I hired Three Rivers Wildlife Control to address a skunk issue on our property (photo available)…read more At the first visit, the owner, Steve Ronick, said there was definitive evidence of a skunk under our porch. He pointed out an entry hole, odor, and burrow holes, stating there was "definitely a skunk." The skunk scent was ID'd under the porch as strongest by Steve's assistant. At one point, they even set a trap in our basement because the smell was so pungent.
Before agreeing to pay, I asked, "What happens if you don't catch anything?" He replied, "That's never happened before." Based on that assurance, I paid the requested $500 cash upfront (no option to pay with card). He warned the skunk would be pregnant by April and that we'd have a bigger issue when she gave birth. That fear, combined with his guarantee, led us to move forward.
Over two months, Steve and his assistant made approximately four visits and failed to catch anything. Our home was sprayed again during that time. His excuses shifted--from cold weather to springtime activity--but no results ever came. We also hired a $175 cleaning service after a second spray--an avoidable cost had the job been done correctly.
The service was sloppy. On one visit, they brought inadequate bait and asked us for jelly. They left the open jar of jelly and a chicken tender bag on our patio, which were rummaged through overnight. At one point, I suggested marshmallows (a method recommended by another trapper), but they refused, saying raccoons would eat it--this would create more work for them with trapping. We have since installed cameras that now show abundant wildlife activity--raccoons, foxes, groundhogs, and squirrels. All small animals they should have been catching but didn't.
They missed appointments, failed to follow up, and didn't return calls unless we reached out. We should have known after the first interaction, when we had agreed to touch base via phone at 3 PM before he came over to our home. By 3:40, I hadn't heard from him and texted to ask if we were still on. He didn't arrive until several hours later.
After 2 months of no progress, Steve reluctantly agreed to refund $350--but that doesn't absolve him of the full $500 owed. He claimed he was keeping $150 because we "used the traps." The equipment stayed only because he failed to finish the job.
Despite promising $350, he initially left only $300 in our mailbox. He said he'd bring the remaining $50 on April 21, but didn't. He eventually did bring us the remaining $50, late, citing "an emergency with his dog."
We filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, who reached out to Steve on our behalf. He failed to respond within the allotted 14 days and further action is pending.
