Call a wildlife removal company for the bigger animals that get into your building — raccoons, skunks, squirrels, bats and some birds. Call a pest control company for rodents and insects — mice, rats, wasps, ants and cockroaches. They are two separate trades with different licensing, different methods and different rules. Phoning the wrong one usually means starting over with a second call.
Most homeowners find this out the slow way. You hear something overhead at two in the morning, you type “exterminator near me” into your phone, and the company that shows up doesn’t do raccoons. Or you call a wildlife company about mice in the pantry and get politely redirected. Neither call was silly — the words are genuinely confusing. Here’s how the split actually works.
What’s the difference between wildlife removal and pest control?
Wildlife removal deals with the animals that break into a structure and live there. Raccoons in the attic. Skunks under the deck. Squirrels in the soffit. Bats in the roof space. Birds nesting in a dryer or bathroom vent.
The work is mostly building work. A technician finds how the animal got in, gets it out humanely — often with a one-way door that lets it leave but not return — and then permanently seals the entry point so nothing else moves in. This trade operates under Ontario wildlife law, which sets rules about how animals may be handled, when work can happen, and what may be done with an animal once it’s caught. In Ontario, for example, a trapped wild animal can only be relocated up to 1 km from where it was caught. That single rule shapes a lot of how the job is done.
Pest control deals with rodents and insects. Mice, rats, wasps, hornets, ants, cockroaches, spiders, bed bugs. It’s a different licence, different training and a different set of products and methods. A good pest control tech knows rodent and insect behaviour in a way a wildlife tech doesn’t — and the reverse is just as true.
Why people call the wrong one constantly
Three words get used as if they mean the same thing:
- Wildlife control — the animals-in-your-building trade described above.
- Animal control — usually means the municipal service, which is a different thing again (more on that below).
- Pest control — the rodent and insect trade.
Online, these blur together fast. Directory sites often lump all of it together under “pest control,” so the same listing can turn up whether you searched for a raccoon or a wasp nest. Plenty of companies use more than one of these words on their own website, which adds to the blur. And “exterminator” is the word most people reach for under stress, no matter what’s in the attic.
So the mix-ups are predictable:
- Someone hears scratching, assumes rodents, and books pest control — when it’s a raccoon that’s been widening a soffit gap for a week.
- Someone sees droppings, assumes “wildlife,” and calls us — when it’s a mouse problem that a pest control company will handle far better than we would.
- Someone calls a general handyman to “seal it up,” and seals an animal inside the wall.
That last one is the expensive mistake. If you’re not sure what you’re hearing yet, start with what’s in my attic — identify the animal. The sound, the timing and the droppings usually give it away before anyone climbs a ladder.
Who to call for what
| What you have | Who to call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Raccoon in the attic or chimney | Wildlife removal | Needs humane removal plus structural sealing; often a mother with young |
| Skunk under a deck, shed or porch | Wildlife removal | Handling and exclusion under a structure, done without setting off spray |
| Squirrel in the soffit, roof or wall | Wildlife removal | Chews entry holes and wiring; needs one-way exclusion and repair |
| Bats in the roof or attic | Wildlife removal | Several Ontario species are protected and the work is season-gated — specialist job |
| Bird stuck in a vent or nesting in one | Wildlife removal | Vent access, nest removal and screening, not a chemical job |
| Mice or rats indoors | Pest control | A rodent specialist’s licence, training and tools |
| Wasps, hornets, bees, ants, cockroaches, spiders | Pest control | Insect work — a separate trade entirely |
| Injured, sick or stray animal | Your municipality first, or an authorized wildlife rehabilitator | Public-safety and animal-welfare call, not a building repair |
| Dead animal smell in a wall or ceiling | Wildlife removal | Locating and removing the carcass, then cleanup and deodorizing |
One line to remember: if it’s big enough to have broken into your house, it’s usually wildlife. If it’s small enough to have simply walked or flown in, it’s usually pest control.
Municipal animal control vs. a private company
This is the second big mix-up. Many people assume the town will come and get the raccoon out of the attic. Generally, it won’t.
Municipal policies vary a lot across Ontario, so check with yours directly. But broadly speaking, municipal services tend to focus on:
- Stray or at-large domestic animals — mostly dogs and cats
- Injured or sick wildlife found on public property
- Certain public-safety situations, such as an aggressive animal in a public space
- Bylaw matters like licensing and complaints
What they typically don’t do is private property work: getting an animal out of your attic, sealing the hole it used, or cleaning up after it. That’s a private contractor’s job.
If the situation feels urgent — an animal loose inside your living space, or one that seems sick or aggressive — start with your municipality or a wildlife rehabilitator, and read emergency wildlife removal for how to handle the first hour safely.
Why do bats need a wildlife removal company, not an exterminator?
Several bat species in Ontario are protected, and the roosts they use can be protected along with them. On top of that, bat work is season-gated. Through the summer, roosts often contain flightless pups. Sealing a building at that time separates mothers from young that can’t leave on their own — which is inhumane, and it leaves you with a much worse problem inside the walls than the one you started with.
The right method is exclusion — no chemicals, no killing: every gap on the building is sealed except the ones the bats use, one-way devices go on those, the colony leaves on its own over several nights, and then the last openings are closed permanently. Done properly, the colony moves out and the building stays closed to them.
Done by someone treating it like an insect job, it’s ineffective, and it can also break the law.
What The Critter Guy handles — and what we don’t
We’d rather tell you up front than take your call, book a visit and waste your afternoon.
The Critter Guy handles:
- Bats
- Raccoons
- Skunks
- Squirrels
- Some bird jobs — vents, nests and similar situations
- Dead animal removal
- Attic cleanup and restoration after an animal has been living up there
We do not handle:
- Mice or rats
- Wasps, hornets or bees
- Ants, spiders, cockroaches or any other insect work
Those go to a pest control company, and we’ll say so on the phone rather than stretch to fit the job. It’s not a limitation we’re embarrassed about — it’s the reason we’re good at the four animals we do focus on. We’ve been at this since 2005, we’re family-run out of Owen Sound, and we use humane methods with no poison, ever.
Before you book anything, who to call for wildlife removal covers the DIY-versus-professional question, and how much wildlife removal costs explains what actually drives the price of a job.
What to ask whoever you call
Whichever trade you land on, four questions sort the good operators from the rest:
- Are you licensed and insured for this kind of work? Ask specifically about the animal you have. A licence for one type of work isn’t a licence for all of it.
- What method will you use, and is it humane? For wildlife, you want to hear about exclusion, one-way doors and checking for dependent young. Be cautious of anyone who leads with poison for a structural animal problem.
- Do you seal the entry points afterwards, or just remove the animal? This is the big one. Removal without sealing means the next animal walks into a house that’s already proven easy to get into. Ask whether the repair is included or quoted separately.
- Is cleanup included? Droppings, contaminated insulation and odour are part of the problem, not an extra. Find out before the truck arrives whether it’s in scope.
Also ask who answers the phone. When you call us, a real person picks up — usually Dave or Roman — not a call centre or an automated attendant. You’ll get a clear, honest quote up front, and if the job belongs to another trade, we’ll tell you that instead of booking it.
If you’d rather stop the problem before it starts, fall wildlife proofing covers the seasonal check that prevents most attic calls in the first place.
Frequently asked questions
Do exterminators handle raccoons?
Usually not. Most pest control companies focus on rodents and insects, and raccoon work sits in the wildlife removal trade — humane removal, checking for young, and permanent sealing of the entry point under Ontario wildlife rules. Some larger firms run both divisions, so it’s fair to ask. But if a company’s main business is insects and mice, a raccoon in the attic probably isn’t the work they do every day, so it’s worth asking before you book.
Do you do mice or rats?
No. We’re not a rodent company, and we’d rather say that plainly than stretch. Mice and rats go to a pest control company — that’s a different licence and a different set of tools, and a specialist will do a better job than we would. Call us for bats, raccoons, skunks, squirrels and some bird situations.
Is wildlife removal licensed differently from pest control?
Yes. In Ontario the two trades operate under different rules. Wildlife work falls under provincial wildlife legislation. It sets out how animals may be handled, how far a trapped animal can be moved, and how protected species such as certain bats must be treated. Pest control work that involves pesticides falls under Ontario’s pesticide licensing rules instead — a separate framework with its own training and certification. Ask any company you call which one covers your situation.
Who do I call about a dead animal in the wall?
That one’s ours. Dead animal removal sits with wildlife removal, because finding the carcass, opening up as little as possible to reach it, and dealing with the mess afterwards is the same skill set as the removal work. Odour and staining both need handling, and so does whatever the animal left behind in the insulation. If the carcass has drawn insects, that part is a pest control job — we’ll tell you. Here’s more on dead animal smell in a wall and how the job usually goes.
Not sure which trade you need? Describe what you’re hearing and we’ll tell you straight — including when the answer is “call a pest control company instead.” Get in touch or call 519-783-1575. A real person answers, usually Dave or Roman. Family-run since 2005, based in Owen Sound, humane methods and no poison — and rated 4.6 stars across 36 Google reviews, which you can read on our testimonials page.