According to Central Florida’s administrative codes, nuisance wildlife is defined as animals that cause property damage or act as if they are about to cause damage. Also, if the animal seems as if it poses a threat to the public or causes an annoyance inside or outside a house or building, it is a nuisance.
In Central Florida, we have many nuisance wildlife. Between our weather, numerous water resources, and numerous wooded habitats, we attract native and non-native animals, including snakes, bats, native and migratory birds, armadillos, raccoons, rats, mice, squirrels, skunks, and opossums.
There may be times when local wildlife invades your property and causes destruction. Calling a wildlife control expert to eliminate the nuisance wildlife ensures safety for you and the animal.
Critter Control completes a thorough inspection before we remove the animal. We use safe and humane methods to trap animals if necessary. We implement exclusion methods, so you don’t have future nuisance wildlife problems. Below are some examples of how we handled previous jobs.
Rats and mice in Central Florida are abundant and on the rise. Common mice include the Beach, Cotton, and House mice. Rats include the Rice, Gambian Pouch, and roof rats. No one wants a rodent problem in their home. But because mice can fit through a hole the size of a quarter and rats the size of a golf ball, it’s likely one has entered your home at some point.
Winter time cold snaps, springtime rains and summertime extreme heat move rodents and many times to your attic.
Rodents try to stay hidden, running behind appliances and only coming out when the room is dark and quiet. They leave behind evidence of feces and urine wherever they go. If you’ve seen small black pebbles on your counters, in your cabinets, or on the floor, you’ve got a rodent problem. They are known for chewing wires, wood, carpet, and food boxes in your pantry.
Because rats and mice multiply quickly, call the Critter Control experts as soon as you see the first signs.
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.
In Central Florida, raccoons are everywhere at night. They are on backstreets, alleys, and your property searching for food, water, and shelter. They build multiple nests throughout their routes, including hollowed trees, crawlspaces under your home and in your attic. Raccoons have nimble hands that allow them to climb, dig, and open containers and packaging. They enjoy tipping garbage cans, feed bins, and scattering trash.
Raccoons create a latrine sites near their nest inside your home. Each time, they use that same spot, piling up feces and urine that can stain your flooring and walls and grow molds. It is not a good idea to get rid of a raccoon by yourself. Call the professionals instead.
During the inspection, we determine the severity of the raccoon infestation. We look for physical evidence like footprints in or around the home, stains from raccoon feces and urine. On the exterior of the house, we look for damage like scratches on boards, broken vents and screens, ripped apart shingles, destroyed soffits, and every possible entry point.
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.
Those cute Central Florida squirrels packing their cheeks with fruits, nuts, seeds, grass, and bark include the Eastern and Southern fox squirrel and the gray squirrel. Next time you watch them outdoors, scurrying from ground to tree to rooftop, keep watching. Squirrels are collectors. They take all the items they scavenge to a hiding spot. Some bury items in the ground. Others make a pile in your attic.
If you have a squirrel problem, you’ve probably heard them chirping, chewing, or scratching in your attic, ceiling, or walls. Getting squirrels out before they put their treasures in your vents and ducts, creating fire hazards. Squirrels also prefer to poop and pee in your home. The smell can be foul. Squirrels will build nests out of anything they find in your home, including insulation, drywall, fabrics, and sentimental items not correctly stored. Their goal is to provide a warm, cozy spot to deliver a litter of baby squirrels. Here’s what we can do.
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.
There are over 13 species of bats living in Central Florida and statewide. The ones you might find living in your attic or another structure on your property include the Eastern red bat, Brazilian free-tailed bat, evening bat, Seminole bat, and Northern yellow bat.
Bats are messy wildlife but are an essential part of the ecosystem. Bats consume thousands of insects every night. They become nuisances because of one primary reason, the feces and urine they drop inside your building. Bat guano, or poop, cab become heavy and contains uric acid that can erode the metal. If their guano piles get too big, the weight can put pressure on boards and beams, eventually causing them to break.
Never try to remove a bat by yourself. When bats roost upside down, they poop and pee all over themselves. So, if you touch a bat, you are also handling their feces and urine. Bat guano can grow mold that can be dangerous for humans to inhale.
Also, bats are protected species, so you want to hire someone who knows the Florida laws regarding bat removal. For example, bats can’t be removed during the maternity season from Spring to Fall. We have the right tools and equipment to keep everyone and every bat safe during the removal and repair process.
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.
Opossums are the only marsupials native to North America. They are nocturnal; therefore, residents rarely see opossum damage until the next morning. Tipped-over garbage cans and trash strewn across lawns are common sights when opossums are around. These pests also raid gardens and dig through compost bins to find food. Opossums are also capable of spreading disease through the parasites they carry, including fleas and ticks.
Opossums can be found inside attics and basements or outside under decks and sheds. Common signs include unique paw prints and feces. Opossums are docile and usually easy to spot.
Opossums can be lured into cages for live capture. If it is maternity season, we follow all guidelines for removing mother and newborn opossums. We will seal entryways into the building to prevent opossums from reentering in the future. Opossums can be kept from getting under sheds and decks by installing fencing around the bottom edges and burying the fence underground.
Broken screens on chimney and roof vents are replaced with sturdier materials, and we properly seal all entry points, including crawlspaces. We clean and deodorize areas of opossum activity. Exclusion may include eliminating sources that attract bugs, like nighttime lighting, stagnant water, and livestock poop.
Florida has 46 snake species. Many of these unwanted pests and their prey thrive in Central Florida’s warm climate and mix of wetland and woodland habitats. Though many snakes are harmless, there are six venomous varieties that occupy yards in this urban area. The most common venomous snakes in Florida are pygmy rattlesnakes, while the most aggressive are eastern diamondbacks. In addition to scaring people, these pests can deliver potentially fatal bites, which require immediate medical attention. Central Florida residents should always take precautions around snakes to avoid provoking an attack.
Snakes are excellent at avoiding detection. We inspect your home for potential entry points and look for signs like snake skin and feces. Because a snake typically enters a home hunting for food, our wildlife inspector also looks for signs of a rodent infestation.
Depending on the location, we can set a live trap or direct capture. Exclusion is the most effective way to keep snakes out of your home. If rodents are present, it is essential to exterminate the rodent infestation. Their presence will continue to attract snakes.
Broken screens on chimney and roof vents are replaced with sturdier materials, and we properly seal all entry points, including crawlspaces. We clean and deodorize areas of opossum activity. Exclusion may include eliminating sources that attract bugs, like nighttime lighting, stagnant water, and livestock poop.
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.
During the inspection we try to ascertain how many animals there are, where they are located, and how they got in. Based on what you have seen, heard and smelled, we start the inspection where you have noticed signs of animal activity. Evidence of animals inside your home include nests, dens, feces, and animal tracks. We investigate the exterior of your home looking for possible entry points, any evidence of animal damage, tracks, fur, animal waste, or rub marks.
We use several methods to humanely remove the animal from your home. Depending on the species, the number of animals, and the condition of your property, we develop a custom wildlife removal plan. Humane wildlife removal strategies include animal traps, one-way doors, and repellents. Once we guarantee all animals are gone, we implement exclusion techniques. Exclusion techniques provide a safe, long-term solution to nuisance wildlife in your home. We create barriers to prevent animals from getting to resources. We only apply exclusions once we are sure all animals are gone from your home.
Wildlife will damage your home. Exclusion techniques repair any damage the animal causes getting into your home. Inside your home, animals build nests and dens out of readily available material. They will create runs through the insulation. Rodents will gnaw on anything including electrical wires and pipes. Animals can also spread diseases. We apply sanitation agents to clean up feces and urine. Mammals can host pests like fleas, ticks, and mites. Ectoparasite treatments exterminate those pests so you don’t become their next host.
-Rat infestations and rats in attics; nesting, feeding & breeding
-Squirrels in attics and garages
-Raccoons in attics and garages
-Bats in Garage/ Home/ Attic
-Opossums in the attic
-Snakes in kitchen/Home
Central Florida is growing fast. Land clearing and new construction of housing developments, retail and commercial businesses has Central Florida wildlife on the move. Where are they going? To a neighborhood near you, or possibly right to your home or business. They are seeking shelter and food as they are evicted from what was once home. The spring and summer rains will compound this issue and unwanted pests and animal entry will peak during these months. Then fall and winter will bring cold fronts to Florida further resulting in pests and wildlife seeking warm shelter in homes and businesses.
Rat droppings, raccoon, squirrel, opossum or snake activity on your property. Damage to eaves, or grease stain trails from rats, soffit damage, entry holes in structure to name a few. If your home or business is breeched, you may hear noises and scratching sounds in the attic and even in walls. If a pest is trapped and dies inside your home structure, you will experience emitting unpleasant animal odors.
-Simple prevention steps can help avoid costly wildlife problems around your home or place of business. For example, replace worn door and window seals, including garage doors, which typically have worn gaskets and makes for easy entry for pests and wildlife to enter your home.
-Store your food in sealed containers and keep surrounding clean of food and water.
-If you have pets, try to feed your pets inside, again removing remaining food.
-Keep garbage cans tightly sealed. Open garbage cans are a big attraction for your neighborhood raccoons.
-Call the professionals at Critter Control of Central Florida. We will survey your home, business and property and provide a detailed report outlining animal and pest prevention actions required to keep your home or business free and safe of unwanted invading pests.
1. You hear screeching or scratching sounds in your attic, walls or living spaces
2. You discover evidence of wildlife or pests living inside your home of business.
3. You smell a strange odor emitting from inside your home or garage or under a deck or crawlspace.
4. You want to be proactive and pest proof your home or business and further be protected with a warranty.
5. You are preparing to sell your home and want to help optimize its value by making sure the attic is free from animal and pest infestations.
