Butterfly rainforest, botanical gardens, nature centers, national forests, and a 20,000-acre wildlife sanctuary are a few ways Gainesville and Ocala show love for our local animals. As animal populations grow, however, some animals have become a nuisance. When we remove wildlife habits to develop residential and commercial buildings, wildlife has nowhere to go. Many stay in your neighborhood, scavenging your property for food, water, and shelter.
Because they can do a lot of damage to your home and yard, they are considered nuisance wildlife.
The city of Gainesville defines nuisance wildlife as “shall mean an undesirable animal that causes (or is about to cause) property or environmental damage, presents a threat to public safety, or causes an annoyance within, under, or upon a building.”
Often, nuisance wildlife in Florida causes so much damage you need to call for help from professionals. Critter Control experts use a process involving inspection, removal, and repair to get rid of your nuisance wildlife problem. Examples of our process are described in the case scenarios below.
The Eastern gray squirrel is the most commonly seen in Florida, although we also have the Southern flying squirrel and the fox squirrel. Squirrels can be considered nuisance wildlife due to the size of their population and the damages they can do to your home and property.
Squirrels scurry from one spot to the next in a matter of seconds, collecting items and storing them for later. They love to eat nuts, fruits, grains, and even bird eggs. Many squirrels build a nest in trees, but if your attic is available, they will choose it over a tree any day, especially if they have baby squirrels soon.
Squirrels run on power lines, your roof edges, gutters, tree limbs, and of course, the ground. They are fun to watch until you start noticing the places they have scratched, torn, ripped, and shredded. If you think you have a squirrel problem, call us. It can be unsafe to try and remove squirrels by yourself since they carry diseases and may bite you if they feel trapped.
Wildlife specialists look for signs such as chewing on, in, or around your home, small openings leading to the attic or the crawl space, droppings, and debris like nuts or nesting material. Beams, wires, pipes, and insulation may all show signs of damage from squirrels.
Live trapping or one-way doors are the most effective and humane ways to get rid of squirrels. One-way doors should never be used during birthing seasons (Spring & Fall), so our specialists will decide which is the best tool for the job. If we have to trap, we place traps strategically to safely catch the squirrels and check those according to state laws.
We can restore your home or office by squirrel proofing all entry points after we have removed the offenders. We can also clean-up the nesting sites and remove any debris, food, feces and soiled insulation.
The most common rats in the Gainesville and Ocala areas are the Norway and roof rats. The house mice are another common culprit of gnawed wiring, greasy rub marks, and scattered droppings. Both love to eat grains; they will munch on ordinary house foods, whether it’s a crumb left on the counter or if they have to enter your pantry.
Rats and mice multiply quickly. You must call for help in removing them when you spot the first one. Where there is one, there are others. And because mice can fit through holes the size of a pencil tip, you may not even know how they are getting into your home.
We know exactly where to look when it comes to all rodents. Here’s what we do.
During a rodent inspection, we thoroughly inspect your attic and provide a complete exterior home inspection. The most common signs of rodent activity are gnaw marks, feces, rub marks, nesting material, runs in insulation material, and small entry points.
A Critter Control wildlife specialist will create a strategic trapping plan to remove the rodents found in your home. Critter Control specialists may use snap traps and live traps to capture and remove mice and rats. Rodent trapping can usually takes between five to fourteen days.
The best way to reduce the possibility of letting unwanted rodents into homes is to seal possible entrances. Exclusion methods include caulking cracks in foundations, capping chimneys, and installing mesh covers over vents and crawl space entrances. We also strongly recommend a maintenance service. Rodents have front teeth that continuously grow, which means they can gnaw a new way back into your home.
The most common rats in the Gainesville and Ocala areas are the Norway and roof rats. The house mice are another common culprit of gnawed wiring, greasy rub marks, and scattered droppings. Both love to eat grains; they will munch on ordinary house foods, whether it’s a crumb left on the counter or if they have to enter your pantry.
Rats and mice multiply quickly. You must call for help in removing them when you spot the first one. Where there is one, there are others. And because mice can fit through holes the size of a pencil tip, you may not even know how they are getting into your home.
We know exactly where to look when it comes to all rodents. Here’s what we do.
During a rodent inspection, we thoroughly inspect your attic and provide a complete exterior home inspection. The most common signs of rodent activity are gnaw marks, feces, rub marks, nesting material, runs in insulation material, and small entry points.
Live trapping is one of the most efficient ways to get rid of a raccoon. Depending on the situation, a one-way door or excluder valve can be installed. An excluder valve works by allowing the raccoon to leave but blocks its reentry. The choice of device is largely dependent on the season and location of the raccoons on your property. Direct capture is not commonly used because raccoons are a rabies vector species. If we must trap, we place traps strategically to safely catch the raccoons and we check traps frequently, based on state laws.
We provide a wide range of repair and restoration services. We can repair raccoon damage like broken screens on vents and chimneys and broken boards on decks and porches. It is essential to apply cleaning agents and ectoparasite treatments on areas inhabited by raccoons.
The most common rats in the Gainesville and Ocala areas are the Norway and roof rats. The house mice are another common culprit of gnawed wiring, greasy rub marks, and scattered droppings. Both love to eat grains; they will munch on ordinary house foods, whether it’s a crumb left on the counter or if they have to enter your pantry.
Rats and mice multiply quickly. You must call for help in removing them when you spot the first one. Where there is one, there are others. And because mice can fit through holes the size of a pencil tip, you may not even know how they are getting into your home.
We know exactly where to look when it comes to all rodents. Here’s what we do.
We perform a full interior and exterior inspection and search for signs such as rub marks, guano, a strong scent of ammonia, and small openings. The most common sign is the accumulation of guano (feces).
The most effective and humane way to remove bats is by utilizing a bat valve in conjunction with a full home exclusion. A bat valve allows for bats to exit your home but not re-enter. We follow all local ordinances for humane bat removal. We will never abandon flightless pups in your attic.
After removing the bat valves, we seal the entrance hole(s) so bats can no longer enter your home. If there is substantial guano in your attic, you should consider taking advantage of our attic remediation services to remove the soiled insulation and replace it.
Critter Control is here for you every step of the way in the wildlife removal process. From inspection to removal—and even exclusion and repair—we have the services you need to get rid of raccoons, rodents, and other nuisances fast. First, we identify the animal on the property, then use humane methods to remove the animal and secure weak points where more could enter. If damage has been done, we can make those repairs for a complete restoration. Contact a Critter Control office near you today.
Critter Control of Gainesville/Ocala specializes in nuisance wildlife (not cats or dogs) for homes and businesses across Alachua and Marion counties. Typical calls in this area include squirrels, rats, and raccoons in attics; bats roosting in roofs and soffits; armadillos tearing up lawns; and snakes, opossums, and birds getting into structures or around pools and patios.
We focus on safely removing animals and then keeping them out for good with permanent exclusion and repairs, rather than just “trapping and dumping” the problem.
Our Gainesville–Ocala team uses a three-step process that’s been proven across Florida:
1. Inspection – A trained wildlife technician performs a full exterior and attic inspection, identifying entry points, nesting areas, and damage.
2. Removal – We use humane trapping, one-way doors, and other techniques appropriate for the specific species (raccoons, squirrels, rats, bats, etc.).
3. Exclusion & Repair – We seal gaps, reinforce weak areas (soffits, roof returns, vents, crawlspace openings), and can recommend cleanup/attic remediation if needed.
This process is designed specifically for Florida construction styles and common entry points we see every day in Gainesville and Ocala neighborhoods.
Yes, but the timing matters in Florida! Bats are protected year-round, and it’s illegal to block them inside a structure or disturb a bat maternity colony between April 15 and August 15. During that period, you cannot legally seal bat entry points or use bat exclusion devices without a special permit.
Critter Control of Gainesville/Ocala performs legal bat exclusions outside maternity season (August 15–April 15) using one-way devices that let bats exit but not re-enter. We also identify and seal all potential re-entry gaps and can advise you on what to do during maternity season if bats are discovered then.
Yes. Critter Control of Gainesville provides regular scheduled service plus 24/7 emergency support for urgent wildlife situations in the greater Gainesville area, and the same locally owned office services Ocala and surrounding communities. If you have a raccoon in the fireplace, a snake in the living room, or an animal that’s actively threatening people or pets, you can call the Gainesville/Ocala office for prompt help from a trained wildlife technician.
Critter Control is a wildlife-focused pest control company that emphasizes humane removal and long-term exclusion, not poisons or shortcuts that leave animals to suffer in walls or attics.
In Florida, there are species that cannot legally be taken as nuisance animals, and certain activities—such as bat exclusions during maternity season—are tightly regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The Gainesville/Ocala office follows these rules, using methods that protect people, pets, and wildlife while keeping your property safe
Traditional pest control companies typically focus on insects and basic rodent treatments (sprays, baits, and limited trapping). Critter Control of Gainesville/Ocala is built around wildlife removal and exclusion, including:
• Full-home wildlife inspections (roof line, soffits, vents, crawlspaces, chimneys, attics)
• Live trapping and one-way devices for raccoons, squirrels, opossums, birds, and other wildlife
• Structural exclusion and repairs designed to permanently close entry points
• Attic remediation recommendations after rats, squirrels, or bats have contaminated insulation
If you hear scratching in the attic, see droppings in the garage, or find torn-up soffits in Gainesville or Ocala, you need wildlife control, not just another bug spray.
The wildlife activity stays pretty consistent throughout the year. They may slow down slightly in the summer.
Scratching heard during the day or night, chewing on the exterior, staining on surfaces, urine and feces in the attic, garage or living space.
They should call us if they suspect an animal has invaded their home, is causing damage to property, or they are concerned about the potential risk of damages occurring due to wildlife presence.
Pricing for wildlife removal in the Gainesville–Ocala area depends on:
• The species involved (rats vs. raccoons vs. bats vs. armadillos)
• How many entry points we find and how accessible they are (high roof returns, soffits, vents, crawlspaces, etc.)
• Whether you need repairs and cleanup, such as replacing soiled attic insulation or sanitizing heavily contaminated areas
Because every home and infestation is different, Critter Control of Gainesville/Ocala typically starts with an on-site inspection and then provides a written estimate for removal and exclusion work. This approach ensures that your price reflects your actual damage and risk, not a one-size-fits-all guess.
