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.
Rat and Mice Pest Control
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.
They are masked, clever, and sneaky bandits that roam the neighborhoods of Gainesville and Ocala at night. We’re talking about the Florida raccoon, which is no different than all other raccoons. They seek food, water, and shelter and will create many nesting spots throughout their travels. A favorite spot for raccoons is in your attic. If they can’t find their way into your attic, they will pick your crawlspace, under your deck, or in sheds or other outbuildings.
Raccoons are assertive and will break screens, doors, boards, and anything else preventing them from entering your home. They can climb, and they leave diseased feces and urine wherever they want. Getting rid of raccoons from your home should be done by professionals, like the ones at Critter Control. Their process includes:
There are
13 bat species in the state of Florida; two of the resident species, the Florida bonneted bat and the gray myotis, are listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It’s important to know that bats in Florida are
protected year-round, and therefore it is illegal to harm or kill them. If you find one or more bats inside your home, please contact your Gainesville/Ocala-based Critter Control office to remove them humanely.
This franchise is independently licensed and operated by GHP Services, Inc, dba Critter Control of Gainesville.