Thumping in the attic at night. Scurrying overhead in the daytime. A skunk smell drifting up from under the deck. Waltham's housing — Victorians and colonials on the South Side, capes and ranches out toward Warrendale and the Lexington line — sits between the Charles River and some of the busiest remaining woods in the inner suburbs, and November is when wildlife moves in: raccoons and squirrels are still actively looking for winter shelter, and the animal that gets into your attic now is planning to stay until spring.

 

Whatever has moved in, the fix is the same order of work: inspect first, remove humanely, then seal the house so it doesn't happen again. That's what we do, all over Waltham, every week.

 

What we remove in Waltham

 

• Raccoons — attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces; humane trapping, removal, and exclusion

• Squirrels — chewed eave and soffit entries, attic nesting; removal and chew-proof sealing

• Bats — colonies roosting in attics; in November bats are already hibernating, so we inspect now, map every entry, and schedule humane eviction for the right season, then seal the house

• Skunks — denning under decks, porches, and sheds; removal plus a buried, dig-proof barrier

• Woodchucks — burrows under sheds, decks, and foundations

• Beavers — flooding and damming around Waltham's ponds, streams, and wetlands

• Opossums, chipmunks, and birds — in houses, vents, and structures

• Moles and voles — lawn treatment programs for tunneling damage

 

Wildlife only — we don't do bugs, mice, or rats, and we never have. Nuisance wildlife is all we do, and we do it humanely, in line with Massachusetts regulations as licensed Problem Animal Control agents.

 

Where Waltham wildlife gets in

 

Waltham packs a lot of habitat into a small city: the Charles River bends along the South Side, Hardy Pond and the Stony Brook corridor hold the northwest, Prospect Hill's woods rise in the middle of the city, and mature street trees shade rooflines from Moody Street to Totten Pond Road. The housing backs right onto all of it:

 

• Soffits, roof returns, and eaves — the classic raccoon and squirrel entry, especially where wood has softened

• Chimneys without caps — a ready-made raccoon den

• Gable and ridge vents — bats fit through gaps as small as half an inch

• Under decks, porches, and sheds — the winter dens skunks and woodchucks look for

• River, pond, and wetland edges — beaver territory wherever water meets backyards

 

How every job works

 

Every job starts with an inspection, which you can book online through our website. We don't give estimates over the phone or online, because the price depends on what we find: which animal, how it's getting in, and what it takes to seal the structure properly.

 

1. Inspection — We identify the animal, find every entry point, and assess the damage, then give you a clear plan and price before any work starts.

2. Humane removal — Animals are removed safely and humanely, in line with Massachusetts regulations.

3. Exclusion and repairs — We seal entry points with durable, chew-proof and dig-proof materials and repair wildlife damage, so the next animal can't follow the same route in.

4. Cleanup advice — We advise on attic cleanup and odor treatment where droppings and nesting have built up.

 

Why Waltham homeowners call Harvey's

 

• Based in Wilmington with our shop in Medford — in Waltham for jobs regularly

• Licensed Massachusetts Problem Animal Control agents

• Wildlife only — no bugs, mice, or rats

• Removal + exclusion together — the animal is gone and the entry is sealed

• 24/7 emergency service — an animal in the living space at 2 a.m. is a call we take any time

 

See our raccoon removal, squirrel removal, and skunk removal services, or the full list on our FAQ page.

 

Waltham wildlife questions

 

How much does wildlife removal cost in Waltham?

It depends on the animal, the entry point, and how much exclusion work the house needs, so we never quote a price without looking. Every job starts with an inspection — book online through our website, and the inspection fee is confirmed at booking. After the inspection, you get a clear price before any work starts.

 

I hear noises in the attic. How do I know what it is?

Timing and sound are the clues: heavy thumping at night usually means raccoons; daytime scurrying and chewing points to squirrels; faint scratching around dusk can be bats. The inspection settles it for certain — guessing wrong wastes money, because each animal needs a different removal plan.

 

There's a bat in my house in November. Can you get it out now?

A bat in the living space is a call-now situation, day or night — we handle that right away. A colony roosting in the attic in November is hibernating, so the eviction itself is scheduled for the season when bats can safely leave, and the seal-up follows it. The inspection now maps everything so the work happens in the right order.

 

Do you work in the dorms and rental buildings around the universities?

Yes — we handle wildlife calls in occupied buildings, including bats in living spaces, and we work with facilities and property managers. Call and we'll set up an inspection.

 

Book your inspection

 

An animal in the attic in November is a winter-long tenant unless it's removed. Book an inspection online, or call 1-800-692-0406 — emergency service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.