The short version
Louisiana has no winter shutdown, so wildlife calls run all twelve months rather than spiking in one season. Raised pier housing means the first problem is usually underneath the floor, not above the ceiling. Work out whether you have raccoons, opossums, squirrels, or skunks, evict them, then close the openings with metal rather than lattice.
- Spring (denning/birthing) and fall (seeking warmth) are peak seasons for wildlife intrusions in Louisiana.
- Common nuisance wildlife includes raccoons, squirrels, opossums, skunks, and bats.
- Exclusion (sealing entry points) is the only permanent solution; removal alone won't prevent re-entry.
- Louisiana regulations require special handling for protected species like bats and some birds.
- Professional removal costs $250–$600; full exclusion and restoration can exceed $1,000.
We'll help you decide when to call a pro and what to expect in terms of cost and process. Whether you've spotted a raccoon in your attic, heard scratching in your walls, or found bat droppings in your chimney, this page provides actionable advice tailored to Louisiana's unique climate and wildlife. For Louisiana homeowners, property managers, and landlords dealing with nuisance wildlife.
What to look for
Raccoons follow them under, and where there is a chimney or a limb touching the roof, they also work upward. Squirrels prefer the roof and the soffit and chew round holes in softened fascia. Striped skunks den under sheds, steps, and raised porches, and they announce themselves without making a sound. Because there is no hard freeze to synchronize behavior, litters can appear across a longer window than in northern states, which affects when it is safe to close an opening. Louisiana is subtropical throughout, with summer highs near 92F, humidity around 76 percent, and 61 inches of rain in an average year. Those three numbers set up the whole problem. Wood stays damp, paint fails, and skirting boards, lattice panels, and floor joist ends go soft at ground level, which is exactly where raised houses are most vulnerable. Opossums are the most common thing found under a Louisiana floor, because they need no strength to get in, only an opening.
- 1Scratching or scurrying sounds in the attic or walls, especially at night (for nocturnal animals like raccoons and opossums) or during dawn/dusk (for squirrels and bats).
- 2Droppings near entry points, in attics, or along baseboards. Bat guano accumulates in piles and can harbor histoplasmosis spores.
- 3Visible damage: chewed wires, torn insulation, gnawed wood, or holes in soffits, fascia, or roofing.
- 4Foul odors from urine, feces, or decomposing animals trapped in walls or chimneys.
- 5Tracks or rub marks on walls, insulation, or pipes; raccoons often leave muddy footprints.
- 6Nesting materials like shredded paper, leaves, or insulation in attics or crawlspaces.
- 7Unusual pet behavior—dogs or cats staring at ceilings, growling, or scratching at walls.
Why it’s worth acting soon
- Structural damage: rodents chew through wires, increasing fire risk; raccoons can tear ductwork and insulation.
- Health hazards: wildlife droppings can contain harmful bacteria, parasites, and viruses (e.g., raccoon roundworm, histoplasmosis from bat guano, leptospirosis from urine).
- Secondary infestations: fleas, ticks, mites, and other parasites can spread from wildlife to pets and humans.
- Legal issues: protected species like bats and some birds have specific handling rules; improper removal can lead to fines.
- Increased cost: damage worsens over time, and exclusion becomes more complex and expensive.
Treatment options and typical costs
Under-house and attic inspection
Quoted after inspection
Someone needs to go under the raised floor with a light, not just look at the skirting from the yard. The inspection should cover pier lines, duct runs, floor insulation, and every skirting panel, then repeat the exercise at the roofline. Louisiana houses commonly have activity in both places at once.
- Time
- One to two hours
- Best for
- Raised, pier, and slab houses alike
One way door eviction
Quoted after inspection
The active opening gets a one way door and everything else gets sealed first. Opossums and adult raccoons leave on their own and cannot return. Because Louisiana litter timing spreads across a long window, the operator should confirm no dependent young are present before fitting the door.
- Time
- About a week
- Best for
- Adult animals under floors or in attics
Trapping with a stated check schedule
Quoted after inspection
Where a door will not work, traps go on the run line. Ask how often they are checked, especially in Louisiana summer heat, because an animal left in a trap through a 92F afternoon is both inhumane and a problem for the operator. Get the schedule in writing.
- Time
- Several days to two weeks
- Best for
- Skunks and animals that will not use a door
Hard sealing and rot repair
Quoted after inspection
Replace soft skirting with treated material backed by galvanized mesh, screen foundation vents, cap the chimney, rebuild fascia, and bury a wire skirt at the base. Damaged floor insulation and duct wrap get replaced. In this climate the wood repair is not optional, since soft wood is the reason it happened.
- Time
- Two to four days
- Best for
- Any Louisiana house where the entry was rotted wood
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
In the attic, look for flattened insulation, droppings and nests. Leave big cleanups to someone with the right gear.The space under a raised Louisiana house.
Flexible duct gets torn open for nesting material, which means the air conditioning you are paying for at 92F is going into the dirt. Damage follows a pattern. That is why the under-floor problem tends to cost more than an attic problem of the same size. It holds ductwork, plumbing, floor insulation, and wiring, all of it reachable by anything that gets past the skirting. On a pier-and-beam house, the crawlspace is a room that nobody visits. Ask any Louisiana contractor whether their quote includes going under the house rather than working from the yard, because a quote written from outside is a guess. It is treated skirting with galvanized mesh behind it, a buried L shaped barrier at the base, screened vents, and replacement of the duct wrap and insulation that was destroyed. The fix is not a patch. Wiring runs get chewed, and waste accumulates on the vapor barrier. Batt insulation between floor joists gets pulled down and used the same way.
wildlife activity by season.
In Louisiana, checking the foundation, gaps around doors and windows, and any moisture or clutter near the structure usually turns up the conditions that are letting them in. The most useful first step in Louisiana is to note where you have seen wildlife and when they appear, because that timeline is what lets a provider focus on the right area instead of treating the whole property. Scheduling before the busy stretch, rather than after it, tends to mean faster service and a more accurate quote, and a local provider can point out the conditions that matter most in Louisiana.
Brush, mulch and fallen fruit near the house give animals cover and food. Keep the edges tidy.Twelve months of pressure instead of one season.
You cannot count on a safe window where no young are present anywhere. The practical consequence is about timing your work. Winter lows averaging near 43F are mild enough that a den is a convenience rather than a survival requirement, so occupancy is more or less continuous and turnover is constant. Louisiana does not. Northern states get a clean rhythm: animals move indoors when it freezes. Combine those with keeping wood painted and fed and trash secured, and you remove most of what invites the problem in the first place, in any month. Rather than a single autumn inspection, the useful habit in Louisiana is two: one after storm season, checking for wind and water damage to soffits, vents, and skirting, and one in late winter before activity ramps further. It also changes prevention. That makes confirming an empty space before sealing more important here than in states with a tight spring litter season.
Storms, displacement, and the week after.
Nothing about the animal changed; the house simply opened and the alternatives disappeared. That combination is why calls cluster in the days after a storm. And it floods the low ground where animals were living, sending them uphill and toward structures. It damages the building envelope, lifting soffit panels, tearing vent screens, and shifting skirting on raised houses. Heavy weather does two things at once in south Louisiana. Temporary hardware cloth over a torn vent buys you weeks while permanent repairs get scheduled. Photograph anything damaged, because that documentation matters for both insurance and for the wildlife contractor who arrives later. The useful response is a systematic walk once it is safe: check every foundation and floor vent screen, push on the skirting at each corner, look up at the soffit line and the ridge, and check the chimney cap. Lake Charles and the coastal parishes see this most clearly, but Baton Rouge and Lafayette get their share.
What an attic costs you after a Louisiana summer.
Ask for photographs of the soiled area before and after, since you are unlikely to inspect it yourself. Ask which sections of insulation are coming out, how the deck will be treated, and what R value is going back. That means the cleanup line on your quote deserves attention. Waste does not desiccate; it stays wet, works into the insulation, and pushes odor down through ceiling fixtures and attic hatches. An attic that held animals through a summer at 92F and 76 percent humidity is a different problem than the same attic in a dry climate. Get that assessment before the attic is closed back up. A house with a median value near $185,000 does not need an unnecessary ceiling replacement, but it does need someone to look before assuming the stain is cosmetic. A latrine spot that has been wet for months can stain drywall from above, and paint alone will not hold that back. Also ask about the ceiling below.
Comparing two Louisiana quotes line by line.
Third, look at what happens to the wood. Lattice, plastic, foam, and staples do not, because none of them survive this climate or a determined raccoon. Treated lumber and galvanized quarter inch mesh belong on the list. Second, check the materials. If one company inspected the crawlspace and the other did not, they are not quoting the same job, and the cheaper number is cheaper because it is smaller. Put both quotes on the table and look for the under-house scope first. When they do not, you have learned something the price sheet would never have told you. A licensed operator answers without hesitating, and the two answers should agree. Fourth, ask both companies the same question about disposition: what does state law require you to do with a raccoon or a skunk once it is caught. The quote should name the boards being replaced. In a state with 61 inches of annual rain, sealing over rot is a delay tactic.
What affects the price
- Type of animal: raccoons and bats often require more complex removal and exclusion due to behavior and regulations.
- Severity of infestation: multiple animals or long-term presence increases labor and materials cost.
- Accessibility: attic or crawlspace entry points that are hard to reach may require more time.
- Structural repairs: damage to roofing, siding, or wiring adds to the total.
- Geographic location: rural areas may have lower rates than urban centers like New Orleans or Baton Rouge.
- Time of year: peak seasons (spring/fall) may see higher demand and prices.
- Permits and regulations: protected species may require additional permits or specialized handling.
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What is the most common wildlife problem you've faced in Louisiana?
When to call for help
Get a licensed operator involved for raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. If any of them bit or scratched a person or a pet, that is a same-day call to a physician and the parish health unit, not something to watch for a few days. CDC counts around 4,000 animal rabies cases a year nationally and puts more than 90 percent of them in wildlife, which is why contact gets treated seriously even when the animal looked healthy. Also call when the crawlspace has standing water, when something is stuck in a wall, or when the smell tells you an animal died under the floor.
What you can do yourself
The prevention list is genuinely yours. Replace soft lattice with treated skirting backed by wire, screen floor vents, trim limbs off the roof, keep pet bowls indoors, and secure trash on a raised platform. Doing those five things closes most of the openings before anything uses them. Repellents, ultrasonic gadgets, and predator urine products do not hold up here. Sixty-one inches of rain washes them away, and animals return to a den that works. Hands on handling of a raccoon or skunk is where you stop. Paid wildlife removal is licensed work, the handling and release rules belong to the state rather than to you, and a cornered animal under a raised floor is a bad place to learn your limits. Crawlspace work also carries its own hazards, from wiring to standing water.
Where you live matters
Louisiana cities differ mostly in how their housing is built. New Orleans and Lafayette have large stocks of raised houses where the space under the floor is the whole battleground, and where skirting, piers, and duct runs need as much attention as the roof. Baton Rouge and Shreveport mix raised and slab construction, so an inspection there has to cover both patterns rather than assuming one. Lake Charles and the coastal parishes carry the storm variable. After heavy weather, damaged soffits, torn vent screens, and shifted skirting create new openings all at once, and displaced animals go looking for dry ground. With the median home value across our Louisiana city data near $185,000 and humidity around 76 percent working on the wood year round, the sealing and repair half of the job is what actually protects the house.
Simple ways to keep wildlife away
- Seal all gaps and cracks in your home's exterior with steel wool, copper mesh, or caulk. Pay special attention to eaves, soffits, and rooflines.
- Install chimney caps and vent covers to prevent animals from entering through these openings.
- Trim tree branches that overhang your roof; squirrels and raccoons use them as bridges.
- Secure trash cans with tight-fitting lids and store them in a garage or shed until pickup day.
- Remove bird feeders or place them away from the house; spilled seed attracts rodents and other wildlife.
- Keep attics and crawlspaces clean and dry; avoid storing items that could be used for nesting.
- Inspect your home's foundation and siding for holes or gaps at least twice a year.
Ask which animal it is, how babies will be handled, and whether sealing and cleanup are included.Did you know?
Opossums are largely immune to most snake venom and eat thousands of ticks per season, making them beneficial despite being a nuisance.
Squirrels plant thousands of trees a year by forgetting where they bury nuts, contributing to forest regeneration.
Bats can squeeze through a gap as small as 3/8 inch, making exclusion critical.
Questions people ask
Can I legally trap and relocate wildlife in Louisiana?
Check with the LDWF or hire a licensed professional. Protected species like bats require a permit. However, relocation is often restricted to prevent disease spread; you may need to euthanize them or release them on your property. For most nuisance animals like raccoons and squirrels, you can trap them without a permit.
What is the best way to keep raccoons out of my attic?
A professional can identify all gaps and provide a long-term solution. Trim tree branches near the roof, secure trash cans, and install chimney caps. The best method is exclusion: seal all potential entry points with heavy-duty materials like steel mesh after ensuring no animals are inside.
How much does wildlife control cost in Louisiana?
Removal typically costs $250–$600, while full exclusion and restoration can range from $500 to $2,500 or more. Factors include the animal type, infestation severity, and structural repairs needed.
What diseases can wildlife carry?
Common zoonotic diseases include rabies (raccoons, skunks, bats), leptospirosis (urine from rodents and raccoons), histoplasmosis (bat guano), and raccoon roundworm. Always wear protective gear if handling droppings or nesting materials.
How do I know if I have bats in my attic?
If you suspect bats, call a professional immediately due to health risks and legal protections. Bats often enter through small gaps near eaves or chimneys. Signs include small, dark droppings (guano) that accumulate in piles, scratching or squeaking at dusk, and a strong ammonia-like odor.
Will homeowners insurance cover wildlife damage?
It's best to address issues promptly to avoid costly repairs. Exclusion and prevention are not typically covered. Check your policy. Most standard policies exclude damage from pests and wildlife, but some may cover sudden damage like a raccoon chewing through wires.
Sources (15)
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