Boone Wildlife and Pest Solutions

09/08/2026

This chimney chase had become one of those areas that just kept causing problems. Sitting high on the roof and exposed to Michigan weather year after year, the original wood siding had taken a beating.

The homeowner had already dealt with issues here more than once and was ready for something a little more permanent.

Rather than replacing deteriorated wood with more wood, we decided to approach it differently. A little creativity and some custom metalwork allowed us to wrap the entire chase and give it a much better layer of protection.

What was once one of the weaker, higher-maintenance areas of the house is now pretty well armored.

Sometimes fixing the problem means changing the way it was built in the first place.

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Protecting Peace of Mind, One Home at a Time.
Humane wildlife removal and pest control for homes and businesses across Paw Paw, Mattawan, Kalamazoo, Portage, Vicksburg, Oshtemo, and surrounding Southwest Michigan communities.

📞 269-569-0040
🌐 boonewildlifeandpest.com

Humane • Local • Trusted

09/03/2026

09/01/2026

We’re excited to share that our owner, Joshua Boone, will be speaking at this year’s MAWR Continuing Education Conference!

Joshua will be presenting on Capture Techniques and Advising on Human-Wildlife Conflict, sharing some of the knowledge, techniques, and real-world experience he’s gained over more than 20 years in wildlife management.

Education and collaboration within the wildlife field have always been important to us, so we’re excited to be part of an event that brings wildlife professionals and rehabilitators together to learn from one another.

We’re looking forward to a great day of learning, sharing ideas, and talking wildlife!

Meet The MAWR Continuing Education Conference Speaker: Joshua Boone

Joshua Boone is the founder and owner of Boone Wildlife & Pest Solutions, serving communities throughout Southwest Michigan. With more than 20 years of experience in wildlife management, structural exclusion, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), he founded the company in 2024 with a simple goal: helping people solve wildlife conflicts through humane, practical, and long-lasting solutions.

He specializes in resolving complex human-wildlife conflicts by focusing on prevention rather than repeated removal. His work combines wildlife behavior, building science, and Integrated Pest Management to help homeowners protect their properties while respecting the important role wildlife plays in our environment.

Joshua has pursued advanced training in Integrated Pest Management through Purdue University and the University of California, Davis, and holds professional certifications from the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA), the National Pest Management Association, and the American Institute of Baking (AIB), including Advanced Wildlife Control Operator, GreenPro Certification, Master Certified Bird Barrier Installer, and AIB Certification.

Passionate about collaboration and education, he enjoys working alongside wildlife rehabilitators and other conservation professionals to promote practical, science-based solutions that benefit both wildlife and the people who share their environment.

Joshua will be presenting on Capture Techniques as well as Advising on Human-Wildlife Conflict.

Time is running out to claim your seat to see Joshua and our incredible line up of speakers. Earn 6 hours of MI-DNR approved CE.

REGISTRATION CLOSES TONIGHT @ 11:59 PM

08/27/2026

One of the interesting things about specializing in bat work is that you never really know where it's going to take you. 🦇

This week it took us to a large school in Rockford after our friends over at Superior Pest recommended us for the project.

Over the years we've found ourselves working on churches, schools, museums, temples, apartment buildings and just about every type of structure you can imagine. The bigger buildings are always interesting because you start looking at them completely differently. Roof transitions, masonry, flashing, vents... all those little details most people would never have a reason to notice.

We decided to make a team day out of this one and get everyone involved. 💪

There's something pretty cool about standing back with the crew and looking at a building that size knowing you're about to pick it apart one little gap at a time.

Twenty years into doing this and I still find myself looking up at buildings everywhere I go. Some habits apparently don't turn off when the workday ends. 🏫🦇

__________________________________________________________

Protecting Peace of Mind, One Home at a Time.
Humane wildlife removal and pest control for homes and businesses across Paw Paw, Mattawan, Kalamazoo, Portage, Vicksburg, Oshtemo, and surrounding Southwest Michigan communities.

📞 269-569-0040
🌐 boonewildlifeandpest.com

Humane • Local • Trusted

08/25/2026

Sometimes the most interesting entry point is the one that looks completely sealed.

We had a wonderful Kalamazoo customer where the work was done, everything looked good, and unfortunately... the noises continued.

So back up we went.

This is one of those jobs that reminds me why wildlife work isn't just foam, caulk, and sealing the same common entry points on every house. Houses are weird. Animals are persistent. And occasionally you find something that makes you stare at it for a minute.

This little hidden gem was tucked behind the gutter and drip edge. From the ground.. and even up close.. it looked sealed. But underneath was just enough of a concealed gap for squirrels to get behind the metal and chew their way through the fascia.

We stand behind our work, so when something isn't right, we go figure out why.

After all these years, jobs like this are still some of our favorites. They keep you humble, keep you sharp, and remind you there's always another little construction detail waiting to teach you something.

08/23/2026

A ground nest of southern yellow jackets managed to sting almost the entire family, but their dog Walter took the worst of it.

20+ stings. Poor dude was just trying to enjoy his yard. 😕

They were still plenty fired up when I showed up, so I figured this was as good a time as any to break in the new bee suit.

. 🫡🐶

Suit passed the test.

Yellow jackets did not..

08/20/2026

Sometimes the repair causes more damage than the animal ever did. 👀

We’re working on a house right now where, years ago, someone went around and filled just about every wildlife entry point they could find with expanding foam.

And if we’re being fair... it probably stopped something from getting in for a while. But it certainly never looked good. 😂

Years later, we’re seeing the bigger problem.

In several areas, the foam has trapped moisture against the wood and hidden what was happening behind it. Now we’re removing these old repairs and finding rot extending well beyond some of the original openings. 🏚️

Foam has its uses in construction, but as an exposed exterior wildlife repair, it’s just not something we consider a permanent solution. It deteriorates, animals can tear through it, and depending on where it’s used, it can create other problems.

Closing a hole is the easy part.

Making the repair look like it belongs there and still work 10 or 20 years from now is the part that matters. 💪

08/18/2026

You don’t see this every day. 👀🪰

We happened to catch around 100 cluster flies emerging from one small patch of lawn at the same time.

The interesting part is what’s happening underneath the grass. Cluster fly larvae develop as parasites of earthworms in the soil. Once they mature, the adult flies emerge from the ground—sometimes creating scenes like this when a bunch happen to emerge from the same area.

Later in the year, these are the flies that start looking for somewhere warm and protected to overwinter. That’s when people suddenly find dozens—or even hundreds—clustered around windows, siding, attics, and wall voids.

Pretty wild considering all of this was happening underneath a little patch of lawn.

Just another reminder that there’s a whole lot going on beneath our feet that we never notice. 🪰