#inform-video-player-1 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }
#inform-video-player-2 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }
MORGANTOWN — Living in wild and wonderful West Virginia often means making peace with local wildlife, but a new business franchise in Monongalia County aims to make wildlife management easier across North Central West Virginia.
National nuisance wildlife removal company Critter Control opened a franchise location in Morgantown on Nov. 9, which will service the North Central West Virginia region at large, including Marion, Monongalia, Taylor and Harrison counties.
The new franchise location is owned by Irene and Daniel Lambka, who said they hope their service can prove especially useful to West Virginians who have to navigate animal-related issues in the harsher fall and winter months. Currently, the couple lives in Preston County, and commutes to Morgantown for the new business.
Irene Lambka said running a Critter Control franchise will mark the couple’s entry into wildlife management, a new field for them sparked in part by their interest in nature and animals.
“We’re always outdoors,” Irene Lambka said. “We actually live on a farm.”
Critter Control specializes in removing wildlife from domestic spaces, which Irene Lambka emphasized can be difficult for everyday people who are not trained in how to deal with potentially dangerous animals. This can range from mice and squirrels to raccoons and bats.
“You have to be very careful. The first thing we do is go do an inspection and see what’s going on, because sometimes people don’t really know what they have,” she said. “We do a free inspection and find out what’s going on.”
Once an animal intruder is identified, Critter Control consults property owners and state wildlife officials on the best course of action for the animal.
“If we have to capture an animal, we have to also be very careful about where we take it,” Irene Lambka said. “We have to be very safe about what we’re doing with that animal.”
Irene Lambka added that the couple had been looking for an opportunity to get into wildlife removal services when they found the organization, which was founded in 1983 and now has locations nationwide.
“I’d been researching and researching, and then we found this company, Critter Control,” she said. “It just clicked, and we’ve been really happy with everything that we’ve learned. It just works into our lifestyle very well.”
With the new franchise location, Irene and Daniel Lambka have opened the first Critter Control in West Virginia — a state that company officials say is experiencing a surge in demand for wildlife removal services.
“Land development in a place like Morgantown has caused a lot of animals to seek refuge in the homes of locals, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing,” said Joe Felegi, general manager of Critter Control, in a Nov. 9 company press release.
“As the problem intensifies, local residents require the expertise of Critter Control now more than ever,” he added. “Irene and Daniel are the ideal wildlife removal experts to lead the way in a compassionate, humane and intelligent manner.”
“A lot of homes are being built, and animals are starting to collide with humans,” Irene Lambka said. “They don’t have anywhere to go, so they’re going into homes more. It’s creating problems between both the animal and the person.”
Through a wildlife removal service, customers can have protection from the dangers that wildlife can present, without putting themselves or the animal at risk, she said.
“No one’s getting harmed, and we’re coinciding peacefully,” she said.
With the new establishment up and running, Critter Control will operate out of Morgantown Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The franchise will offer a 10% off discount for services to all military service members and senior citizens.
So far, Irene Lambka said interest in the new business has been high. “Everyone’s got a lot of questions,” she said.
“We just want to do what we can to make it a safer environment for the animals, as well as making it a nice environment for the people in these neighborhoods,” she said. “People can live peacefully with animals.”
#inform-video-player-3 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }