I ain’t afraid of no host (of sparrows)
Animals are adorable, as pet lovers easily attest to. However, it’s not cute when a crew of critters set up shop in your air ducts. Rodents like rats can easily access these ducts, bringing with them noise and health concerns. Duct-loving animals tend to chew through insulation and electrical wiring, too.
And it’s not just rats. Pros have found squirrels, birds, bees, and all kinds of creatures up there. If you’ve discovered an animal in your vent and don’t know who to call for identification and removal, we’ve got you covered.
You have options when choosing a professional to do this job. Hiring a local air duct specialist is likely your best bet, but it depends on what kind of critter has made a home in your vents. If it’s a rat, mouse, or another common rodent, HVAC pros can handle removal, though the same might not be true for birds, bats, and skunks because these animals are trickier to remove.
What air duct specialists lack in dedicated animal removal experience, they make up in experience with vents and HVAC systems. They won’t accidentally tear through anything or cause damage, as being careful inside air duct vents is pretty much their whole gig. Additionally, they’ll check out any other issues with your system while removing the pests, which could save money in the long term. Finally, the technicians will give the vents a good cleaning afterward with a powerful disinfectant, which is something animal removal specialists and pest control experts may not do.
Get your HVAC system serviced and inspected at least once per year. For extra peace of mind, call in a pro twice annually: once before the hottest months of the year and again before the coldest time of year.
Removing vent-based animals yourself is tempting, particularly if you’ve already identified the species. But like when learning how to remove animals from an attic, going the DIY route here isn’t the best idea. Many states have laws about what animals you can trap on your own and where to release them, so you could accidentally run afoul of local regulations. There’s also the specter of urine and droppings since interacting with either can lead to health issues.
Finally, many animals, even normally mild-mannered critters like squirrels, will attack when cornered. On average, wildlife removal costs $390, though certain animals, like skunks, are much more expensive to remove than rats and mice.
There’s plenty for you to do on your own once the pros have done their job, like sealing off possible entry points, fixing any minor damage the animals caused, cleaning and disinfecting the area, and setting up an annual HVAC inspection.
We recommend an air duct specialist to be your first call, particularly if you are fairly certain that it's just rats or mice hanging out in those vents. However, contacting a local wildlife removal specialist is a good idea if the animal remains unknown or if you’ve identified creatures like raccoons, birds, or bats. A dedicated wildlife specialist costs more for this task than an HVAC pro, but there's no other choice if you have bats or another protected species in your vents.
If it’s rodents you’re after, a local pest control company can be a budget-friendly option, as hiring a rat exterminator costs $175 to $585 for a service visit, which is slightly less than hiring an HVAC pro. Just make sure the exterminators know that they’ll be dealing with an HVAC system and must be careful about their products and removal methods.
This depends on the specialist you hire and the type of animal lingering in your vents. HVAC pros arrive with specialized equipment to suss out the location of these pests and whether or not they are alive or dead. They can also use the equipment to reach into awkward and hard-to-reach places in the air ducts to remove carcasses, droppings, and debris.
As for living animals, they’ll use enticement to lure them out of the vents after shutting down the system and sealing up the entry points afterward. Wildlife specialists may seek to capture the animal, particularly if it's of a species that must be relocated in a specific way. Some of these pros use old-school capture methods via a trap or cage, while others rely on chemical immobilization with sedatives and anesthetic drugs.
