Around West Virginia
Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.
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Local wildlife information
Wildlife control in West Virginia
Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.
Wildlife in West Virginia: what to know
What to note
Where you see wildlife, how long it has been going on, and anything you’ve already tried are the most useful details to mention.
A useful next step
Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to identify the problem yourself before getting in touch.
Local research
Wildlife in West Virginia: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which wildlife actually live in West Virginia, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Illegal; the animal must be released on the same property
Relocation of wildlife removed from a building
WVDNR states plainly that moving animals to another location is illegal because it spreads disease.
West Virginia Division of Natural ResourcesObtained from the nearest WVDNR district office
Wildlife Damage Permit
Particularly required before trapping or killing a nuisance animal.
West Virginia Division of Natural ResourcesRigorous training, testing, fees and a West Virginia business licence
Wildlife Damage Control Agent licence
WVDNR publishes the current list of licensed agents; agents charge for their services.
West Virginia Division of Natural ResourcesNuisance Wildlife species recorded in West Virginia
- Raccoon (Procyon lotor) — Top terrestrial rabies vector in the East; relocation banned in most states.
- Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) — Primary rabies reservoir in Texas and the central U.S.; Illinois requires euthanasia of trapped striped skunks.
- Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) — Most common building bat; protected with maternity-season exclusion limits.
Rules that apply in West Virginia
For context, nationally
Sources: West Virginia Division of Natural Resources; Rabies in the United States: Protecting Public Health; Class A (commercial) Nuisance Wildlife Control Permit study packet (17 Ill. Adm. Code 525); Impacted Bats. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Explore West Virginia cities
Beckley
Humid Subtropical · rural setting
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Charleston
Humid Subtropical · urban setting
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Clarksburg
Humid Subtropical · rural setting
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Fairmont
Humid Subtropical · rural setting
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Huntington
Humid Subtropical · urban setting
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Martinsburg
Humid Subtropical · rural setting
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Morgantown
Humid Subtropical · suburban setting
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Parkersburg
Humid Subtropical · suburban setting
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Weirton
Humid Subtropical · suburban setting
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Wheeling
Humid Subtropical · suburban setting
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Bluefield
Humid Subtropical · rural setting
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