Silver Bullet Pest ControlThe squirrels or raccoons are out — now there's a chewed soffit, a torn roof vent and an attic full of ruined insulation. Silver Bullet Pest Control fixes what wildlife leaves behind in North Jersey homes: we seal every entry point, clean and deodorize the attic, remove and replace damaged insulation, and repair chewed soffits, fascia and trim ourselves. If something needs another trade, like wiring or the roof itself, we tell you straight.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • Licensed by NJ Fish and Wildlife for wildlife work • 15+ years • Hablamos español
Text photos of the damage to 973-510-2585 — we'll tell you what it looks like and what it needs.
Wildlife damage repair is fixing the openings and mess animals leave in a house — sealing chewed and torn entry points at the roofline, cleaning up droppings and urine in the attic, and replacing soiled or crushed insulation — so the home is closed up and the animals can't come back. It should happen after the animals are out, never before. Silver Bullet Pest Control does the sealing, chewed soffit and fascia repair, HEPA attic cleanup, odor control and insulation replacement ourselves; call or text 973-510-2585 for a free quote.
Each animal leaves its own kind of damage. Knowing which one helps you know what the repair involves:
Squirrels chew to get in and keep chewing once inside. Their front teeth never stop growing, so wood, vents and even wiring take a beating. Gaps where the roof meets the gutter line are a favorite spot.
Raccoons are strong enough to pull open a roof vent or lift shingles at a weak spot. Inside, the biggest damage is usually to the insulation, from their weight and their droppings.
These animals don't tear the house open — they use gaps that are already there. The damage is mostly droppings, urine and odor in the attic and walls, which still needs cleanup.
We'd rather tell you up front than surprise you later. Here's how wildlife damage usually breaks down:
| Damage | What it needs | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Entry holes at soffits, fascia, roof vents, gable vents, chimneys | Sealing with materials animals can't chew through | We do this |
| Droppings, urine and nesting in the attic | Bagged removal, HEPA vacuuming, surface treatment | We do this |
| Lingering animal odor | Odor control after the source is removed | We do this |
| Soiled or crushed attic insulation | Removal and new insulation | We do this |
| Chewed soffit boards, fascia or trim | Repair or replace the wood | We do this |
| Chewed electrical wiring | Inspection and repair by a licensed electrician | Electrician |
| Torn or crushed ductwork | Repair or replacement by an HVAC contractor | HVAC contractor |
| Damaged shingles, roof boards or flashing | Roof repair | Roofer |
| Stained or sagging drywall ceilings | Drywall repair | Contractor |
If you see chewed wires in an attic, tell us and have an electrician look at them — damaged wiring is a fire risk. We'll show you where we found it.
The most common mistake we see is fixing the damage while the animal is still inside. A homeowner patches the hole in the soffit, and the squirrel or raccoon either chews a new hole right next to it or gets trapped and dies in the wall. That turns one repair into three.
Doing it in that order means each repair only happens once. Our wildlife control page covers the removal side for each animal.
This is the part that keeps the problem from coming back. On every job we check and close:
Soffit corners, the gap where the roof meets the fascia, loose drip edge and the joints where two rooflines meet.
Roof vents, ridge vent ends, gable vents and bathroom or kitchen exhaust vents get covered with sturdy screening so air still moves.
Open flues and gaps around the chimney where it meets the roof. See chimney animal proofing.
Gaps around pipes, wires, dryer vents and the foundation, where mice and rats get in.
We use materials animals can't chew through, sized to the opening and the animal. Details: animal entry point sealing.
The attic is where most wildlife damage really is, even when the outside looks fine. Months of droppings and urine soak into the insulation, animals flatten it with their tunnels and nests, and the smell comes down through ceiling fixtures and the attic hatch.
We do this work ourselves:
Raccoon and bat droppings in particular can carry disease, so this is not a job for a shop vac and a dust mask. More: attic insulation removal and replacement and bat guano health risks.
Squirrels in particular can do real damage to wood: a chewed soffit corner, a hole through the fascia, gnawed trim around a gable vent. Sometimes the damage is small enough that sealing over it with sturdy metal covers the opening and stops the animal for good. Other times the wood is soft, rotted or chewed through and needs to be replaced before anything can be sealed properly.
We look at the wood on the visit and tell you which one you have. Either way, we repair the chewed soffit, fascia or trim ourselves after the animal is out, so one company handles removal, sealing and repair. If the damage goes into the roof itself, we'll tell you that you need a roofer. We also install chimney caps and buried mesh barriers under decks, porches and sheds so animals can't move back in — see chimney animal-proofing. Squirrel damage specifically: squirrel damage to soffit and fascia.
One more thing to know: chewed wood that has been wet for a while can also attract carpenter ants and termites. If we see signs of either, we'll point it out — and for termite damage, we repair sill plates, joists, beams and framing ourselves after treatment. See termite damage repair.
We give a free quote after seeing the house. The price depends on:
| Factor | Smaller job | Bigger job |
|---|---|---|
| Number of entry points | One hole | Several openings around the roofline |
| Height and access | Single-story roof edge | Steep roof, three-story house, hard-to-reach gables |
| Attic contamination | A small area of droppings | Latrines or droppings across the attic |
| Insulation | Spot removal | Full removal and new insulation |
| Wood damage | Sound wood, just needs sealing | Chewed-through or rotted wood |
| Animals | Already out | Still inside, or babies in spring |
Homeowners insurance sometimes covers wildlife damage — it depends on the policy, so check with your insurer. We can give you photos and a written description. Pricing background: wildlife removal cost.
Tell us which animal it was, how long it was there, and send photos of the damage if you can. We'll give you a free quote for sealing, wood repair, cleanup and insulation, and tell you honestly about anything else.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
After. Repairing a hole while the animal is still inside either traps it, which can mean a dead animal in the wall, or it simply chews a new hole next to the patch. Get the animals out first, then seal every entry point, clean the attic and do the repairs, so each fix only has to happen once.
Yes. We repair chewed soffits, fascia and trim ourselves after the animal is out. Often a chewed opening can be closed with sturdy metal and sealed so the animal can't get back in. When the wood is chewed through or rotted, we replace that section first, then seal it. If the damage goes into the roof itself, we'll tell you that part needs a roofer.
Often, yes. Insulation soaked with droppings and urine can't be cleaned, and crushed insulation doesn't keep the house warm. Sometimes only a corner needs to come out, sometimes the whole attic floor. We remove the damaged insulation and install new insulation ourselves.
It's not a good idea for raccoon or bat droppings, or for large amounts of any droppings. They can carry germs and parasites, and sweeping or vacuuming them with a regular vacuum spreads fine dust. We use protective gear, bagged removal and HEPA vacuums for attic cleanup.
Yes, squirrels and rats can chew through electrical wiring in attics and walls, which can be a fire risk. If we find chewed wires during an inspection, we'll show you and recommend having a licensed electrician check and repair them. We don't do electrical work ourselves.
We seal every entry point, not just the one the animal used, using materials animals can't chew through. That includes roofline gaps, vents, chimneys and lower gaps around pipes and the foundation. Vent covers are designed so air still flows. Sealing everything at once is what stops the next animal.
It depends on your policy. Some policies cover part of the damage animals cause, others exclude certain animals like rodents. Call your insurance company and ask before work starts. We can provide photos and a written description of the damage and repairs to support a claim.
Most sealing jobs take a day or less. Attic cleanup and insulation replacement can add another day depending on the size of the attic and how much has to come out. If the animals are still inside, removal comes first and can take several days with one-way doors.
A lingering smell usually means soiled insulation or soaked wood is still there, or an animal died in the attic or a wall. Odor sprays won't fix it. The source has to be removed and the area treated. We handle wildlife odor control and HEPA cleanup ourselves.
Sí. Sellamos las entradas, limpiamos el ático con equipo HEPA, controlamos el olor y cambiamos el aislamiento dañado. Para madera mordida, lo revisamos y le decimos qué podemos reparar. Hablamos español. Llame o mande texto al 973-510-2585.
Based in Garfield, serving Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
