Wildlife Out of Home

Zakk Moorman is especially fond of bats because “that’s where the money is.”

Dan Smith

Hunting Down Critters

By Dan Smith

Zakk Moorman is not exactly the enemy of small, furry pests that attack your home, but he’s not their buddy, either.

Zakk Moorman discovered shortly before graduating from Radford University that a biology degree likely wouldn’t get him anywhere until he earned a master’s. He’d had enough of school at that point and had to go to Plan B. That turned out to have strong elements of biology in it and didn’t require additional college. While he was in school, he worked in the building trades and became familiar with the structure of homes. That would play well into his working with a friend to found Star City Pest Control and work there for more than two years. A falling-out with his colleague led him to open his own company, Moorman Wildlife Management, in April

Moorman often works in tight spaces.

and he’s in the process of establishing the service throughout the Roanoke Valley.

Moorman came by the trade naturally. His grandfather was a park ranger and fur trapper and he taught young Zakk a lot of the tricks of the trade, among them that “every situation is different” and understanding

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the animal pests is crucial. “I’ve pretty much been doing this since I was 10,” he says.

Is it a black snake or a timber rattler you’re dealing with, for example? How easy will it be to access the pesky animal? How dangerous? What kinds of protection will Moorman need to wear during the work?

He primarily deals with bats, flying squirrels, raccoons, bever, foxes, ground hogs, skunks, squirrels and “I don’t handle anything that the Department of Wildlife Resources says I shouldn’t.” That means the big boys: bears, deer, big cats (which the department denies exist here) and other pests that can present more of a danger.

He is especially fond of bats because “that’s

where the money is.” The cost of ridding pests can vary widely ($1,000 to $25,000 depending on what is needed, he says) and getting a good quote can’t be done on the phone. Hunting bats requires a full suit of protective equipment—including breathing gear—because of the funguses they carry, and their waste can be dangerous.

“People think we’re going to have to burn their house down to get at the bats,” he laughs, “but it’s a matter of creating a one-way door to get them out. Clients can stay home while we’re working. We’re non-invasive.”

He rarely is forced to kill pests. “We evict them; send them packing,” he says. Many of the animals—birds, snakes, for example—are protected by state law. Bats, he insists, “are a natural pest control and are actually desirable.” Though not in your house.

Moorman and his wife, Taryn, a dental hygienist, have been married for a bit more than a year. “She pushes me to be the best version of myself every day and I am very thankful for her,” he says.

At this point, Moorman is “as busy as I want to be,” but he hopes that during the next five years he will have enough work to hire a couple of employees.