If you’re like most homeowners, when you find a critter in your house, the first instinct is to get it out, by any means necessary. You may try to swat, spray, poison or even smash the invader. The desire to protect your home and family is understandable, but destroying the critter may not be the best solution. Obviously, it’s not best for the critter, but it may not be ideal for you either.

Benefit of Critters

In the immediate picture, a nest of bees in the cushions on the chair on your front porch presents a danger to anyone who comes to your door. The idea of carefully removing the nest and relocating it to another area doesn’t cross many homeowners’ minds—especially since it seems safer to douse the nest with bee spray from a distance.

But in the larger picture, bees, like most wildlife, also serve an essential role in our ecosystem—one that is becoming endangered. Apples, asparagus, blueberries, celery, and kiwi—all of these agricultural crops are helped by bee pollination. Unfortunately, the honey bee decline could lead to an increased need for pollination services and an overall increased cost for those foods.

Like honey bees, bats also provide value. Although they can create an irritating scratching noise at night and cause damage to your home, in the big picture, they also help pollinate and disperse seeds for fruits like bananas, mangoes and peaches. They also eat insects, which can reduce the need for pesticides.

Many other critters provide similar benefits. Squirrels dig holes in soil to bury their food, effectively aerating the ground. Skunks eat insects. Raccoons feast on snakes, frogs and lizards. All of these animals help the ecosystem, which is good for all of us.

That’s why in many situations, relocating, not killing, these critters can have a better long-term outcome for the environment. Not only are you helping nature stay in balance, you are also not using harmful pesticides that can cause damage to the environment.

A Better Alternative for Getting Rid of Pests

At Critter Control of the Triangle, we specialize in environmentally friendly pest management, with alternatives to traditional chemical applications. We’re one of the first companies in the country to offer a variety of ecologically responsible pest management services to control insects. We also are experts at humanely removing animals from your home and creating entry barriers so they can’t come back.

For more information about animal and pest removal, please call Critter Control of the Triangle at 1-800-CRITTER or 919-382-0651 in Raleigh, Durham, Apex, Cary and Morrisville, NC.