Wildlife Removal in Columbus, Ohio

Wildlife work follows different rules from bug work. A pest control company spraying for ants or baiting for mice works under an Ohio Department of Agriculture pesticide license. Trapping a raccoon or evicting bats for a fee falls under the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They are separate licenses, and a company can hold one without the other. If the same company does both kinds of work at your house, ask to see both.

The license to ask about

Ohio Revised Code 1531.40 says no person shall provide nuisance wild animal removal or control services for hire without a license from the chief of the Division of Wildlife. The rule that sets the details is Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-15-03, "Nuisance wild animal control," effective January 1, 2024. Under that rule and ODNR's operator manual:

• To get the license, an operator has to pass ODNR's certification course and exam, and pass a continuing education exam to renew.
• The operator and any employees must carry proof of certification and a copy of the license, and show them on demand.
• Nobody without the license may take a fee for the work, and that includes bat exclusions.

ODNR publishes a county-by-county list of current license holders (the Q3 2026 edition is on its site). Ask for the operator's name and check it against that list, or call ODNR at 1-800-WILDLIFE.

What you can do yourself

You do not need a license to trap a nuisance animal on your own property, as long as you are not paid. The same rule sets limits that catch a lot of homeowners off guard:

• Check traps at least once every calendar day.
• Tag each trap with the owner's identification.
• Do not hold a live animal more than 24 hours if you are not licensed.
• A trapped raccoon must be released on site or euthanized. You cannot drive it somewhere else. Skunks and opossums follow the same rule.
• Squirrels and groundhogs may be euthanized, or released outside the limits of any incorporated city or village, and only with the permission of the landowner where you let them go.

For a raccoon in a Columbus attic, that leaves two legal outcomes, and a drive to a park is not one of them. That is the main reason I would hire this job out.

Raccoons and squirrels in the attic

Thumping overhead during the day is usually squirrels. ODNR's manual notes that gray and fox squirrels are active mostly in daylight, while flying squirrels move at night. Heavier noise at night points more toward a raccoon.

Timing matters because of babies. ODNR lists raccoon young as born March to May. Gray and fox squirrels have young in late April or May, and two litters a year. Its rule for any exclusion is the same: do not close the opening until you are certain every animal, young included, is out. ODNR also warns that squirrels locked inside can do a great deal of damage chewing their way out.

A sound attic job looks like this:

1. An inspection of the roofline and chimney, with each opening photographed.
2. Removal by one-way door or trapping, following the release rules above.
3. Repairs with heavy 1/2-inch wire mesh or sheet metal, plus a chimney cap if the chimney is open.
4. Trimming limbs back 6 to 8 feet from the roof, which ODNR recommends so squirrels cannot jump across.

Raccoons also come for food left outside. ODNR's manual suggests wiring or weighting trash can lids down, because raccoons use their front paws well. It also lists pet food left outside as a common draw.

Bats: Ohio's dates and rules

All of Ohio's bats are protected. ODNR says four Ohio species are state-endangered, including the federally endangered Indiana bat and northern long-eared bat, and that white-nose syndrome has cut bat populations by more than 90%. Under OAC 1501:31-15-03, it is unlawful to kill a bat unless a bite or potential rabies exposure has occurred. The only allowed way to remove bats from a building is exclusion: a one-way device over the entry that lets bats out but not back in.

Period	Exclusion allowed?
April 1 to May 15	Yes, one of ODNR's preferred windows
May 16 to July 31	Only with ODNR's written permission if 5 or more bats are present (maternity season)
August 1 to October 15	Yes, the other preferred window
October 15 to March 31	Only with ODNR's written permission if any bats are present (hibernation)

The summer window protects pups that cannot fly until August. ODNR says excluding then can kill the young, and the mothers trying to get back to them often end up in living spaces. The winter window protects bats that would die outside in freezing weather. Exclusion devices must stay up at least a week, then the opening is sealed as soon as the device comes down. Glue traps and foggers are illegal for bats, and so is sealing every exit with bats inside.

One thing you can do any time: if bats are getting from the attic into the living space, ODNR says those interior routes may be sealed without a permit. So if a company calls you in November, the honest plan is to seal the gaps into your rooms now and schedule the exterior exclusion for spring or August. A quote for a winter exclusion with no mention of ODNR permission is a red flag.

A bat in the bedroom

The CDC says bat bites can be tiny, and you may not know you were bitten. It also says most people in the U.S. who die of rabies were exposed to a rabid bat. If you wake up with a bat in the room, or find one in a room with a sleeping child, do not let it go.

1. Put on thick leather gloves. When the bat lands, cover it with a box or jar.
2. Slide a piece of cardboard under the container and tape it shut.
3. The CDC says not to release the bat until you talk with a public health expert. In Columbus, report a bat exposure to Columbus Public Health through the Animal Bite Intake line at 614-645-7288. Outside the city, most of the county is served by Franklin County Public Health, at 614-525-3160.
4. Call your doctor. ODNR's guidance also says to contact your doctor if a bite cannot be ruled out.

If nobody was asleep in the room and you are sure no one touched it, ODNR's manual says to close the interior doors and open a window so the bat can find its way out. Then find out how it got in.

A bat in a bedroom or a raccoon loose in the living space is a reason to call now rather than wait for an estimate.

Groundhogs and skunks under the porch

ODNR's manual lists denning under a porch or deck as the usual problem with groundhogs and skunks, and opossums do the same. The fix is the same: remove the food, wait until the animal is out (and make sure no young are left), then close the opening for good. Remember the release rules. A groundhog can be moved outside city limits with the landowner's permission. A skunk or opossum cannot be moved at all. Raccoons and skunks are among the species ODNR flags for rabies risk when handling, so do not corner one, and call your health department and your doctor or vet if one bites a person or a pet.

Mice and rats are a pest control job, not a wildlife one. See our rodent control page for those.

Costs and getting help

Fixr (updated January 31, 2025) says a removal expert typically charges $250 to $1,000 to remove an animal, depending on the species and whether there is a nest. Repairs may be priced separately. Ask for a written price that lists the removal method and every repair, plus any return visit. Our Columbus cost guide and quote checklist cover what to compare, and renters should read who handles pests in an Ohio rental before paying.

For insects and rodents, we only refer companies that hold an Ohio Department of Agriculture pesticide business license and send licensed commercial applicators. For wildlife, also ask for the ODNR commercial nuisance wild animal control operator license, and see how to check an Ohio pest control license.