If you have a problem with wildlife in your Ankeny home, your best option is to hire a company that specializes in Iowa wildlife removal only. This is a specialty business, and regular pest control companies do not use the proper techniques to solve animal problems. I have spent many years reviewing Iowa and Ankeny, and I recommend the following:

Southern Iowa Critter Catcher
Cell Phone: 515-204-2864

NOTE: If you have a dog or cat problem, call Polk County Animal Services: 515-286-3333

Southern Iowa Critter Catcher specializes primarily in removing animals from attics of homes and buildings - this includes squirrels in attics, raccoons, and rats or mice in homes. Iowa also has a documented problem with bats in buildings, and Southern Iowa Critter Catcher is specially trained in bat removal. They also perform general wildlife trapping services, such as the capture and removal of skunks or opossums on the property. Call 515-204-2864 to discuss your critter problem and schedule a same-day or next-day appointment. Click here to learn more about what prices we charge in 2024.

When hiring a company to solve your wild animal problem, you want these features:

• Specializes in wildlife removal, not pest control
• Fully Iowa and Polk County licensed and insured
• Works 7 days per week (critters don't take weekends off)
• Performs full building inspections: enters and inspects attic
• Performs exclusion repairs, with guarantee against animal re-entry
• Offers cleanup of biohazardous wildlife waste



Southern Iowa Critter Catcher is a full-service Ankeny wildlife removal company. This is very different from a regular Ankeny pest control company. The pest control companies spray poison to kill insects. This is not at all similar to wildlife removal. Southern Iowa Critter Catcher performs a full inspection of the home or property, and determines why the animal(s) are there, and if inside a building, how the animals got inside. All animals (including rodents) are trapped and removed, or if possible, removed from the building using special exclusion devices. Once the animals are gone, preventative repairs are essential, and cleanup is sometimes recommended.

Ankeny wildlife trapping - it's not as simple as it may seem. It's illegal in Iowa to trap without a license. Trap type is very important and there are many different types, bait is somewhat relevant, trap placement is vital, and there are dozens of small things that are very important to know. Safety is a concern. Then once the animal is trapped, it must be removed and dealt with in the proper manner according to Iowa law. We offer Ankeny raccoon removal. Read more about how to get rid of raccoons.

Animals in attics - this is our specialty at Southern Iowa Critter Catcher. Many types of animals like to live in attics. This includes squirrels, raccoons, rats, mice, bats, birds, and even possums. Critters like to go into attics for a safe place to live and raise their young. Removing animals from attics is very complex work, partly because of the presence of baby animals. If you need Ankeny squirrel removal, we can remove all the squirrels from your attic, and seal out any future ones. Read more about how to get rid of squirrels.

Rodent control must be done in a very specific way. First off, the most important thing is that all the openings that rats and mice can use to enter a house be sealed. Then all the rodents must be physically trapped and removed. Never, ever use poison! Most Ankeny exterminators will just use this lazy poison technique to kill rodents, and it causes more harm than good - dead stinky rats, and it doesn't solve the problem. Call us for correct Ankeny rat removal. Read more about how to get rid of rats.

Bat removal is a highly specialized task. Iowa is known to have colonizing bats who often live in buildings. Bats love attics. If not removed, the colony can grow to a very large size over the years. The bat droppings are often corrosive and cause health risks. The same goes for bird droppings on or in buildings. We perform Ankeny pigeon removal and bird control. But our specialty is Ankeny bat removal. We remove 100% of the bat colony and seal the building so that it's totally bat-proof. Read more about how to get rid of bats.

If you have animals inside a house, no job is complete without proper exclusion repairs. If you simply hire a Ankeny trapper who only removes the critters, then the problem will return. You need to hire a Ankeny wildlife control company that identifies 100% of the animal entry points into your building, and seals them shut with professional repairs. In addition, in many cases animals have left waste or contamination behind, and you'll want a company that can provide professional cleaning services. Southern Iowa Critter Catcher does both.

The above are just some of the services offered by Southern Iowa Critter Catcher. We also trap and remove animals that destroy lawns, such as moles, or digging animals. Sometimes animals like opossums will live under buildings, steal pet food, raid garbage cans, etc. Read about how to get rid of opossums. Skunks commonly live under sheds or decks, and set up a den. We can trap and remove them without them spraying. Read about how to get rid of skunks. Southern Iowa Critter Catcher also provides dead animal removal in Ankeny. If you need help with any other wildlife conflict, from a fox, beaver, groundhog, or any other critter, we can solve it. We also do Ankeny snake removal - most of the snakes in Iowa are not venomous, but call us if you want safe removal, or read about how to get rid of snakes in Ankeny. And remember, we are a private business, not Polk County Animal Control Services, so if you have a dog or cat problem, call the County at 515-286-3333. Polk County animal services does not handle any wildlife issues.


Southern Iowa Critter Catcher
Cell Phone: 515-204-2864




Ankeny Pricing Info

Every wildlife removal situation is different, from the species of animals involved, the location of the animal inside a house or outside, the extent of repairs or cleanup, etc. It's impossible to give one-size-fits-all prices. Examples MIGHT include:

Small Job: For example, a one-stop job to remove an animal in the yard: $100 on up
Medium Job: For example, getting critters out of your house with minor repairs: $300 on up
Large Job: For example, a project involving many service trips and complex work: $500 on up

Give us a phone call now and tell us about your wildlife issue and we will be able to give you a price estimate over the phone. If you're cool with it, we can schedule a same-day or next-day appointment if you like. Our prices are fair, and a good value because we do the job right, the first time.

Ankeny Wildlife Tip #1:


How to deal with raccoons that are cage shy

Raccoons can either scare you or befriend you. They are also known to invade homes where they seek food and shelter. If a raccoon gets into your home, you probably will want to trap it. But, what do you do if the raccoon is cage shy. In such a case, you may have to resort to using ruthless means to capture and get rid of the raccoon.

Not easy to deal with cage shy raccoons

Dealing with a cage shy raccoon is not easy as it becomes hard to trap it. In addition, you may have to spend a lot of money and effort to finally trap it. If you want to trap a cage shy raccoon, then the first thing you need to do is set a time within which to trap the animal.

If you are living in the US or Canada, then the best time to trap a raccoon is in the month of November. This is when raccoons need to survive the cold weather and this is when they tend to put on more weight. For people living in the somewhat warmer areas like in the south of America, the best time to trap a raccoon is in the summer months. At this time, there will be plenty of foods with which to bait the trap.

Place the trap well

When dealing with a cage shy raccoon, you must make sure that you place the trap in the best place. The ideal place to put your trap is what ends up determining what kind of bait you will need to use. The best place to put the trap is close to the exit of a raccoon den. Another thing to keep in mind is raccoons like to wash their foods. This means you should also consider placing the trap close to a water edge.

Raccoons leave tracks leading to their den

The nice thing about placing your trap is raccoons tend to leave tracks to their dens. Mostly, their dens are in a tree or an old building that has not been inhabited for many years. Sometimes, raccoons make their dens close to a cave or beaver dam and in a few instances, it makes its den under a bridge.

Use permissible methods

Dealing with cage shy raccoons requires you use a permissible method to trap them. So, make sure you obtain permission to trap the raccoon before setting your trap. You should also use watermelons or kernels to bait the trap. Their smell attracts cage shy raccoons and once they get the smell, they will readily enter the trap in spite of being cage shy. If you are placing the trap inside an old home, then it is harder to encourage the raccoon to enter the trap. This means you may need to place the trap close to their hiding place.



Ankeny Wildlife Tip #2:


Iowa Wildlife Information:

Iowa State bird: Eastern goldfinch
State amphibian: North American bullfrog
State fish: Channel catfish

Iowa is a central state in the Midwest, and its location has given it the nickname "America's heartland". Despite being a naturally flat state which used to have plentiful forests, Iowa has given up much of its natural habitats in favor of agriculture. Now, forests only cover 7 percent of the entire state, often in the river valleys only where farming isn't practical or easy. Thirty percent of the state is still grassland, but only 1 percent of that 30 is original prairie land. More than half of the state-at 60 percent-is active farmland. The weather in this region is warm and humid during the summers with cold, snowy winters. Thunderstorms are common on a daily basis in the warm weather.

Unlike other states with grasslands, Iowa no longer has many of the large grazing creatures that loved to live on the plains. Elk and bison have long since been extirpated from the state due to heavy deforestation and land conversion. Only white-tailed deer remain, and these were once wiped off Iowa soil as well. The species was re-introduced and has thrived, but it is still uncommon in some areas.

Despite the lack of large grazers, predators have fared better in Iowa that in other states. For a while, there was thought to be no evidence of mountain lions or gray wolves, but the large cats have been making a comeback. Experts feel there may now be a breeding population in the state. Smaller predators, like bobcats and coyotes, live off the plentiful small animals that live around the countryside. There are plenty of rabbits, prairie dogs, and raccoons to keep the carnivores happy.

An abundance of small animals means an abundance of pest animals, and Iowa is no exception. The state has raccoons, bats, squirrels, mice, rats, and opossums. Spotted skunks are protected by the state, but they can still become pest animals.

Unfortunately, Iowa has lost many of its native animals due to the progressive nature of humans. A number of animals are on the endangered species list including bald eagles, flying squirrels, bats, certain owls, and a number of lizards, insects, fish, and reptiles. While the original agriculture move ousted many of the state's species, Iowa is taking steps to protect the remaining wildlife.

You can always call Southern Iowa Critter Catcher, any time of day, at 515-204-2864, for a price quote for Ankeny wildlife control services. I am confident that this is the best choice amongst wildlife removal companies in Ankeny, IA.