pest-control

Squirrel and Wildlife Removal Cost in Minnesota: What Homeowners Pay to Get Animals Out of the Attic

Squirrel and wildlife removal in Minnesota costs $300 to $700 for a basic squirrel job and up to $4,000 with damage in 2026. Raccoon, bat, and mouse prices too.

Squirrel and Wildlife Removal Cost in Minnesota: What Homeowners Pay to Get Animals Out of the Attic

October is when Minnesota squirrels move in. Gray squirrels and red squirrels start looking for warm den sites as the nights drop toward freezing, and an attic in a 1950s rambler in Richfield or a 1920s bungalow in St. Paul's Mac-Groveland is warmer and drier than any tree hollow.

The scratching in the ceiling that starts this month is the beginning of a problem that costs $300 to $700 to solve if it is caught early and $1,500 to $4,000 if it is not. Raccoons, bats, and mice follow the same calendar and have their own prices.

Wildlife removal in Minnesota is a different trade from pest control, though many companies do both. Trapping and exclusion, which means sealing the entry points so the animals cannot return, is the work, and the price depends on the species, how many animals are inside, how they got in, and how much damage they did. This guide covers the common species, the prices across the state in 2026, and what to expect from a company.

Squirrel Removal

A standard squirrel job in the Twin Cities runs $300 to $700 for an inspection, trapping, and sealing one or two entry points. The inspection, at $75 to $150 and usually credited to the job, finds the entry, which is typically a chewed soffit, a gap at a roof valley, a rotted fascia board, or an uncapped chimney. The company sets one-way doors or live traps at the entry, removes the animals over several days, and then seals the entry with metal flashing or hardware cloth.

Red squirrels are harder than gray squirrels. They are smaller, get through gaps a gray squirrel cannot, and are more persistent about chewing back in. Red squirrel jobs in the northern half of the state, in the Brainerd Lakes, Duluth, and the Iron Range, often run $500 to $1,000 because of the number of entry points and the return visits.

Flying squirrels are a separate problem in wooded areas of central and northern Minnesota. They live in colonies, come and go at night, and are often mistaken for mice. A flying squirrel job runs $600 to $1,500 because of the colony size and the need to find and seal every gap.

Full Exclusion

Sealing the one hole the squirrels used is the minimum. Full exclusion means sealing every potential entry on the roofline, including soffit gaps, roof vents, gable vents, and the chimney, and it runs $800 to $2,500 depending on the house. Companies in the Twin Cities recommend it on older homes in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the first-ring suburbs where the soffits and fascia are original, because a squirrel that is locked out of one hole will chew another.

Raccoons, Bats, and Mice

Squirrels are the loudest attic guests but not the only ones. Minnesota's other common attic and crawl space animals each have their own removal method and their own price, and some have legal protections that change the timing.

Raccoons in the attic or chimney run $400 to $1,000 for trapping and removal, plus sealing at $200 to $600. A mother with a litter in spring costs more because the young must be removed by hand. Raccoons do more damage than squirrels, tearing insulation and leaving a latrine that requires cleanup at $500 to $2,000, and a raccoon job in the Twin Cities with cleanup often lands at $1,500 to $3,500.

Bats are protected in Minnesota, and removal is a timed exclusion rather than trapping. Companies install one-way exclusion devices at the entry points after the young can fly, in late August through October, and seal the entries once the colony has left.

A bat exclusion runs $500 to $1,500 for a typical home and $1,500 to $4,000 for a large or complicated roofline. Guano cleanup runs $500 to $2,500 depending on volume.

Mice are the most common wildlife call in the state and the cheapest per visit, at $150 to $400 for an initial treatment and $50 to $100 per month for ongoing service. Mouse exclusion, sealing the gaps in the foundation and around utility penetrations, runs $300 to $1,200. Most Minnesota homes get mice in October, and rural homes and cabins get them every year.

Other Species

Woodchucks under a deck or shed run $250 to $600. Skunks under a porch run $300 to $700, with a surcharge for the cleanup if the animal sprays.

Chipmunks, which undermine foundations and retaining walls, run $200 to $500. Birds in a dryer vent or bathroom vent run $150 to $350 including the vent cover.

Prices Across the State

Wildlife removal prices follow the number of companies and the age of the housing. The Twin Cities have both the most competition and the oldest homes, and the two effects roughly cancel out.

The Twin Cities metro has the most wildlife companies and the widest range of prices. Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the first-ring suburbs have older homes with more entry points and run at the top of the range.

Outer suburbs in Woodbury, Maple Grove, Eagan, and Lakeville have newer homes with fewer entries and run in the middle. Trip charges of $25 to $75 apply for homes more than 30 miles from a company's base.

Rochester, St. Cloud, Mankato, and Duluth have a few companies each and run 10 to 20 percent below the Twin Cities for the same job. The Brainerd Lakes, the North Shore, and the cabin country across central and northern Minnesota have fewer companies, longer waits, and a heavy seasonal demand from cabin owners closing up for winter. Cabin wildlife jobs often include a fall inspection and exclusion at $300 to $800.

Western and southwestern Minnesota have the fewest companies, and homeowners there sometimes rely on general pest control companies or the DNR's list of nuisance animal control operators.

Damage Repair and Cleanup

Getting the animals out is often the smaller half of the bill. What they did while they were inside is the other half, and it is worth knowing before the removal starts.

Squirrels and raccoons chew wiring, and an electrician's inspection after a wildlife job runs $150 to $300, with wire repair on top if needed. Insulation contaminated by droppings or torn up for nesting costs $1 to $3 per square foot to remove and replace, and a full attic in a typical rambler runs $1,500 to $4,500. Some wildlife companies do the insulation work and some refer it out.

Homeowners insurance in Minnesota often covers sudden damage from wildlife, such as chewed wiring or a torn roof, and excludes the removal itself and gradual damage like contaminated insulation. Ask the company for a written damage report with photos for the claim.

Choosing a Company

Minnesota regulates wildlife control more than many states, which makes vetting a company easier. A few questions on the first call separate the licensed exclusion specialists from the trappers who leave the hole open.

Minnesota requires nuisance animal control operators to hold a permit from the Department of Natural Resources, and the DNR publishes a list of permitted operators by county. Ask for the permit number.

Ask whether the company does exclusion as well as trapping, because a company that only traps leaves the hole open. Ask what the warranty on the exclusion work is, which runs one to five years at the better companies.

Browsing the pest control and wildlife companies listed for Minnesota with recent reviews will turn up companies that handle squirrels and raccoons in your area. Our blog has more seasonal home service guides for the state if you are working through the fall list.

Get a written estimate after the inspection, and for anything over $1,000, get a second one. The inspection fee is small next to a $3,000 exclusion job.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does squirrel removal cost in Minneapolis?

$300 to $700 for inspection, trapping, and sealing one or two entry points in 2026. Full exclusion of the roofline on an older home runs $800 to $2,500.

Why do squirrels get into attics in October?

They are looking for warm den sites before winter, and an attic is warmer and drier than a tree hollow. Gray squirrels, red squirrels, and flying squirrels all move in from late September through November across Minnesota.

Are bats protected in Minnesota?

Yes. Bat removal is a timed exclusion after the young can fly, from late August through October, and it runs $500 to $1,500 for a typical home. Sealing the entries while a colony is inside is illegal and traps the bats in the house.

Does insurance cover wildlife damage?

Sudden damage like chewed wiring or a torn roof is often covered. Removal, exclusion, and gradual damage like contaminated insulation usually are not. Ask the company for a written damage report with photos.

What license does a wildlife removal company need in Minnesota?

A nuisance animal control permit from the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR publishes a list of permitted operators by county, and a company should be able to give you its permit number.