FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

About Precision Pest and Wildlife Removal

Who owns Precision Pest and Wildlife Removal?

Precision Pest and Wildlife Removal is owned and operated by Jody and Stephanie Hoffer, who founded the company in 2016. Jody, a South Carolina native, is a military veteran and a certified wildlife removal and exclusion specialist. Stephanie is a certified wildlife control operator with national certifications for bats, geese, birds, rodents, reptiles, and amphibians, and she works closely with wildlife rehabilitators across the state. Together, they lead a veteran- and family-owned team whose combined field experience exceeds two decades. You can learn more about the team on our About Us page.

Are your technicians licensed and insured?

Yes, every Precision technician is certified through the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA), whose program reflects the highest and most current standards in wildlife handling, disease risk, and exclusion. Our pest control work is licensed through the South Carolina Department of Pesticide Regulation at Clemson University, the state agency that certifies and licenses pesticide applicators. Precision is also fully insured.

What types of pests and animals do you handle?

Precision handles both household pests and nuisance wildlife on residential and commercial properties. Common examples include:

• Insects and spiders: Ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, spiders, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, honeybee swarms, stink bugs, boxelder bugs, earwigs, and crickets
• Rodents: Rats, mice, and squirrels (including flying squirrels)
• Wildlife: Raccoons, bats, opossums, skunks, snakes, armadillos, beavers, groundhogs, moles, coyotes, foxes, birds, and feral hogs

Species-specific details are available on our Pest Control and Wildlife Removal pages.

Do you provide commercial pest control?

Yes, Precision provides commercial pest control throughout the Upstate for offices, restaurants, warehouses, rental properties, and agricultural buildings. Commercial treatment often involves larger spaces, meticulous documentation, and stricter health regulations in sectors such as food service, healthcare, and childcare. We tailor each commercial plan to the facility and its industry, and our team works discreetly and is flexible scheduling, to limit disruption to daily operations. See our Home and Business Protection page for more detail.

Service Area, Scheduling, and Pricing

What areas do you serve?

Precision Pest and Wildlife Removal serves eight counties in Upstate South Carolina: Abbeville, Anderson, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg. Communities within that area include Greenville, Greer, Simpsonville, Mauldin, Taylors, Travelers Rest, Spartanburg, Boiling Springs, Anderson, Easley, Clemson, Seneca, Laurens, Clinton, Greenwood, and Abbeville. Pest control, wildlife removal, and damage repair are available in every county we serve. If your property lies just outside these counties, give us a call, since coverage sometimes extends past county lines (depending on location and the nature of the problem). A full map is available on our Service Areas page.

Where are your offices located?

Precision operates from three offices in Upstate South Carolina:

• Greenville: 2320 E North St, Suite E, Unit 208, Greenville, SC 29607
• Simpsonville: 111 Fairview Pointe Drive, Simpsonville, SC 29681
• Anderson: 311 W Greer St, Honea Path, SC 29654

We typically dispatch from the nearest office, but technicians from all three locations travel throughout the eight-county service area, when necessary.

Do you offer emergency pest control and wildlife removal?

Yes. Our phone line, (864) 392-9404, is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Messages are checked every hour, day and night, and when a situation is urgent, we return the call with pricing and an estimated service window. True emergencies usually involve wildlife inside an occupied living space, such as a bat in a bedroom or a raccoon in a kitchen. For non-emergency pest problems, same-day or next-day service is often available.

What happens during an inspection?

Every Precision service visit begins with an inspection to identify the animal species involved, locate entry points, and gauge the severity of the problem. Based on those findings, the technician builds a targeted plan, which may include baiting, trapping, exclusion, or carefully applied treatments. Technicians document what they find, explain it in plain terms, and offer solutions, including preventive measures to reduce the chance of the problem returning.

How much does pest control or wildlife removal cost?

Cost depends on the type of pest or animal, the size of the property, the extent of the problem, and whether exclusion or repair work is needed. Because Precision builds each treatment plan around the property rather than selling a fixed package, we quote once we understand the specifics. Many routine jobs can be estimated over the phone, while larger wildlife, exclusion, or repair projects generally call for an on-site inspection first. In either case, you receive an itemized estimate before any work begins.

Pest Control

What pests are most common in Greenville, SC?

The pests Upstate property owners call about most often are cockroaches, ants (including fire ants), mosquitoes, and ticks. Activity often follows the seasons: warm, humid summers bring more ants, mosquitoes, ticks, wasps, and bees, while cooler weather drives stink bugs, and other pests indoors in search of food and shelter. Wildlife conflicts involving raccoons, squirrels, bats, mice, rats, and snakes are also common, particularly where new development borders wooded land.

How often should I schedule routine pest control?

For most homes, we recommend quarterly pest control. Treating every three months keeps pace with seasonal shifts in pest activity and gives the technician regular opportunities to catch developing problems early. Properties with recurring infestations, heavy wooded exposure, or commercial compliance needs may call for a different schedule, and our maintenance plans can be adjusted to fit.

Are your treatments safe for children and pets?

Our treatments are selected and applied with children and pets in mind. Precision uses environmentally responsible products and targeted application methods, including baiting and exclusion where they fit the situation, to limit exposure while still resolving the infestation. Before work begins, your technician will explain any precautions that apply, such as how long to keep children and pets away from treated areas, and we are always glad to review treatment options with you in advance.

How should I prepare for pest control treatment?

Preparation is usually minimal. Before a routine visit, clear clutter from the areas being treated, put away food and personal items, and make sure the technician can reach baseboards, cabinets, and other likely entry points. Some treatments, such as those for bed bugs, may require more involved preparation. When that is the case, we will provide specific instructions ahead of time.

Wildlife Removal

How can I tell if an animal is living in my attic or walls?

Noise is usually the first sign. Examples include scratching, scurrying, or thumping overhead or inside walls. The timing can help narrow down the culprit, since gray squirrels are generally active during the day, while flying squirrels, raccoons, opossums, and bats are mostly active at night. Other signs include droppings, torn or flattened insulation, chewed wiring or wood, dark rub marks around gaps in the roofline, and a persistent musty or ammonia-like odor. An inspection confirms the species and locates the entry point.

Can I trap or relocate a nuisance animal myself in South Carolina?

In some cases, you can trap one, but relocating it is another matter. SCDNR places responsibility for wildlife damage control on the property owner and requires a free depredation permit to trap or shoot most wildlife outside the open season (although no permit is needed to capture a furbearer or squirrel damaging property within 100 yards of the owner’s home). SCDNR also states that routine relocation of captured wildlife is against state law.1 Beyond the legal questions, cornered animals may bite, some carry disease, and trapping alone leaves the entry point open, so most property owners are better served by a professional who handles removal and exclusion together.

Are the animals that are removed from my property euthanized?

Not necessarily. What happens to a captured animal depends on the species and on state and federal law, but South Carolina generally does not allow captured nuisance wildlife to be relocated. For that reason, Precision relies on exclusion wherever possible: one-way devices allow animals to leave a structure on their own and then keep them from returning, so no capture is needed. Bats, for example, are removed only through exclusion, and the active nests of many native birds are protected under federal law. When capture is necessary, we follow the regulations that apply to that species and work closely with wildlife rehabilitators across the state. No animal is euthanized unnecessarily.

Can bats be removed at any time of year?

No. In late spring and summer, female bats gather in maternity colonies to raise young, called pups, that cannot yet fly. SCDNR recommends against excluding bats from May through July, because doing so traps flightless pups inside the structure. Early spring (March and April) and fall (August through October) are the best times for exclusion.2 If you discover bats during maternity season, we can confirm the colony, document its entry points, and schedule exclusion for when the young are able to fly. Our guide to bat control in South Carolina covers the process in more detail.

How long does wildlife removal take?

Many wildlife removal cases are resolved within one to two weeks, a span that covers the inspection, trapping or exclusion, and repair of the entry point. The timeline depends on the species, the number of animals, and how many entry points need to be sealed. Bat exclusions often take longer, since one-way devices typically remain in place for a week or two and the work must be scheduled around maternity season. Your technician will give you a specific timeline after the inspection.

Exclusion and Damage Repair

What is exclusion, and why does it matter?

Exclusion is the permanent sealing of the openings pests and wildlife use to get inside a building, such as gaps in soffits, roof vents, ridge caps, fascia boards, foundations, and utility penetrations. It matters because removing an animal without closing its entry point leaves the way open for the next one. Exclusion is often paired with one-way devices that let animals leave but not return, and it is the step that turns a one-time removal into lasting protection.

Do you repair damage caused by pests and wildlife?

Yes, damage repair is handled in-house by the same crew that removes the animals and seals the entry points, rather than being subcontracted to a separate roofer or carpenter. Repairs commonly involve roofs, attics, soffits, gables, fascia, crawl spaces, basements, doors, and windows, and they are finished to match the building’s existing exterior. When droppings and nesting material have contaminated insulation, cleanup is part of restoring the space. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings, urine, or nesting material, since doing so can release virus-carrying droplets into the air.3

Do you warranty your work?

Yes, Precision warranties its work, including the exclusion repairs that keep animals from returning. Because coverage depends on the type and scope of the work performed, we are happy to walk you through the warranty terms that apply to your project.

References

1. “List of Wildlife Removal Services,” South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, January 2020, https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/control.html.
2. “Bats in South Carolina,” South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, January 2020, https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/bats/index.html.
3. “How to Clean Up After Rodents,” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/clean-up.html.