The short version
Around Southaven, the most common animals are raccoons, squirrels and opossums. 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.
Homeowners in Southaven with an animal in the attic, walls, chimney or yard.
What to look for
Around Southaven, the usual animals are raccoons, squirrels, opossums, skunks, groundhogs, armadillos and bats. Each one gets in differently and needs a different fix. Babies are usually born from about March through June.
- 1Scratching or thumping in the attic.
- 2Torn vents, soffits or shingles.
- 3A musky or skunky smell.
- 4Dug holes under decks or sheds.
- 5Trash bins knocked over.
- 6Droppings 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.
Treatment options and typical costs
Inspection and Species Identification
$100–$300
Before anything is trapped or sealed, a provider in Southaven 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
Chimney caps are the single most common exclusion repair in Southaven: an uncapped flue is an open invitation to raccoons, squirrels, and chimney swifts. A stainless spark-screen cap solves it in an hour.
- Time
- Half a day to two days
- Best for
- Sealing the home after animals are out
Humane Live Trapping and Removal
$150–$500 per animal, plus trip fees
Nursing mothers change the trapping plan in Southaven. Ethical Southaven providers wait for young to become mobile, or remove the litter by hand and reunite them with the mother outside, rather than leaving orphans behind.
- Time
- Several days to two weeks
- Best for
- Animals already inside or denning under structures
One-Way Doors and Eviction
$200–$600
Around Southaven, one-way doors are the least stressful removal method for the animal and often the cheapest for the homeowner. They avoid trap-days, trip fees, and relocation rules entirely.
- Time
- 3–7 days
- Best for
- Squirrels, raccoons, and birds using a single main entry
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.Animals around Southaven.
Dug-up yards can mean either. Groundhogs and armadillos both live here. Homes from Southaven out to Olive Branch see much the same mix. Around Southaven, the most common animals are raccoons, squirrels, opossums, skunks, groundhogs, armadillos and bats.
Local wildlife conditions in Southaven.
A provider who works Southaven and Mississippi 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. Knowing Southaven'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. An inspection in Southaven usually starts outside and works inward, checking the foundation, gaps around doors and windows, and any moisture or clutter near the structure first. Around Southaven, the area is mostly suburban, 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. Southaven sits in a humid subtropical climate, and that sets the pace for wildlife activity here: spring denning and fall (animals seek winter shelter).
Walk the foundation with a flashlight. Gaps at ground level let animals under the house.What’s that noise?
- A big burrow beside the shed: groundhogs. - Small cone-shaped holes in the lawn: armadillos. - A strong smell under the deck: skunks. - Rustling at dusk at the roof edge: bats. - Heavy thumps at night: raccoons. - Quick scurrying at dawn and dusk: squirrels.
Baby season.
Bat exclusion waits until pups can fly, usually by mid-August. Never seal a hole while babies are still inside. Mothers look for warm, dry spots like attics and chimneys. Around Southaven, most babies are born from about March through June.
A year of wildlife in Southaven.
- Winter: mild in Southaven, so animals stay active. - Fall: animals hunt for winter dens. Seal gaps now. - Summer: highs near 92°F in Southaven. Animals roam at night. - Spring: babies are born from about March through June. Don't seal while young are inside.
Raccoons.
Never handle one. They tear open vents and roof edges. Heavy thumps at night usually mean a raccoon.
Tree squirrels.
Squirrels are busy at dawn and dusk. They chew small gaps into bigger holes, and wires too.
Opossums.
Opossums are quiet, slow and mostly harmless. They move into crawl spaces and under decks.
Skunks.
Skunks den under decks, sheds and porches. A strong smell after dark is the giveaway.
Groundhogs.
Groundhogs dig big burrows beside sheds, decks and foundations. Around Southaven, they sleep through winter and wake hungry in early spring.
Armadillos.
Armadillos dig small, cone-shaped holes hunting grubs. They're most active at night in warm weather.
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.
- Recheck: make sure nothing is trying to get back in. - Seal: heavy metal mesh on every gap. - Door: a one-way door lets the animal leave. - Check: look for babies first. - Identify: figure out which animal it is.
Where animals get in.
- Under decks, porches and sheds. - Crawl-space doors and foundation vents. - Uncapped chimneys. - Gaps where the roof meets the wall. - Roof vents and soffit corners.
If an animal gets inside the house.
Call your health department first. Is it a bat, and was someone asleep there? Keep kids and pets away. Open an outside door or window in that room, then leave. Close interior doors so it stays in one room.
Droppings and cleanup.
- Large attic messes are a job for pros. - Wet droppings down, then bag them. - Wear gloves, a mask and old clothes. - Don’t sweep or vacuum droppings dry.
Keeping your yard less inviting.
- Cover: clear brush and wood piles near the house. - Fruit: pick up what falls. - Birds: use a seed tray, and sweep up spills. - Pets: feed them indoors. - Trash: locking lids, or keep bins in the garage.
Wildlife myths.
- Lights and radios work: only briefly. - Mothballs drive them out: they don’t, and they’re a health hazard. - Moving them is kind: often illegal, and babies get left. - Out in daylight means rabid: not always; mothers forage by day.
Birds in vents and chimneys.
Chimney swifts nest in chimneys in summer and leave in fall. Then fit a vent cover that still lets air out. Wait until the young have flown. Most native birds are protected while nesting. Starlings and sparrows love dryer and bath vents.
If an animal seems sick.
Don't try to trap or touch it. animal control or your local health department. Keep people and pets inside. Staggering, circling or acting unafraid can mean illness.
Pets and wildlife.
your vet if your pet tangles with a wild animal. Bring pets in at night. Keep pets' rabies shots up to date.
What a wildlife visit looks like.
Cleanup comes last. Later, they come back and seal up. They set a one-way door or trap. They look for tracks, droppings and torn vents. The tech walks the roofline and the foundation.
If a skunk sprays.
- Under the house: air it out; the smell fades over days. - Clothes: wash with baking soda added to the load. - Eyes: keep the mix out; rinse with cool water. - Tomato juice: it doesn’t really work. - People and pets: wash with peroxide, baking soda and dish soap.
Babies found alone.
Call a wildlife rehabilitator. Hurt or clearly orphaned? Leave them be and watch from a distance for a day. Baby animals alone are often just waiting for a parent.
Fencing that works.
- Gates: keep gaps underneath to a couple of inches. - Gardens: hardware cloth beats chicken wire. - Climbers: an electric wire near the top stops raccoons. - Diggers: bury wire mesh a foot down, bent outward.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- Is cleanup included? - What will you seal with? - What happens to the animal? - How will you handle babies? - Where is it getting in? - Which animal is it?
What affects the price
- Number of entry points that must be sealed.
- Chimney cap size and whether a flue liner is needed.
- Whether young are present and need hand removal.
- Warranty length on exclusion work and sealed points.
- Species involved; skunks and raccoons cost more to handle.
- Trip fees for daily trap checks over multiple days.
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What worries you most about wildlife?
When to call for help
Call if an animal is in the attic, walls or chimney. right away if one acts sick or aggressive. Babies and droppings need careful handling.
What you can do yourself
Secure trash, bring in pet food and trim branches. Getting an animal out of the house is a pro's job. Never corner or handle one.
Wildlife in Southaven
Winter lows near 32°F in Southaven slow animals down, but don't stop them. About 54 inches of rain a year in Southaven softens fascia and soffits, and soft wood is easy to chew through. In Mississippi, bats are the animal most often found with rabies. In Southaven's neighborhoods, decks, sheds and trash bins draw animals in.
Local research
Wildlife in Southaven, MS: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which wildlife actually live in Mississippi, when they are busiest around Southaven, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Nuisance Wildlife species recorded in Mississippi
- 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 Southaven
Spring denning, fall baiting. Southeast ORV projects run October; Georgia forbids relocating carnivores.
Based on Southaven’s humid subtropical climate profile.
Rules that apply in Mississippi
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: Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks; 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.
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
Starlings were introduced to North America in 1890 in Central Park
Questions people ask
Can the animal just be relocated?
Often not. Many states, Mississippi included in some cases, limit moving trapped animals. Ask your provider.
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.
Does homeowners insurance cover wildlife damage?
Sometimes, for sudden damage. Gradual chewing often isn't covered. Ask your insurer.
What animal is in my attic?
Quick scurrying at dawn: squirrels. Rustling at dusk: bats.
Is wildlife removal humane?
It can be. One-way doors let animals leave on their own.
Which animals are most common around Southaven?
Mostly raccoons, squirrels, opossums, skunks, groundhogs, armadillos and bats.
When are wild animal babies born in Southaven?
Usually from about March through June. Don't seal a hole while babies are inside.
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Sources (9)
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