Questions we hear in Chattanooga and Hamilton County
Attic noise, species clues, TWRA rules, cost, and towns. Cost bands are market chatter, not a bid.
Something is in my Chattanooga attic. What should I do tonight?+-
Leave it alone. Do not seal a hole you can still hear movement behind. Do not fog, poison, or chase an animal into a wall. Note whether it is day or night, where the sound is, and if you can see a torn vent or dropping. Request a quote with that. If a bat is in living space with people or pets, that is a health question as well as a wildlife job.
How do I tell a squirrel from a raccoon?+-
Squirrels usually run during the day and sound lighter. Raccoons thump at night and tear larger openings. Droppings and entry size help. A quiz can point you. Eyes in the attic still beat a guess.
Can I just trap it and let it go across town?+-
Dumping a raccoon in another neighborhood is a bad plan and often illegal. Relocated animals suffer, spread disease, and someone else's attic becomes the next den. Exclusion at the house you own is the job.
Do I need a permit to hire wildlife removal in Tennessee?+-
You don't pull a homeowner permit for a typical attic job. The company you hire generally does. Anyone charging a fee to control nuisance wildlife in Tennessee must hold a TWRA Animal Damage Control permit, with extra rules for bats. Ask to see it. Look up TWRA's wildlife damage control page.
Can you remove bats in summer?+-
Sometimes inspection and planning, not always full exclusion the same week. TWRA requires approval before bat exclusion work, including species, estimated numbers, and whether young are present. Sealing a maternity colony in is the wrong move. We'll tell you what the season allows after we know what you have.
How much does wildlife removal cost in Chattanooga?+-
It depends on the animal, how many entries, attic access, season, and cleanup. Simple one-animal jobs are often discussed in the low hundreds. Exclusion, roof repairs, raccoon dens, and bat colonies climb. Market chatter is not a bid.
Will you just spray foam the hole?+-
No. Foam is a snack for squirrels and a trap if an animal is still inside. We use hardware that matches the opening: mesh, flashing, chimney caps, and repairs that last. Cleanup of droppings is separate from closing the hole.
Do you serve Hixson, East Ridge, and Signal Mountain, or only Chattanooga?+-
Chattanooga first. We also serve Hixson, East Ridge, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, and Soddy Daisy. Tell us the town on the form. Each town has its own page because the houses are not clones.
City animal control vs a wildlife company?+-
Chattanooga Animal Services handles stray pets and some public-safety calls. They are not your attic contractor. TWRA officers generally do not trap nuisance wildlife for homeowners. Paid attic work is a private Animal Damage Control job.
Should I keep using mothballs or a radio in the attic?+-
Those tricks delay a real repair. Naphthalene is a health problem in a living house. A radio might move an animal into a wall. Close the entry after the animals can leave.
Do you clean the attic after the animals are gone?+-
Yes, when that's the job. Droppings, urine, and torn insulation are a separate scope from trapping. Wear a mask if you go up there yourself, and don't sweep dry guano around. Request cleanup if the smell or mess is the leftover problem.
Will this website tell me exactly what species I have?+-
No. The attic quiz is a triage tool. Mixed sounds, no droppings, or a quiet house with leftover mess can be more than one animal. An inspection of entries is the useful next step.
Request a quote
Tell us the town and whether this is an attic animal, a chimney, a torn vent, or leftover mess after they left.