What Actually Happens During a Wildlife Inspection

Why older and foothills homes get a more thorough look

Not every home presents the same risk profile, and a technician approaches an older Denver bungalow or a foothills property near Evergreen or Morrison differently than a home built in the last decade in a newer subdivision. Age matters because older building stock often has original roofline vents, chimney caps, and soffit returns that were adequate when installed but have since shifted, rusted, or gapped with decades of settling and weather. Additions built at different times than the original structure create seams where two rooflines meet, and those seams are a common overlooked entry point.

Location matters just as much. A property adjacent to open space, mature forest, or old mine features, common throughout the foothills corridor from Golden through Evergreen, Morrison, and Conifer, sits closer to established wildlife populations than a home several miles out on the plains. That proximity does not guarantee a problem, but it does mean the inspection needs to account for a wider range of species and a longer active season than a home farther from natural habitat.

The exterior walkthrough

Every inspection starts outside, working the full perimeter of the roofline and foundation systematically rather than spot-checking the obvious places. The technician checks where the roof deck meets the fascia board for rot or gaps, examines every soffit return and corner box for separation, and inspects roof vents, plumbing stacks, gable vents, ridge vents, for torn, rusted, or missing screening. Flashing around chimneys, dormers, and any roof-to-wall transition gets specific attention, since these are common points where a small original gap has widened over years of freeze-thaw cycling, particularly relevant at Colorado's elevation and temperature swings.

The chimney gets checked on its own. A missing or damaged cap is one of the more common findings on older homes, and an open flue is a strong draw for denning raccoons in particular, since it offers warmth, height, and protection from ground predators all at once. At foundation level, the technician checks vents, crawl space doors, and utility penetrations, the points where gas, water, cable, and dryer vent lines enter the structure, since these lower openings are common routes for skunks and occasionally larger animals in properties near open space.

The attic and interior check

Inside, the inspection moves to the attic if access allows. The technician looks for daylight visible through the roof deck, a clear sign of an active gap, along with disturbed or flattened insulation that shows a trail pattern where an animal has been moving repeatedly through the same route. Droppings are logged and, when possible, identified by type and location, since a scattered pattern versus a concentrated latrine points toward different species and different cleanup needs. Staining on wood framing, evidence of urine soaking into insulation, and any chewed wiring or ductwork all get documented, since wiring damage in particular carries a fire risk that goes well beyond the wildlife issue itself.

Where access allows, the technician also checks accessible wall voids and the areas around bathroom and kitchen vent stacks, since these interior penetrations occasionally provide a path for smaller animals even when the exterior envelope looks intact from the outside.

Reading the signs correctly matters as much as finding them

Finding evidence is only half the job. Correctly reading what it means is what separates a useful inspection from a checklist that just lists problems without context. Guano that is dry, crumbly, and dusty points to an older, possibly inactive bat presence, while guano with any moisture or a fresher smell suggests the colony is still using the space. Insulation that is uniformly flattened across a wide area suggests a longer-established presence than a single, narrow trail leading to one corner.

Timing evidence against the calendar also matters. A fresh raccoon latrine found in September carries different implications than the same finding in January, since a fall discovery means the animal likely denned recently and may still be assessing whether to stay through winter, while a midwinter finding usually means the animal has already committed to overwintering in place. That distinction changes how urgently the follow-up work needs to happen and what sequence makes sense.

What the inspection produces

A complete inspection ends with three things: identification of which species, if any, is currently active or has been active recently, a specific list of every entry point found, both active and vulnerable, and a recommended sequence for addressing them. That sequence matters. If an animal is currently present, exclusion has to come before permanent sealing, so nothing is trapped inside. If the inspection finds only vulnerability without current activity, sealing can proceed directly, in the order that closes off the highest-risk points first.

This is also the point where seasonal timing gets factored in. An inspection that turns up bat activity in September gets scheduled differently than one that turns up bats in July, since Colorado Parks and Wildlife's maternity-season guidance restricts full bat exclusion during the summer months. An inspection that finds an active raccoon den in fall still checks for dependent young before any exclusion timeline is set, since occupancy, not the calendar, determines whether a one-way device or a wait is the right call.

For homeowners in older Denver neighborhoods or anywhere along the foothills corridor, an inspection before you have a confirmed problem is often the more efficient path. It catches the vulnerabilities that come with age and location before an animal finds them first, and it gives you a specific, prioritized list instead of a vague sense that "something might get in eventually."

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Signs of Wildlife in Your Attic or Walls
• Bats in the Attic: What to Do