What Animals Are Common in South Carolina Attics
November 18, 2025
If you’ve ever found a raccoon in your attic, a snake in your shed, or a bat in your chimney, you may have wondered who to call first, animal control or a wildlife removal service. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but they actually describe two very different services. Knowing the difference can save you time, money, and frustration when dealing with animals in or around your home.
What Animal Control Does
Animal control services are typically operated or overseen by city, county, or state agencies. Their main role is to protect public safety and enforce local animal-related laws. In most cases, animal control deals with domesticated animals, such as stray dogs, aggressive pets, or animals that have bitten someone. They may also handle injured wildlife in public spaces, but their scope is often limited when it comes to removing wildlife from private property.
If you call animal control about a wild animal in your attic, chances are they will either refer you to a wildlife removal specialist or only assist if the animal poses an immediate threat to human safety. For example, they might respond to a snake inside your home or a rabid animal in your yard, but they usually won’t provide long-term prevention or repair services after the animal is gone.
What Wildlife Removal Services Do
Wildlife removal companies specialize in humanely removing wild animals from homes, businesses, and other private properties. They deal with species such as squirrels, raccoons, bats, birds, opossums, skunks, and rodents. These professionals understand animal behavior, seasonal patterns, and local regulations, which allows them to remove animals safely without causing unnecessary harm.
Unlike animal control, wildlife removal services focus on both the immediate problem and the long-term solution. This means they not only remove the animal but also find and seal entry points, repair damage, and provide ongoing prevention strategies to keep the problem from happening again. For example, Blythewood Wildlife Removal provides humane trapping, exclusion methods, and cleanup services tailored to South Carolina’s most common nuisance wildlife.
The Key Differences
The simplest way to explain it is this: animal control is a public safety agency, while wildlife removal is a specialized pest and animal management service. Animal control is reactive; they respond to urgent situations and enforce the law. Wildlife removal is proactive; it solves the problem and prevents it from happening again.
Animal control may be free or low-cost because it is taxpayer-funded, but their ability to help with wildlife inside a private attic or crawl space is often limited. Wildlife removal services are private businesses, so they charge for their work, but they bring expertise, equipment, and prevention strategies that go far beyond what animal control can offer.
Why Wildlife Problems Often Need a Specialist
If you have a squirrel chewing through your attic insulation or a bat colony living behind your shutters, animal control might not be able to help. These situations require careful handling, not just for the animal’s safety but for yours. Some wildlife, like bats, are protected by law, meaning removal must happen at certain times of year. Others, like raccoons, can become aggressive when cornered, making professional handling essential.
Wildlife removal specialists also understand the hidden dangers animals can cause. Chewed wires can lead to fires, droppings can spread diseases, and damaged insulation can increase energy costs. Addressing these issues requires more than just getting the animal out; it means restoring the space so it’s clean, safe, and secure.
The Humane Approach
Modern wildlife removal companies emphasize humane solutions. This often means live-trapping and relocating animals when permitted by law, as well as using exclusion techniques that let animals leave but not re-enter. These methods protect both the homeowner and the animal, reducing harm and stress.
Animal control may also use humane practices, but because they deal primarily with public safety, their focus is on removing immediate threats rather than providing long-term animal-friendly solutions.
Choosing the Right Service
If you’re unsure whether to call animal control or a wildlife removal service, ask yourself a few questions. Is the animal domestic or wild? Is it injured, aggressive, or posing an immediate threat? If so, animal control is your first call. If it’s a nuisance wildlife problem, like scratching noises in the attic, droppings in the garage, or a persistent raccoon in the trash, contacting a wildlife removal specialist is your best bet.
Prevention and Peace of Mind
One of the biggest advantages of hiring a wildlife removal service is prevention. Once the animal is removed, these professionals can inspect your property for vulnerabilities and recommend ways to keep wildlife out for good. This might involve sealing gaps in roofing, reinforcing vents, trimming overhanging branches, or improving waste storage.
Animal control doesn’t typically offer these prevention services, which means that even if they remove the animal, you could end up with the same problem again later.
Final Thoughts
While both animal control and wildlife removal play important roles in managing human-animal conflicts, they are not the same. Animal control focuses on public safety and law enforcement, often dealing with domesticated animals and emergencies. Wildlife removal specializes in humane, effective, and preventive solutions for nuisance wildlife in homes and businesses.
If you’re facing a wildlife issue on your property, calling a dedicated wildlife removal service ensures you’ll get not just removal but also protection against future invasions. Whether it’s squirrels in the attic, bats in the chimney, or raccoons tearing into your roof, we can solve the problem in a way that’s safe, legal, and humane.
Blythewood Wildlife Removal has over a decade of removal in removing native species in South Carolina. Call us at 1-803-760-9166 for urgent help.
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