FAQs

What locations do you service?

Pinnacle Wildlife Control has field technicians who service Westchester County and its surroundings. Pinnacle can help you with pesky critters and birds in the Bronx, Elmsford, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Peekskill, Purchase, Rye, Scarsdale, Tarrytown, Westchester, White Plains, Yonkers and the greater metro New York area.

 

What do you do with the animals once they are captured?

This depends on the state laws regarding wildlife possession for wildlife control trappers. Pinnacle Wildlife Control will obey the law with regards to the release or destruction of animals. Certain rabies vectors must be euthanized (killed) by law in some states. Some protected animals can’t be harassed at all.

 

Can the city or county take care of the problem for free?

No. Government animal control only deal with domestic animals such as dogs and cats. This includes barking or dangerous dogs, bite reports, or pet abuse complaints. It’s true that certain government services used to help with select wildlife cases, but they did not perform true professional wildlife control. For example, if you had a squirrel in your basement, the county might lend you a cage trap to trap the animal, then pick up the trapped squirrel once it’s caught. Even if the county animal services were willing to help with wildlife issues, they wouldn’t do a complete job. They wouldn’t tell you about the openings that the squirrel came in from, they wouldn’t clean the squirrel waste, and most importantly, they wouldn’t prevent this situation from happening again. Wildlife control is a specialized and complex field requiring a lot of dedication and work.

 

Can’t my regular pest control company take care of this?

Pest control companies typically treat for insects and use poison control methods to do so. They usually spray poison on the yard or house, and charge for monthly or quarterly maintenance. They use the same methods when they try to control rodents and have been known to try to use poisons on other animals, such as bats. This method is illegal. Wildlife control of large animals is different than insect pest control and should be dealt with by a professional wildlife trapper who has experience dealing with wild animals. They will use hands-on removal of animals, not a poison spray.

 

Do you use poisons?

Poison is not a solution for a wildlife problem. Poisons work for insects because they are small. There are no registered or effective poisons for wildlife control, except for rats and mice. The rodents who find the poison and choose to eat it are the ones who die from it.  One way to remove rats and mice is to identify the entry holes the rats are using, sealing them shut.

 

Do you take care of insects?

Yes, pest control branch and wildlife removal branch are two different fields.Pinnacle Wildlife can take care of a majority of insect and rodent problems for you.

 

What types of traps do you use?

There are many different types of traps for different animals, environment, location, and structures. A trapper will make sure that the traps used are legal. Then the trapper will use the most effective and humane trap for the situation.

 

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. Pinnacle Wildlife Control has a special trapper’s license issued by the state fish and wildlife commission and all relevant city and county occupational licenses, and be willing to display them on request. Pinnacle Wildlife Control also carry all relevant insurance. This protects the customer, in the event of an accident. Wildlife operators work in attics, and if an accident should happen, insurance will cover it.

 

Do you pick up orphaned, injured, or dead animals?

This isn’t typically what wildlife control operators do. We solve problems with wildlife. We don’t rescue and rehabilitate lost or injured baby animals. If you feel you must absolutely do something for a poor helpless little critter, try to find a local wildlife rehabber. The city or county animal services will often take care of dead animals. You do need to call a wildlife control professional if you want it removed and properly disposed of.

 

Will you help out with dog or cat issues?

No. Call the county animal services for barking dogs and complaints.

 

Which animals do you handle?

Any wild animal that is causing a conflict in a customer’s property. This includes bat, bird, chipmunk, flying squirrels, moles, foxes, possums, coyote, beaver, raccoon, rats, mice, skunk, snake, squirrel, and woodchucks. If in doubt, call Pinnacle Wildlife Control.

 

Which animals don’t you handle?

Dogs, cats, or any other domestic animals. We also don’t handle any animal protected by the state. If in doubt, call Pinnacle Wildlife Control and we can discuss your unique animal infestation problem.

 

Have you ever been bitten by an animal?

Most wildlife operators will receive a bite from time to time. However, a professional should not get bitten on a regular basis. It is important to carefully handle venomous snakes to avoid getting injured.

 

Do all wild animals carry rabies?

Any mammal can potentially carry rabies, but only a few actually do. If the animal is clearly sick then it may have rabies. Please be aware that rabies is a terrible and fatal disease. If an animal is rabid and in the contagious state, it is close to death. An animal that is behaving normally probably does not have rabies.

 

What health risks do animals pose?

Wild animals can carry diseases that humans can contract, either through direct contact or indirect contact with droppings. The most famous is rabies. The risk of contracting diseases from wildlife is rare if proper precautions are taken.