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Disclaimer:  These listings of businesses are offered by ICWDM as a public service. The presence or lack of presence on this list implies neither an endorsement or criticism by the ICWDM. ICWDM strongly recommends that property owners carefully investigate any wildlife control business before engaging its services. We have provided information to help you evaluate a business. See the Pre-hiring Questions Please read them carefully. See our Policy Statement We would appreciate recommendations for government or organizational sites that list businesses. Let us know about them by e-mailwebmaster Of course, feel free to make us aware about broken links too.

Definitions: People who specialize in handling wildlife damage problems can be designated by a number of terms.

• NWCO-(pronounced "newco") means Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator
• WCO-means Wildlife Control Operator
• PAC- term used in Massachusetts, means Problem Animal Controller
• Pest Control-term is too vague as it normally refers to people who also handle bugs.

There is no specific formula, no exact set of questions, that will always connect you with the perfect company to solve your wildlife conflict. We hope we haven’t given you false hopes in this regard. However, there are some questions you may want to ask before you sign any contracts or make other commitments.

BEFORE YOU HIRE A NUISANCE WILDLIFE CONTROL OPERATOR (short version)

If you would like to read the long version click Long version  or Dr. Robert Schmidt's Article

These are offered below in no particular order of priority. You, as the customer, must decide what is most important to you.

How qualified is the NWCO?

• Is the NWCO licensed? (Not all states require licenses, so check your state's division of wildlife before asking).
• Ask for references.
• Ask how many years have you been doing wildlife control business? This question is not to be confused with how many years in the Pest control business. Controlling insects is very different from controlling wildlife.
• Consult with your state's Environmental Police and Department of Natural Resources. Ask them who they recommend in your area. Press them for an unofficial statement.
• Do you have liability insurance? If so how much? $100,000 of coverage is very easy to obtain in this industry. There is no excuse as to why a NWCO can't have it.
• Does the NWCO have Workman's Comp insurance? This insurance protects the worker if he gets injured on the job. Understand that most NWCO's are self employed and so may not be required by law to have it. However, if they have other employees they may have to have it.
• Did the NWCO present you with a variety of control options? Exclusion, trapping, eviction, habitat modification or maybe even suggesting that nothing be done? How does his/her recommendations compare with those suggested by the Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage? Understand that sometimes the NWCO doesn't present you with a variety of options because you already gave him specific instructions. Don't be angry at the NWCO if he does what you tell him. If you want to double check, ask him if there are other possible solutions than the one you asked for? Better yet, ask the NWCO if there are other control options than what he suggested.
• Does he/she put the job in writing with a complete contract?
• Philosophy. Will the NWCO provide services according to your preference and in accordance with local laws? Keep in mind that your preferences may change the price both in time and money of the service.

Considerations on price: