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.
Rat and Mice Pest Control
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This franchise is independently licensed and operated by Culver Ventures, LLC, dba Critter Control Central Florida.