Dealing with wildlife on your property can be frustrating. From raccoons rummaging through your garbage to squirrels nesting in your attic to bats roosting in eaves, these unexpected guests can cause damage and pose health risks. Our wildlife control services are here to help you safely and humanely address these issues, providing customized solutions to protect your home or business and restore peace of mind.

Let's take a look at the wildlife commonly impacting homes and businesses in Knoxville, TN:

BATS

• Size: Commonly wingspans range from 8 to 16 inches
• Weight: Between .5 to 2 ounces
• Color: Brown, black, grey, or reddish-brown (commonly; dependent on the environment)

Bats, with around 1,400 species worldwide, are found on every continent except Antarctica. They roost during the day in sheltered areas like caves, trees, and buildings. Most bats are social animals, living in large colonies that provide protection and warmth. On average, bats can live 20 years or more. Contrary to the myth that they are blind, bats have good eyesight, well-adapted to low-light conditions.

Their diets vary by species, including insects, fruits, nectar, and fish. Bats are excellent pollinators for plants like bananas, mangoes, and agaves, and fruit-eating bats play a key role in seed dispersal. Insectivorous bats also contribute to pest control, with some capable of eating up to 1,000 mosquitoes per hour.

RACCOONS

• Size: Excluding their tail, raccoons typically measure 16 to 28 inches in length. The tail can add an extra 8-12 inches
• Weight: Between 8-20 pounds on average
• Color: Grayish-brown or black with a lighter underside. Raccoons are best know for the black eye masks and ringed tails.

Raccoons are highly adaptable and thrive in various environments, from their natural habitats like forests, marshes, and riverbanks to urban areas such as cities and suburbs. Wherever food and shelter are plentiful, raccoons are likely to be found. In urban settings, they often make dens in attics, chimneys, or beneath decks.

As opportunistic scavengers, raccoons have a diverse diet that includes nuts, fruits, insects, fish, small animals, and, of course, human leftovers. Their dexterous paws allow them to open containers and handle objects with ease. Primarily nocturnal, raccoons are most active at night. In the wild, their average lifespan is 2–3 years.

SQUIRRELS

• Size: From 5 to 36 inches, dependent on species
• Weight: From .5 ounces to 4 pounds
• Color: Gray, brown, red, black or white

Squirrels live all over the world, except in Antarctica and Australia, and thrive in a variety of habitats like forests, woodlands, grasslands, and mountains. They’re also great at adapting to city life, making homes in parks, gardens, or even attics, and often building nests, called dreys, in trees. Their diet is flexible too — they eat nuts, seeds, fruits, fungi, insects, and sometimes bird eggs. Squirrels are known for burying food to snack on later, which also helps spread seeds and grow new plants.

Most squirrels are active during the day. With their sharp claws and bushy tails that help with balance and warmth, squirrels are expert climbers. They live about 6–12 years in the wild. Fun fact: they have amazing memories for where they stash their food, and their adaptability makes them key players in keeping forests healthy!

Click here to learn more about our Wildlife Control Program options and how Truly Nolen of Knoxville can help protect your home.

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