Smart Sleuthing

The difference between an average PCO and a great PCO is how well he or she can read the signs. Although many customers may know what kind of animal has invaded their property, others will not. These unknown situations will require professional investigation.

Inspections can be frustrating. Crawling around attics, closets and roofs, for example, is not only dirty but can also be dangerous. Still, these activities must be done. This article will help guide you through the inspection process, allowing you to systematize your inspections, reduce the variables and narrow the possible causes of the problem.

THE PRE-INSPECTION INTERVIEW. Before on-site inspection begins, you must begin to evaluate the situation by interviewing the client over the phone. During this interview, focus the customer’s conversation on the immediate circumstances: What sounds have they heard? What have they seen? What have they smelled? And where and when? The answers to these questions should give you a basic idea of the size of the animal you may be dealing with. For example, if your client complains of scratching sounds from an internal wall in the middle of the night, chances are the culprit isn’t a raccoon.

But don’t rely too much on what you hear during this phone interview, as the information you receive will be of mixed value. Too often customers will relate stories about their battles with wildlife of years gone past. And in animal damage control work, what happened six months ago is ancient history. It’s also important that you don’t allow the phone interview to prejudice you too much. I have had clients swear to me, for example, that a particular noise was too loud to be coming from mice. I kindly prepared myself for squirrels, only to discover their problem was, in fact, mice.

Try to schedule the inspection during the morning hours when lighting will be its best. Corners and other dark areas are easier to inspect at this time. But once the sun is high, heavy shadows are cast, making evaluations of dark spaces difficult. Also, inspecting during daylight hours will help illuminate any holes in the attic.

Ask the customer to remove any barriers to crawlspaces and attic hatchways before you arrive. Having this done in advance will assist you in making the best of your inspection time.

THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION. Upon arrival, introduce yourself to the owner. Then, begin the inspection, starting from the outside. Potential holes will be exposed to the outside, and the hole (which will be dark) will often be in contrasting color to the house. I rarely use a ladder during my inspections. About ninety percent of the time, all I need to see will be visible from the ground. (In another five percent of cases, the key evidence is discovered from the attic.)

I use a 500,000-candlepower flashlight from Lectro Science Inc. (800/345-6487) to illuminate dark areas. If a spot remains dark after shining a beam on it, then I know I have found a hole. Pay special attention at the corners, gables, eaves and vents, and any place where two boards meet. Over the years, moisture and heat cause the boards to expand and contract. Ultimately a gap forms between them. These are the places where squirrels like to enter.

Behind the gutters is another area you will want to investigate. Squirrels like to sit on the gutter and chew through the fascia board which has been softened by water. (Often the gutters haven’t been cleaned of leaves in some time.) Scan the roof for feces. Raccoons often will defecate before entering the house. As you look at the eaves, don’t neglect examining the lower sections of the house. Animals such as red squirrels, chipmunks, mice, skunk and opossum can enter at ground level. Pipes, dryer vents, broken windows and cracked foundations can permit small creatures into the house. Look carefully at any holes ¼ inch or larger, and for signs of wear around these holes which would signify use. Dirty smudge marks will often appear as the body oils of the creature rub off onto the building. Investigate the corners of the house. Squirrels and raccoons can climb up gutters. Coon prints will look like brown smears, and scratches will be deep and pronounced. Squirrels, on the other hand, leave no prints and the scratches are very fine. If tree branches overhang or abut the roof, don’t be surprised if there are no signs of tracks. Doors of all types should be inspected as well. Many times hatchways and garage doors don’t close tightly. I cannot overemphasize the importance of careful inspection when customers complain of hearing scratching sounds. Too many customers underestimate the noise that mice can create. If you find places where mice can enter, have the owner or yourself fill these openings and trap for mice. Small holes can be filled with steel wool (preferably stainless), caulk or sealing foam. If the noise still exists, the problem might be something else.

Some professionals may not want the customer to walk with them during the inspection. However, if the client is willing, I prefer to have him or her accompany me so I can point out problems that need to be dealt with.

Listen for clues in what your client tells you. Rarely do you get the full story the first time. Feel free to ask the same question stated a different way. Ask open-ended questions sprinkled with yes-no questions, and ask them in such a way that doesn’t lead the client. For example, one client told me she thought an animal was caught in the wall. Knowing that animals are rarely trapped in walls (they may live there but they aren’t trapped), I asked why she thought this. She said she kept hearing a squealing/grinding noise. I asked for how long, to which she replied about three months. If I had paid more attention to that three months, I would have looked first for a mechanical cause rather than having holes cut in the wall.

We started to hear the noise again, and I started to unplug appliances. Sure enough, the noise emanated from the stove’s clock, which seemed to be on its last legs. The moral? Keep an open mind, but trust your instincts too.

THE INTERIOR INSPECTION. Now that the outside is done, proceed to inspect inside. Generally speaking, the most important area of the house will be the attic and various crawlspaces. If those places don’t give you any clues, then you should proceed to the basement.

I don’t like crawling around attics. Most of the time they don’t reveal any information. But since you don’t know in advance when the attic will reveal something, you must check it. From the inside, you can better inspect the screening on the vents. Sometimes it looks intact from the outside, but the inside may reveal that it has been pulled away from the edge.

Turn your flashlight off and look for light entering the attic. If you see areas where the light is entering, make sure it is not due to a ridge vent or soffit vents. In fact, be sure to note all vents before entering the attic.

As you enter the attic you must always be concerned about safety. Falling through the floor is a real possibility. Make sure you walk on the crossbeams and not on the insulation. If insulation obscures the beams, you can get an idea of where they are by looking at the trusses or by moving the insulation. If it is too dangerous to crawl around the attic then try to get a good look at it from the ladder you are standing on.

Pay careful attention to the insulation. Quarter-sized holes indicate mice are present. Blown and fiberglass insulation will also reveal trails. Mouse trails can be very faint. The insulation will look like someone rolled a small rubber ball over it. Trails made by squirrels or raccoons will be very pronounced. If you see the paper backing of fiberglass insulation without the fiberglass, then it’s likely a squirrel has been stripping the insulation for a nest. Keep an eye out for feces. While mice feces are usually under the insulation, there are exceptions.

I would also encourage you to wear a high-quality filtration mask. I suspect that insulation fibers and your lungs don’t get along too well. It may be hot in the summer, but the protection is worth it. Consult your hardware store for the appropriate filtration against fiberglass insulation fibers. I wear a mask with HEPA filters. Finally, if possible, I like to stand up in the attic so I can follow the roofline down to the soffit area. It is these soffit areas that squirrels and raccoons in my area like to live. Standing is usually the only way to see the soffit area because it lies below the level of the attic floor.

I hope this information will assist you in making your inspections more thorough and professional. To be sure, much more can be said about reading signs, but by improving your inspections you will reduce your callbacks and catch the animals faster.

Sidebar: THE HOLE STORY: HOW PESTS ENTER BUILDINGS

Customers often complain of unusual noises. The causes of these mystery noises can usually be identified by finding the holes animals have created in the building. Once you know the size of the hole, you can immediately narrow down the possible causes.
The following are rough estimates of the sizes of holes needed for common wildlife pests to enter. Narrowing the possibilities of a specific animal or noise even further requires a thorough knowledge of each animal’s habits and life cycle.

Gray squirrel: 1½ inches – 3 inches
Flying and red squirrel: ¾ inch – 1½ inches
Chipmunk: ½ inch - 1 inch
Raccoon, skunk or opossum: 4 inches

Stephen Vantassel is the owner of Wildlife Removal Service, Springfield, Mass.