not all of them are aggressive or sting. Need help identifying what type of bees you are dealing with in your yard? Read more on this UGA Extension link about bees and wasps.

What’s All the Buzz About?

Often times bees and wasps are attracted to your yard due to certain plants there or other types of food or shelter readily available to them. For example, did you know that yellow jackets are carnivores? Most of their spring and summer diet actually consists of eating other insects (like caterpillars) so they can develop larvae in their colony! That is why it makes sense that gardens are a prime target for yellow jackets to ‘hunt.’

Even your lovely hummingbird feeder could be attracting bees. Any feeders with yellow draw bees to it, so perhaps having a ‘bee feeder’ decoy is needed if your little friends won’t stay away from the hummingbird food.

Although bees and wasps can seem scary, they are an important part of the ecosystem. Honey bees for example, are very important to our crop growth all over the world; without their pollination, we will actually lose crops that are vital for our everyday food!

If you do have an aggressive nest of wasps or a nest in the ground full of yellow jackets, please contact Critter Busters immediately for safe and quick bee removal. Irritated bees can be very dangerous and some types, like yellow jacket, will sting a person over and over repeatedly. Don’t get stung this spring, let the pro’s handle it!

Coyotes in the News

Critter Busters of Acworth, Ga. is one of the top wildlife removal and prevention services around. While our customer calls generally include small pests, such as: squirrels, bats, rats, raccoons, bees, etc.; recent events have enticed us to discuss coyotes for this week’s post.

If you regularly watch the local news, you may have heard about the recent incidents with coyote attacks in Dekalb County. 11 Alive News first reported an issue when “Ziva the chihuahua” had to be rescued by her owner from the jaws of a coyote on the evening of March 15th. WSB-TV Atlanta then followed this story up with a different story about coyotes killing neighborhood cats in the same area.

Watch a WSB-TV News Clip Here   

Don’t Panic! Read These Coyote Facts:

Coyotes are non-native wildlife found throughout the southeast. Since their arrival in Georgia, which was noted by hunters around 1969, this species has grown dramatically. Coyotes’ appearances reflect those of a medium-sized dog with a straight bushy tail; fur color varies from reddish brown to black and brownish-gray (most common) with dark highlights on the shoulders and back, plus a cream colored underbelly.

It is important to note that coyotes are timid in nature and typically shy away from humans (they will run from loud noises typically). Due to their highly adaptive nature, however, it has been confirmed that they do reside in every county of Georgia (including urban areas).

The good news is that coyotes are an important member of the Georgia wildlife system. They eat many animals that most of us consider pests, like: rabbits, mice and other rodents, deer (mostly fawns), squirrels, opossums, raccoons, snakes, etc. However, small pets can also become a late night snack if they are left outside at night (when coyotes hunt) in a heavily populated coyote area (which you would know).

For more information about coyotes or Critter Busters’ wildlife removal services, please give us a call at 404-372-1645 to learn more. Also, Like our page on Facebook for more interesting critter information and news like this!

Springtime in Georgia is the time of year that some slithering friends begin making more appearances outside (and sometimes inside). Critter Busters of Acworth, Ga. wants you and your family to be aware of the most dangerous of these serpents before spring arrives, but not to worry, because we offer snake removal.

Georgia Snake Species

In Georgia there are actually 41 native species of snakes; a number greater than many usually realize! With so many different snake species in one place it may get a little confusing trying to tell them apart. Critter Busters can help, but we would rather teach you the most dangerous type to remember first, so you can quickly identify and get help if you come across one of these snakes.

6 Dangerous Snake Species in Georgia

Out of the 41 snake species, the following six types of snakes are extremely dangerous:

1. Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius)- Classified as a venomous pit viper, this small snake may not seem intimidating but it is very poisonous and notably has a tiny, yellow rattle on its tail (that is too small to be heard).
2. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)- Is a more well known venomous pit viper and is also the largest venomous snake in the US. Know for being highly aggressive and irritable, this snake has no predators and is used to doing what it wants.
3. Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)- Is our last venomous rattlesnake on this list, but don’t let the name fool you; this snake can be found everywhere in Georgia. Some have even been known to grow up to 4.5 feet in length!
4. Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)- This species of venomous pit viper is quite aggressive; a bite to a small child or small animal is usually fatal from a full grown copperhead snake. (Let us handle snake removal for you with this one!)
5. Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)-  Also know as a “Water Moccasin,” this poisonous snake prefers areas near water (creeks, lakes, swamps, etc.). A bite from this snake can kill an adult; the venom is so powerful it can actually dissolve tissue!
6. Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius)- This black, yellow and red striped coral snake is very venomous, but spends most of its time underground, masking the fact that it may be living near people.

If you are unsure of whether a venomous snake or harmless snake has come into your home or yard this spring, step away and call the experts at Critter Busters! Our snake removal experts will quickly help you, so you family can get back to enjoying the day without getting a snakebite!

Critter Busters, your Atlanta area wildlife removal specialists, want to give you as much information about bothersome critters as we can. Right now in Georgia, we are in what our industry calls “squirrel season,” the time when female squirrels seek out warm and cozy places (like your attic) to make a nest and have their babies in. While calling the experts is always your best bet for humane squirrel removal and prevention, we also want to give you a few tips to try and prevent these fur balls from even thinking about entering your home!

One way to keep squirrels at bay is through the use of repellents. While you can buy these in the store, it’s just as easy to whip up your own squirrel repellents at home! Here are some homemade squirrel repellent recipes:

• Hot Pepper Repellent Recipe:
  • 1 chopped yellow onion
  • 1 chopped jalapeno pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper

Boil all ingredients for 20 minutes in two quarts of water. Let cool and strain the mixture through cheesecloth. Apply mix with a pesticide sprayer or a spray bottle. This will deter squirrels and other animals from the outdoor area where it is applied. This mixture only lasts for three to five days and must be reapplied frequently.

• Easy Hot Sauce Repellent Recipe:
  • 1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce ®
  • 1 quart of water

Mix these ingredients together for an easy do-it-yourself mixture, then spray on affected outdoor area. This can be sprayed directed on your home, depending on the color and material; use your best judgment.

Critter Busters also suggests being very aware of any openings or holes in or around your home that will make it easy for a squirrel to get inside. Squirrels will try to chew their way through anything, even mortar if a small opening is already present! That’s why we also provide FREE inspections and prevention services.

Have questions or concerns about squirrel removal or our other services? We would be happy to help you, so please give us a call today at 404-372-1645.

One of the wonderful parts of being a Georgia homeowner is the gorgeous greenery that surrounds our lovely “City of Trees” in Atlanta, and the picturesque neighborhoods in the outer suburbs that it creates. Unfortunately, this lush growth of greenery and trees means that your family may have more animals for neighbors than people! Critter Busters based out of Acworth, Ga. wants you to know that one of these furry ‘neighbors’ maybe be the seemingly cute gray squirrel; one of the most recognizable kinds of wildlife found in Georgia. However, during the wintertime these cute friends can easily turn into foes as they move into your home, requiring some much-needed squirrel control.

These mammals are categorized as tree squirrels and range from about 12 ounces to one and a half pounds. It is likely you’ve seen these creatures hanging around in your neighborhood, in your local park, and maybe even running down the sidewalk near you. They generally keep to themselves unless you feed them or have bird feeders in your yard, but when winter comes they are tempted into the cozy spaces of your attic. Some signs of infestation are scratching or thumping noises coming from your attic space during the daytime.

Squirrel Hazards:

• Shredding of insulation, ductwork, and electrical wiring in your attic.
• Foul odors from squirrel urine and (in unfortunate circumstances) squirrel death.
• Open holes or burrows into your home that other creatures such as bats, rats, or other pests can enter through.
• Although a minimal risk, squirrels can also carry diseases like rabies, tick fever, and more; never something you want in your home!

Squirrel removal is a job for the professionals, so let our experts at Critter Busters take care of your squirrel control for your home or business. Don’t let these furballs take over your space! Contact us today for your FREE inspection and we will let you know if something is squirreling around in your attic!

*Ask us about our warranty when you call 404-372-1645.