wildlife control in Aurora, CO

Around Aurora, the usual visitors are raccoons, squirrels and skunks. Here's how to identify it and get it out safely.

Aurora, Colorado cityscape
Aurora at a glance
15 in.rain a year
50%average humidity
18°Ftypical winter low
89°Ftypical summer high
The short version

Around Aurora, the most common animals are raccoons, squirrels and skunks. Identify yours first. Then get it out and seal the gap.

  • Never handle a wild animal.
  • Figure out which animal it is first.
  • Check for babies before sealing.
  • Use metal mesh, not foam.
  • Secure trash and pet food.

Anyone in Aurora dealing with wild animals around the house.

What to look for

Each one gets in differently and needs a different fix. Babies are usually born from about April through June. Around Aurora, the usual animals are raccoons, squirrels, skunks and bats.

  • Scratching or thumping in the attic.
  • Torn vents, soffits or shingles.
  • A musky or skunky smell.
  • Dug holes under decks or sheds.
  • Trash bins knocked over.
  • Droppings on decks or in the attic.

Why it’s worth acting soon

  • Chewed wires and damaged insulation.
  • Droppings that can spread disease.
  • Babies make removal harder.
  • Rabies risk from bites.
49.3%NE Illinois private wildlife-service users rating it excellent (INHS, 2013)Illinois Natural History Survey: homeowners and wildlife
54%NE Illinois homeowners with wildlife problems in prior year (INHS, 2013)Illinois Natural History Survey: homeowners and wildlife
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Do you have a wildlife problem?

Treatment options and typical costs

Inspection and Species Identification

$100–$300

Before anything is trapped or sealed, a provider in Aurora walks the roofline, attic, crawl space, and foundation looking for entry points and nesting sites. The report should name the species and mark every opening.

Time
60–120 minutes
Best for
Every job; the species decides the method

Exclusion Repairs (Chimney Caps, Vent Screens, Foundation Mesh)

$300–$2,500+ depending on scope

Sealing is the part that keeps animals out for good. Ask for a list of every spot that gets closed.

Time
Half a day to two days
Best for
Sealing the home after animals are out

Attic Cleanup, Sanitation, and Follow-Up

$500–$3,000+ depending on insulation removed

Providers in Aurora who do cleanup should wear respirators and bag waste on site. Homeowners in Aurora handling raccoon droppings without protection risk exposure to Baylisascaris roundworm eggs, which survive for years in soil.

Time
1–2 days
Best for
Soiled insulation, droppings, odors, and re-checks

Humane Live Trapping and Removal

$150–$500 per animal, plus trip fees

Trapping is used when a door won't work. Ask how many visits are included.

Time
Several days to two weeks
Best for
Animals already inside or denning under structures

Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.

A crawl space with a vapor barrier and a lit foundation vent
Crawl spaces are a favorite den. Check the vent screens and the access door.

Animals around Aurora.

Around Aurora, the most common animals are raccoons, squirrels, skunks and bats. Homes from Aurora out to Commerce City and Centennial see much the same mix.

Local wildlife conditions in Aurora.

Knowing Aurora's seasonal timing lets you schedule treatment before the busy stretch rather than after it, which usually means faster service and a more accurate quote. A provider who works Aurora and Colorado every day can point out the specific conditions that matter most here, and getting the scope, price, and follow-up terms in writing makes it easier to compare options. Aurora sits in a semi-arid climate, and that sets the pace for wildlife activity here: spring denning and fall (animals seek winter shelter). In Aurora, the area is mostly urban, so wildlife pressure can differ from one block to the next depending on how tight the entry points are and how much food, water, or shelter is close by. An inspection in Aurora usually starts outside and works inward, checking the foundation, gaps around doors and windows, and any moisture or clutter near the structure first.

A gloved hand shining a flashlight along a door threshold and foundation
Walk the foundation with a flashlight. Gaps at ground level let animals under the house.

What’s that noise?

  • Heavy thumps at night: raccoons. - Rustling at dusk at the roof edge: bats. - A strong smell under the deck: skunks. - Quick scurrying at dawn and dusk: squirrels.

Baby season.

Around Aurora, most babies are born from about April through June. Mothers look for warm, dry spots like attics and chimneys. Never seal a hole while babies are still inside. Bat exclusion waits until pups can fly, usually by mid-August.

A year of wildlife in Aurora.

  • Summer: highs near 89°F in Aurora. Animals roam at night. - Fall: animals hunt for winter dens. Seal gaps now. - Winter: lows near 18°F in Aurora. Animals den up in attics. - Spring: babies are born from about April through June. Don't seal while young are inside.

Raccoons.

Never handle one. Heavy thumps at night usually mean a raccoon. They tear open vents and roof edges.

Tree squirrels.

Squirrels are busy at dawn and dusk. They chew small gaps into bigger holes, and wires too.

Skunks.

Skunks den under decks, sheds and porches. A strong smell after dark is the giveaway.

Bats.

Bats slip through gaps as small as a thumb. Look for droppings under a gap at the roofline.

Getting them out the right way.

  • Check: look for babies first. - Door: a one-way door lets the animal leave. - Seal: heavy metal mesh on every gap. - Recheck: make sure nothing is trying to get back in. - Identify: figure out which animal it is.

Where animals get in.

  • Gaps where the roof meets the wall. - Uncapped chimneys. - Crawl-space doors and foundation vents. - Under decks, porches and sheds. - Roof vents and soffit corners.

If an animal gets inside the house.

Close interior doors so it stays in one room. Open an outside door or window in that room, then leave. Keep kids and pets away. Is it a bat, and was someone asleep there? Call your health department first.

Droppings and cleanup.

  • Wear gloves, a mask and old clothes. - Wet droppings down, then bag them. - Large attic messes are a job for pros. - Don’t sweep or vacuum droppings dry.

Keeping your yard less inviting.

  • Pets: feed them indoors. - Birds: use a seed tray, and sweep up spills. - Fruit: pick up what falls. - Cover: clear brush and wood piles near the house. - Trash: locking lids, or keep bins in the garage.

Wildlife myths.

  • Moving them is kind: often illegal, and babies get left. - Mothballs drive them out: they don’t, and they’re a health hazard. - Lights and radios work: only briefly. - Out in daylight means rabid: not always; mothers forage by day.

Birds in vents and chimneys.

Wait until the young have flown. Then fit a vent cover that still lets air out. Starlings and sparrows love dryer and bath vents. Most native birds are protected while nesting.

If an animal seems sick.

animal control or your local health department. Don't try to trap or touch it. Staggering, circling or acting unafraid can mean illness. Keep people and pets inside.

Pets and wildlife.

your vet if your pet tangles with a wild animal. Keep pets' rabies shots up to date. Bring pets in at night.

What a wildlife visit looks like.

The tech walks the roofline and the foundation. They look for tracks, droppings and torn vents. They set a one-way door or trap. Later, they come back and seal up. Cleanup comes last.

If a skunk sprays.

  • Tomato juice: it doesn’t really work. - Eyes: keep the mix out; rinse with cool water. - Clothes: wash with baking soda added to the load. - Under the house: air it out; the smell fades over days. - People and pets: wash with peroxide, baking soda and dish soap.

Babies found alone.

Hurt or clearly orphaned? Call a wildlife rehabilitator. Baby animals alone are often just waiting for a parent. Leave them be and watch from a distance for a day.

Fencing that works.

  • Climbers: an electric wire near the top stops raccoons. - Gardens: hardware cloth beats chicken wire. - Gates: keep gaps underneath to a couple of inches. - Diggers: bury wire mesh a foot down, bent outward.

Questions to ask before you sign.

  • Where is it getting in? - How will you handle babies? - What happens to the animal? - What will you seal with? - Is cleanup included? - Which animal is it?

What affects the price

  • Protected bird species requiring seasonal timing.
  • Permit, relocation, or disposal rules in your state.
  • Trip fees for daily trap checks over multiple days.
  • Whether young are present and need hand removal.
  • Species involved; skunks and raccoons cost more to handle.
  • Number of entry points that must be sealed.
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What worries you most about wildlife?

When to call for help

right away if one acts sick or aggressive. Call if an animal is in the attic, walls or chimney. Babies and droppings need careful handling.

What you can do yourself

Getting an animal out of the house is a pro's job. Never corner or handle one. Secure trash, bring in pet food and trim branches.

Wildlife in Aurora

Aurora has a semi-arid climate, and wildlife activity here tends to pick up spring denning and fall (animals seek winter shelter). In Aurora, most of the housing is urban, so the usual entry points, moisture spots, and sheltered areas near the structure are what an inspection checks first. In Aurora, take a minute to note where you have seen activity and when it appears, so the inspection is faster and the quote more accurate. A local provider who knows Aurora and Colorado can point out the specific conditions that matter most here before you commit to a plan. Winter lows near 18°F in Aurora send animals into attics and crawl spaces in fall. In Colorado, skunks and bats carry most rabies. In Aurora, animals live comfortably in town, using alleys, storm drains and older buildings.

Local research

Wildlife in Aurora, CO: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which wildlife actually live in Colorado, when they are busiest around Aurora, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

Up to two miles from the capture site
Raccoon relocation distance

Raccoons, tree squirrels and cottontail rabbits are the only species that may be relocated without a permit.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Up to 10 miles from the capture site
Tree squirrel and cottontail relocation distance

Release sites must be appropriate habitat for the species.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Relocation permit required from Colorado Parks and Wildlife
All other species

Any relocation outside the raccoon, tree squirrel and cottontail exception needs a permit first.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Nuisance Wildlife species recorded in Colorado

  • 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.

When wildlife are busiest around Aurora

April skunk peak, October bat peak. Texas 2024 monthly peaks were driven by skunks in April and bats in October.

Based on Aurora’s semi-arid climate profile.

Landowners and their agents may take nuisance species causing damage on private property without a permit, but mountain lions and black bears may not be destroyed for property damage alone.

Rules that apply in Colorado

For context, nationally

  • Around 4,000; more than 90% in wildlife — Animal rabies cases reported per year. CDC
  • More than 20% each — Skunks and foxes that expose people or pets and are rabid. CDC

Sources: Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Rabies in the United States: Protecting Public Health; Class A (commercial) Nuisance Wildlife Control Permit study packet (17 Ill. Adm. Code 525). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Simple ways to keep wildlife away

  • Use locking or strapped trash lids.
  • Bring pet food in at night.
  • Cap the chimney.
  • Trim branches back from the roof.
  • Bury wire mesh around decks and sheds.
  • Pick up fallen fruit and spilled bird seed.
A vent pipe sealed with metal mesh beside gloves and snips
Metal mesh keeps animals out of vents for good. Foam and light screen won't hold.

Did you know?

Skunk spray can be smelled by humans a mile downwind

A gray squirrel can rotate its ankles to descend headfirst

Questions people ask

What is included in attic cleanup?

Removing droppings and soiled insulation, then sanitizing. New insulation goes in if needed.

What animal is in my attic?

Quick scurrying at dawn: squirrels. Rustling at dusk: bats.

Do wildlife pros use poison?

Poisons aren't used on wildlife like raccoons or squirrels. Ask what any chemical is for. No.

How do I get rid of a groundhog?

Groundhogs are rare here. A digger under the shed is likely a skunk.

How do I get rid of a skunk under my deck?

Wait until it leaves at night. Then close the gap with buried wire mesh.

Which animals are most common around Aurora?

Mostly raccoons, squirrels, skunks and bats.

When are wild animal babies born in Aurora?

Usually from about April through June. Don't seal a hole while babies are inside.

Nearby cities

Related guides

Sources (10)

The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Wildlife Exterminator · Updated September 11, 2026 · How we write these guides

Ask about wildlife removal or a quote.

Tell us what you’ve noticed.

  • Where you’ve seen wildlife or damage
  • When you first noticed it
  • Anything you’ve already tried