Michigan Wildlife Control "Companies" Scamming Customers
UPDATE: MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATION - Have you been impacted? November 2023
Finding a Reputable Bat Removal Specialist in SE Michigan
Finding an ethical wildlife control company in Southeast Michigan requires a bit of digging. While a few legitimate, local outfits exist, many search results are actually "ghost listings" designed to trick you.
How to Spot a "Fake" Local Listing:
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Keyword-Stuffed Names: Be wary of businesses named exactly after a city and service, such as "Bat Removal Lansing" or "Bloomfield Hills Wildlife Removal."
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Mass Listings: Some outfits create over 100 fake Google Maps locations to dominate the map, despite not having physical offices in those cities.
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Generic Greetings: When you call, listen for how they answer. Scam operations often use different phone numbers for every listing, but they all route to the same call center. If they answer with a generic "Wildlife Removal" or "Pest Control" instead of a specific business name, it’s a red flag.
To ensure you’re hiring a trustworthy professional, always ask for a physical address and verify their specific state licensing before booking a consultation.
When it All Started: Click Here (2012)
Beware of Fraudulent Wildlife Reviews
Many deceptive companies manipulate Google Maps to appear more reputable than they are. When vetting a company, look for these common red flags in their reviews:
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Stock Photo Profiles: Reviewers often use generic images pulled from the internet.
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Impossible Travel History: If you click a reviewer’s profile and see they have left reviews for local service companies in five different states within the same month, the review is likely fake.
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Review Bombing: These companies don't just inflate their own ratings; they actively attack legitimate, well-established local businesses with fraudulent 1-star reviews to tank their competition.
The "Financial Trap": How the Scam Works
When you have a bat in your house, panic often leads to quick, unvetted decisions. These "ghost companies" rely on that urgency to spring a trap:
1. The Local Illusion
You search for "Bat Removal Clarkston" and call what looks like a local business. However, when the technician arrives, the truck often lacks a logo or features a completely different business name.
2. The Paperwork Pivot
You may be handed a generic invoice that lacks a professional logo, website, or physical address. This makes it nearly impossible to track them down once they leave your property.
3. The Warranty Loophole
This is the most dangerous part of the scam. They will charge high-dollar amounts for "ridge guard installation" or "home repairs" rather than "wildlife removal."
The Result: If a bat returns a week later and you call to claim your "warranty," they will argue that you didn't hire them for bat control—only for a specific repair. Because the contract is intentionally vague, you are left with no legal recourse and a house that still has a bat problem.
How Can You Tell if the Wildlife Control Company is Legit or Not?
- The first thing to look for is a legitimate website. Something with the company name in it. Ours is MichiganWildlifeSolutions.com and MichiganBatControl.com. They clearly state our company name in the website address. Most of these fake listings use the website builder provided by Google My Business. These are just one-page listings with .business.site at the end of the web address.
- Research the phone number. Is this the phone number they list on their website, if there is a legitimate website?
- Does the company have a real logo? Or does it look like someone made it on Microsoft Word?
- Are there any photos of the company's trucks, employees, or place of business?
- When you make the phone call, how do they answer? Do they answer by using a generic phrase such as "wildlife removal"? You need to ask questions such as, who is coming to my home? What is your business name? Most of the time, they will give a name different than the one they have listed.
- Ask to see a copy of their liability insurance and workers' comp insurance. You can look up Workers' comp insurance here.
- Is the company incorporated in the state of Michigan? Look up incorporation documents. Notice if the name is used multiple times in a small geographical area. Does this make sense? What was the date of incorporation, and does it match the experience they claim? When searching, look for "keyword." Business Lookup.
Find Out What Sets us Apart
Have You Been Scammed or Taken?
Did another wildlife control company rip you off? This seems to be a common theme in the pest control and wildlife removal industry.
You hire a company to get the wildlife out of your home. Companies will often push a product on you, such as a product called Ridge-Guard. They tell you that this deal comes with a 5-year warranty. Later, you discover that you still have wildlife in your home, and you can't get in touch with anyone. Here are the problems you run into.
Only the Wildlife Repairs on the Home Are Covered
Remember the ridge-guard product that was pushed on you? Well, they forgot to mention that it is the only thing covered. They neglected to seal up the whole house, therefore allowing multiple entry points into the home for bats, birds, mice, squirrels, and even raccoons. Now you are left with an open runway for critters into the home. You thought you had a warranty, but you were duped. Now their response is to charge you for all the openings they left open. Is that fair? We think not. These entry points should have been fixed in the first place.
Wait, what? The Company I trusted No Longer Exists
Here's a tough one to swallow. Remember all of those fake companies online you put your trust in? Well, if you hired them, now you are told that their company was bought out by another company, and the new company won't honor the warranty. Here are some valuable questions to ask yourself when faced with this situation.
- How do you know that the company was actually bought out
- Does the same family/person work in the other company?
- Is this done every few years intentionally to make you go away
- What is the history?
- Was the sale an asset sale or a stock swap? This can determine if warranties are transferred.
- Is the "old" company's listing still up and taking recent customer reviews?
- Do you have to simply take their word for it?
For some of these questions, you can find answers yourself; other times, an attorney will get the answers. We looked up a local company, and there are 8 different corporations using similar trademarks in the company name. If you look at assumed names under the business filing, a bunch of other names come up. If you run the search by individual names (of the resident agent), you discover even more company names you didn't know! Ask yourself:
- What company did I originally call?
- What company did the work for?
- What company did I pay for?
- And what company was allegedly bought out?
Conclusion- Protect Your Home Through Research
Just like any other home service, the key to avoiding a scam is due diligence. Not all companies are created equal. While Southeast Michigan is home to many ethical, highly skilled wildlife specialists, the "listing spam" epidemic makes them harder to find.
This isn't just a local issue—it’s a nationwide problem affecting everything from locksmiths to attorneys. When a single "ghost company" creates 60+ fake listings, it doesn't just confuse you; it actively harms honest, small businesses that play by the rules. By staying informed, you help support the legitimate service industry.
Why Choose Michigan Wildlife Solutions?
Our founder, Joe, has been a fixture in the Michigan wildlife control industry for over 23 years. Our reputation is built on a simple foundation: straightforward honesty.
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Consistent Identity: We have used the same phone numbers and email addresses since we opened our doors.
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Professional Documentation: Every estimate and invoice we send features our official company logo and comes from our verified address: info@MichiganWildlifeSolutions.com
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Upfront Warranties: We don't hide behind generic "repair" language. If a service isn't covered under our warranty, we tell you exactly why—before the work begins.
A Note on Our History
You may know us as Michigan Bat Control, Inc. or our current name, Michigan Wildlife Solutions, LLC. While we have evolved over two decades, we remain the same dedicated team. We maintain both listings so our long-term clients can still find us, but regardless of which name you see, you will always know exactly who is at your door.