In this episode, we discuss the realities of Houston, TX wildlife removal and what property owners across Harris County run into when nuisance animals move in. Mike Garrett, a retired U.S. Army veteran and founder of The Critter Team, shares what ten years of working Houston properties has taught him about where animals get in, what they do once they're inside, and why the city's size and diversity of housing stock makes thorough inspections non-negotiable.

Houston's sprawl means wildlife pressure shows up differently depending on the neighborhood. Older inner-loop homes have decades of settling, aging soffits, and deteriorating roof connections that give squirrels and roof rats easy access. Properties near bayous and greenways deal with raccoon activity that follows water corridors directly into subdivisions. Newer construction on the city's outer edges backs up against habitat that was cleared for development, and the animals that lived there don't go far. Mike covers how entry points vary by construction type and why the same gap that a roof rat uses - anything wider than a dime - often goes unnoticed until something is already living in the walls.

The episode gets into how scale changes the work in a city like Houston - commercial properties, multi-family buildings, and large residential lots each present their own challenges for exclusion and decontamination. Mike explains the full service model The Critter Team runs, where removal, cleanup, damage repair, and exclusion are handled by the same in-house crew rather than handed off to separate contractors.

Listeners will also hear about attic contamination risks, bat protections under federal law, and the legal side of wildlife relocation that catches Houston homeowners off guard. The CDC's occupational guidance on wildlife-related health hazards provides useful background on the contamination risks professionals manage on every job. Texas property owners can also review Texas Parks and Wildlife Department nuisance wildlife resources to understand what state regulations apply before taking any action on their own.

The Critter Team - Houston, TX