Pest Control in Minnetonka, MN

Soffits, attics and the trees that reach them

A 1960s rambler has a long, low roof with deep overhangs, and a split-level has several roof planes meeting at odd angles. Each valley, vent and soffit panel is a potential opening, and mature trees in a wooded lot often reach straight onto the shingles. Squirrels, raccoons and bats use those routes, and the end result is noise in the attic or droppings in the insulation.

The cold months are when many animals start looking for a dry den, so winter and late winter are common times for calls. A technician checks the roof edge, the gable vents, the chimney cap and the siding corners before going inside. Squirrel and raccoon exclusion means closing the opening after the animal is out, not before.

For bats, bat exclusion depends on when the colony is present and when young are flying, and rules should be confirmed before work. We do not print dates here.

Do wetlands and creek corridors mean more mosquitoes?

Water collects in ponds, wetlands and shallow creek margins, and standing water supports mosquito breeding through summer. Metropolitan Mosquito Control District crews begin in spring and treat public wetlands across seven counties until about October. That includes Hennepin, so the district handles the shared wetlands.

Your yard is a different story. A clogged gutter, a boat cover that holds water, a flowerpot saucer or an old tire can breed mosquitoes by your back door, and the district asks residents to drain and remove them. Our mosquito control page explains what a yard treatment adds, and the guide to mosquito season in the Twin Cities covers the calendar.

Carpenter ants in older wood and lakeshore decks

The ants arrive in spring where wood has been wet for a while. In Minnetonka that often means a porch post, a deck ledger or a window sill that has leaked for several winters, and lakeshore homes add dock-side wood. A colony may be in a stump or woodpile outside with a satellite nest in the house.

Treatment starts with the leak. See carpenter ant control for how a technician traces the trail and the moisture.

Voles, mice and the autumn move

University of Minnesota Extension says vole damage is mostly seen in late winter and early spring after the snow melts; voles feed on lawns under good snow cover, and grass usually recovers slowly, while woody plants can be killed. Large lawns and plantings around Minnetonka's subdivisions are exactly where those runways appear. See vole and field mouse control.

In the house, mice come to basements as nights cool, and boxelder bugs and Asian lady beetles gather on sunny walls. Walkout basements with big glass doors add more edges to seal.

Garages, finished basements and where mice settle

Suburban houses of this era usually have an attached garage, and the wall between garage and house is a common weak line. A worn door seal, a gap under the service door or a pipe chase running into the house lets a mouse step from a cold garage into a warm wall. Stored birdseed, pet food and cardboard add shelter and a meal.

A finished or walkout basement hides more. Mice run along the top of a foundation wall behind paneling and drywall, and the first sign may be a smell, a gnawed wire or a sound at night rather than droppings. Technicians check the rim joist, the utility room, the sump area and any gap where a dryer vent leaves the house. Our basement and foundation sealing page explains what gets closed and with what, and it is worth reading before you compare quotes.