Assuming that you have noticed the presence of pests such as skunks and opossums in your home or compound, your next step might be to get a animal control expert to get rid of them for you. Trying to do this on your own is usually not advisable, since the success rates are usually not high, and you may end up having to deal with a recurrent problem in future. In addition to that, it might take too much time, and you may also expose yourself to various risks when doing this. In most cases, consulting a quality contractor is the best long term measure you can take.
When you do this, it’s important to make sure that you prepare for their arrival. This is not necessary, but will go a long way in making the contractor’s work easier, since they will get the work done with minimal complications. Some of the things that you can do in preparation include:
Consulting the landlord if you are a rental tenant
If you live in a rental property, you might need to call your landlord and talk to them about getting rid of the pests before going ahead and doing so. Remember, when you live in a rented house, it still belongs to the landlord. They therefore have the last say in what can and can’t be done in the home and compound. Making changes to the compound in the name of getting rid of pests can result in you facing numerous penalties, and you may also end up being evicted on account of breaking the rules.
When consulting the landlord, you should give them an account of the problem, as well as when the pest removal experts will show up. In some cases, you can even negotiate the terms of pest removal. For instance, you can ask them to refund the cash later on, or at least make an equivalent deduction from your rent in the next payment cycle.
Restraining pets
If you happen to have pets such as dogs at home, they could interfere with the process of pest removal. Some of them might be very aggressive, and will try to bite the pest removal experts. Others may simply interfere with their work, and make it harder for them to complete it on time. In addition to that, you should also keep in mind that a few people are naturally afraid of pets such as dogs. Seeing a large dog running around, even if it’s usually very friendly, may be a bit disconcerting to them. Restraining it will help avoid most of these problems and help the contractors get on with their work faster.
Improve access
In a few cases, you might need to make an active effort to improve access to the part of the house that needs attention. For instance, if you have raccoons in your backyard or your attic, it would be wise to get rid of anything that might restrict movement to this part of the home. This way, when the exterminators come, they will have a much easier time getting to the heart of the problem and then getting rid of it.
Make sure there’s someone home to receive them
You should make arrangements to have an adult in the house by the time the pest exterminators come to get rid of the pests. Remember, they will need someone to receive them and tell them more about the nature of the problem if need be. Having an adult do this is the most reliable way of making sure that the correct information is passed to them, and adequate supervision is provided if this is needed.
Of course, there are times when this might not be extremely important. For instance, if you had communicated with the contractor before and agreed on what they should do, you could even leave someone who does not know much about the problem in the house for security’s sake. They don’t need to know every little detail about the pest problem.
Have measures in place to do a cleanup
Depending on the nature of the pests you are trying to get rid of, you might also want to put measures in place to get rid of any residue from the animal removal process. For instance, if pesticides are used, it would be a good idea to get a specialized cleaning service to clean the home before you can inhabit it again. This is especially so if you happen to have kids, who may be susceptible to ingesting the animal control products and also becoming harmed by it. Of course, if you use services from a responsible service provider, they are likely to do as much as they can to ensure that they don’t leave your home in a state that is likely to harm the members of your household.