Is it a good idea to hire a pro, or should I remove wild animals myself?

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We would always recommend hiring a professional when you need to remove wild animals from your home or commercial building. These animals, although seemingly small and cute, can be very dangerous in certain situations. These bring threats with them that you most definitely not welcome, including diseases, and also the threat of attack.



What are the biggest threats with DIY wild animal removal?

Starting with the obvious one, wild animals attack! You could get hurt if you corner a wild animal, as for some of them their only form of defense is attack. The opossum / possum would usually rather play dead, although they have razor sharp teeth and claws to play with if that doesn't work. The same can be said for raccoons. Well, the teeth and claws, not the playing dead defense. Raccoons, despite looking pretty cute on Facebook videos, are incredibly vicious, particularly when it comes to food. If you offer them food, they'll take it in an adorable fashion for the first few rounds. When you try to stop feeding them, however, or don't feed them enough, they'll have a temper tantrum, demanding more, and someone gets hurt. The most common incidences of human — animal interactions happen when someone is trying to feed the animal. This is why we would NEVER advise feeding a wild animal, unless the food is in a trap.

If you are attacked by a wild animal, you will need to seek urgent medical attention. Rabies IS a very big threat, and you will need the vaccination immediately. If you wait for symptoms to show before you seek treatment for rabies, the case is almost always fatal. Treatment must be received immediately — within 24/48 hours.

You will need to ensure any wounds are thoroughly cleaned to prevent infections, and for deep wounds you may even require stitches / sutures.

For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How To Guide: Who should I hire? - What questions to ask, to look for, who NOT to hire.
How To Guide: do it yourself! - Advice on saving money by doing wildlife removal yourself.
Guide: How much does wildlife removal cost? - Analysis of wildlife control prices.
animals in the attic
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