The Gulf Coast city of Pensacola is home to 53,000 residents and plenty of wild animals that also enjoy the area’s warm climate. Rats, raccoons, and squirrels are active year-round in Pensacola and are known to wreak havoc when they track down places that offer food, water, and shelter. Even if you consider yourself a responsible property owner, you should not be one bit surprised to cross paths with a nuisance animal in your yard or within the walls of your home.
Jump to Typical Nuisance Wildlife
Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process
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.
Wildlife Inspection
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.
Removal
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.
Exclusion and Repair
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.
In northwest Florida, raccoons are known as nighttime scavengers and search for easily accessible food sources, such as trash cans and pet food bowls. Residents should also be aware that in Florida, the breeding season usually peaks from December to January. The gestation period is sixty days, so by March and April, there may be a chance raccoons have also set up nests with young inside a home.
While it may be tempting to chase away raccoons yourself, please be aware that raccoons in the Pensacola area have tested positive for rabies. Therefore, it’s always best to reach out to a professional wildlife specialist to safely remove raccoons from your property.
Inspection
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.
Raccoon Trapping
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.
Repairs
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.
Pensacola’s proximity to water and popularity with tourists means the city, like many others up and down the Gulf Coast, has its share of rodent issues. While property owners can sometimes exterminate rodents themselves with a few traps, often removing rats and mice from your home or business requires a trained professional. If you’ve crossed paths with one too many rodents, please call Critter Control as soon as possible.
Inspection
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.
RodentTrapping
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.
Repairs
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.
Squirrels are a familiar sight throughout Pensacola and can become quite the pest if they get into your home. The area is home to three species of squirrels—the eastern gray squirrel, the fox squirrel, and the southern flying squirrel.
These pests can easily access attics by climbing trees and finding inviting holes in your roof. Chasing a squirrel out of your home may seem like the quickest solution; however, removing a squirrel should always be left to a professional. Please do not try to catch nuisance squirrels yourself; instead, contact Critter Control for assistance.
Inspection
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.
Squirrel Trapping
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.
Repairs
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.
Thirteen bat species reside in the state of Florida; in Pensacola, these insectivores pose very little risk to humans but can become a great nuisance if they set up a roost inside your home or business.
Some property owners may assume the quickest way to remove a bat is to swipe it off the wall. Please do not do this as this could be dangerous for both yourself and the bat(s). During maternity season in Florida, which usually runs between April 15 to August 15, it is illegal to remove or exterminate bats.
Inspection
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).
Bat Trapping
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.
Repairs
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.
The Florida Panhandle is home to 44 snake species in the state. While some of these snakes are not venomous, there are two, in particular, to watch for in the Pensacola area: cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. In fact, they have even been spotted right on the beach. Finding one inside your own home can rattle any homeowner. However, please do not try removing any snake yourself, especially if it is venomous, as snake bites—even nonvenomous ones—can be quite harmful to humans.
Inspection
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.
Removal & Control
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.
Repairs
In addition to dealing with any possible rodent problem drawing snakes to your property, a specialist will assist with sealing possible entry points and also encourage you to remove any debris where snakes can easily take up residence.
Armadillos present little danger to people. They greatest danger they pose is to your landscaping. Controlling the animal can protect your lawn and garden and the integrity of structures like decks and driveways on your property.
Inspection
Our experts understand the habits and habitats of armadillos. We can assess if damages were caused by their burrows or digging.
Armadillo Removal
We have tools and equipment to properly remove armadillos, like safe and humane traps to capture the animal. Every armadillo removal is different and may require different safety techniques, from live traps to fumigations and repellents.
Armadillo Repair
Exclusion efforts include clearing debris, brush, and piles of wood or rocks. These are spots armadillos like to hide. We also cover burrows so an armadillo cannot return.
Opossums are more of a nuisance than a real danger. They are very common in urban and suburban settings and will eat practically anything. Opossums will use attics, crawlspaces and the areas under sheds and porches as dens.
Inspection
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.
Trapping & Removal
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.
Repairs
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.
You probably won’t see a gopher or encounter one in your home. Mounds of fresh soil are the best sign of a gopher’s presence. One gopher can create several mounds in a day. Gopher burrows can cover two hundred to two thousand squire feet. The burrow system can undermine structures. Gophers will feed on garden plants and gnaw on irrigation systems.
Inspection
During the inspection, we survey your property for signs of gopher activity. We look for mounds and burrows to measure the extent of the issue and the population density. It is also important to determine the likelihood of re-infestation, by viewing adjacent properties for source populations.
Removal
A combination of techniques can be used to rid a property of gophers. Trapping, baiting and burrow treatment are often combined to provide the most comprehensive approach to eliminating the current population and then deterrents and regular inspections can help prevent, or quickly treat new infestations
Repairs
During the removal process, the unsightly mounds will be leveled out to begin the restoration process for the lawn or landscaped area. We also suggest tilling of the soil in garden areas to destroy existing tunnels. Newly planted shrubs and trees should have a wire basket installed in the hole prior to planting the plant to discourage gophers from getting to the internal root ball. Wire mesh can also be installed around an area to reduce the likelihood of gopher invasion but requires a trench 2-3 feet deep to be at all effective.
How Professional Wildlife Control Services Can Help You
Like many small cities throughout the southeastern United States, Pensacola and its surrounding communities provide ample habitat for a variety of wild animals. When your home or business attracts wild animals, however, it can be dangerous for both humans and animals. That’s why it’s always best to leave the capture and removal of raccoons, squirrels, bats, and other unwanted critters in or around your home to a trained professional in Pensacola from Critter Control. Here’s why:
- Wild animals are unpredictable. Leave handling them to a trained professional who has a good understanding of animal behavior.
- Where there’s one, there may be a lot more. A professional will know where to find every animal and ensure it’s properly removed.
- It’s not enough to remove the nuisance critters—making the necessary repairs and decontaminating the area is just as important.
- Regardless of the species, a professional will treat each animal with care and respect.
The Critter Control Difference
Trained Specialists
Animal removal is a highly sophisticated job. As such, we vet and train our team members to ensure they have the knowledge and skill to remove any pest from your building. Our wildlife experts utilize advanced removal and exclusion techniques and damage repair.
Guaranteed Work
Your satisfaction is always guaranteed. Critter Control® takes great pride in providing quality workmanship resulting in customer satisfaction.
Residential and Commerical
Invading nuisance wildlife can wreak havoc on property. If left unattended wildlife and pests can cause costly property damage. Whether a residential property, apartment buildings, retail stores, office buildings, industrial plants, medical facilities, or warehouses, our trained professionals can handle any wildlife removal problem.
Other Common Wildlife Issues
