Signs You Have Wildlife Trapping in Your Long Island Home
You have wildlife nesting on your Long Island property if you hear thumping or scratching in the attic or ceiling at night, smell strong skunk or urine odor near a deck or shed, see torn soffit corners or a hole in a gable vent, or find scat piles under a shed or in an attic corner. Suffolk County wooded lots and Nassau County properties near preserves and parks see the highest activity, particularly with squirrels, raccoons, opossums, and skunks. Chimney interior activity is common in older Nassau homes without caps. Any suspected nesting animal should be inspected quickly, since a mother with young can cause serious insulation and wiring damage in weeks.
How Bobby Bugs Treats Wildlife Trapping
Bobby Bugs handles wildlife on Long Island in two very different ways: full removal and sealing when animals are nesting inside the structure, and a 10-day trapping program for exterior-area problems. Expect a written 6-month guarantee on the in-structure job.
- 1Free phone triage confirming likely species and whether the animal is inside the structure.
- 2On-site inspection: attic, chimney, soffit corners, decks, and sheds.
- 3For in-structure jobs: trapping, removal, and sealing openings with wire mesh.
- 4For exterior jobs: a 10-day trapping program with checks and adjustments throughout.
- 5Handling in compliance with New York State wildlife regulations.
- 6Written 6-month guarantee on in-structure jobs.
How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Wildlife Trapping?
Most Long Island wildlife jobs are functionally complete in 5 to 14 days. Trapping catches the target animal in the first several days in the majority of cases, followed by sealing on the same visit or a scheduled return. Very cautious animals or mothers with young can push the timeline out. The 6-month written guarantee on in-structure jobs covers reentry through the sealed openings during that window.
How to Keep Wildlife Trapping From Coming Back
To keep wildlife off your Long Island property, cap chimneys, screen gable and soffit vents with heavy metal mesh, install wire mesh skirting around decks and sheds, secure trash in metal or heavy plastic cans with tight lids, and never leave pet food or bird seed outside overnight. Trim tree branches at least eight feet back from rooflines. Bobby Bugs will leave a written prevention checklist on the invoice.
More resources
- Visit our full services list.
- See every area we serve across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and The Bronx.
- See our rat extermination page.
- See our bird nest removal page.
Frequently asked questions
What is scratching in my attic at night?
Loud thumping in a Long Island attic at night is usually raccoons or opossums, both nocturnal and heavy. Fast scampering in the morning and afternoon is usually squirrels, which are diurnal. A skunk smell coming from under a deck often means a nesting skunk. A camera or Bobby Bugs inspection confirms species.
Do you relocate the animals?
New York State wildlife regulations control how nuisance wildlife can be handled after capture on Long Island. Bobby Bugs follows current state rules on removal, which limit relocation distances and species. Every job includes trapping, humane handling within regulations, and sealing openings so the situation does not repeat.
What is a 10-day trapping program?
A 10-day trapping program is Bobby Bugs' standard approach for wildlife problems in exterior areas of a Long Island property (under decks, in yards, near sheds) where animals are not actively nesting inside the home. Traps are set, checked, and adjusted over roughly 10 days to remove the active animal or animals.
How do animals get into a Long Island attic?
Squirrels, raccoons, and opossums enter Long Island attics through soffit corners, roof-fascia gaps, gable vents, and chimneys. Older Nassau homes with wood soffits and Suffolk homes with unscreened gable vents are the most common. Sealing openings with heavy hardware cloth is the essential second half of the job.