Should You Hire a Pest Control Company or a Wildlife Specialist?

Pest Control vs. Wildlife Control: What's the Difference?

Pest control companies specialize in insects and small rodents like mice and rats. They focus on chemical treatments, baiting, and trapping to eliminate infestations inside and around your home.

Wildlife control specialists focus on larger animals—squirrels, raccoons, opossums, bats—and the structural work required to keep them out permanently. This involves exclusion (sealing entry points), humane removal, and preventing future infestations.

The key difference: Pest control is about treating problems. Wildlife control is about solving them permanently through exclusion.

Why Pest Control Companies Struggle with Wildlife

Most pest control companies offer wildlife removal as a side service, but it's not their specialty. Here's what typically happens:

1. They Focus on Trapping, Not Exclusion

Pest control companies are trained to trap animals and remove them. That's step one—but it's not a solution.

If you don't seal the entry points, new animals will move in as soon as the first ones are gone. We've seen homeowners pay for trapping three or four times because the company never sealed the house.

Wildlife specialists, on the other hand, focus on exclusion. We identify every vulnerable spot on your home and seal it permanently so animals can't return.

2. They Don't Have the Right Materials

Sealing a home against wildlife requires specialized materials—heavy-gauge steel mesh, custom-cut aluminum flashing, and commercial-grade sealants that animals can't chew through.

Pest control companies typically use foam, caulk, or light-duty materials that squirrels and rats chew through in days. It looks like a fix, but it's temporary at best.

3. They Miss Entry Points

Wildlife entry points aren't always obvious. They're often hidden behind trim, under soffits, or in roof valleys that require close inspection to find.

Pest control techs are trained to look for insect entry points (much smaller and different locations). They often miss the structural vulnerabilities that wildlife exploits.

We routinely find 5-10 unsealed entry points on homes where a pest control company "fixed" the problem.

4. They Don't Specialize in Attic Work

Wildlife infestations often require attic remediation—removing contaminated insulation, sanitizing the space, and reinstalling proper insulation.

Most pest control companies don't offer this service. They'll trap the animals and leave, but your attic is still full of droppings, urine-soaked insulation, and health hazards.

Wildlife specialists handle the full scope: removal, exclusion, cleanup, and restoration.

When Pest Control IS the Right Choice

Pest control companies are excellent for:

• Ants, roaches, spiders, and other insects
• Mice and rats inside living spaces (not attics)
• Termite inspections and treatments
• Regular preventative treatments (quarterly pest control plans)

If you have insects or small rodents in your kitchen, walls, or living areas, pest control is the right call.

But if you have animals in your attic, walls, or crawlspace—squirrels, raccoons, rats, opossums, or bats—you need a wildlife specialist.

When Wildlife Control IS the Right Choice

Call a wildlife specialist if:

• You hear scratching, scurrying, or thumping in your attic or walls
• You see visible damage to your roofline, soffits, or vents
• You've found droppings or nesting materials in your attic
• Animals are getting into your attic repeatedly (even after trapping)
• You need entry points sealed permanently
• You need attic insulation removed and replaced
• You want a lifetime guarantee on exclusion work

Wildlife specialists have the training, tools, and materials to solve the problem permanently—not just trap and hope for the best.

What to Look for in a Wildlife Specialist

Not all wildlife companies are created equal. Here's what separates professionals from amateurs:

✅ Experience: Look for companies with 10+ years specifically in wildlife control (not just pest control with wildlife as a side service).

✅ Exclusion Focus: They should emphasize sealing your home, not just trapping animals.

✅ Proper Materials: Ask what materials they use. If they mention foam or caulk, walk away. Steel and aluminum are the only reliable options.

✅ Lifetime Warranty: Professional wildlife companies guarantee their exclusion work for life. Pest control companies typically offer 30-90 day warranties.

✅ Attic Services: They should offer insulation removal, sanitization, and replacement if needed.

✅ Transparency: They should provide detailed explanations, photos of damage, and clear pricing before starting work.

Why We Do Wildlife Exclusively

At Homeland Wildlife & Pest Control, wildlife exclusion is our specialty—not a side service.

We don't do termites. We don't do quarterly pest treatments. We focus 100% on wildlife because that's what we're best at.

Here's what that means for you:

• We've seen every type of wildlife entry point and know how to seal them permanently
• We use commercial-grade materials designed specifically for wildlife exclusion
• We offer lifetime warranties because we're confident in our work
• We handle the full scope: inspection, removal, exclusion, cleanup, and restoration
• We've been doing this in San Antonio for over 14 years—it's all we do

When you call us, you're getting specialists, not generalists trying to do everything.

The Bottom Line

If you have insects or mice in your living areas, call a pest control company.

If you have wildlife in your attic or walls, call a wildlife specialist.

Hiring the wrong company means:

• Paying multiple times for trapping that doesn't solve the problem
• Animals returning within weeks because entry points weren't sealed
• Temporary fixes that fail quickly
• Missed entry points that allow new animals in
• No attic cleanup, leaving health hazards behind

Hiring the right company means:

• Permanent exclusion that keeps wildlife out for good
• Lifetime warranty backing the work
• Full attic remediation if needed
• One job, done right, guaranteed

We're Wildlife Specialists. It's All We Do.

If you're dealing with wildlife in your attic, don't call a pest control company and hope they can figure it out.

Call specialists who do this every single day.

We offer free inspections. We'll identify exactly how animals are getting in, explain what needs to be done, and provide clear pricing before starting any work.

No surprises. No upsells. Just honest, professional wildlife control backed by a lifetime warranty.

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📞 210-776-6100
🌐 www.HomelandWildlife.com

Wildlife specialists serving San Antonio for over 14 years.

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