Category: Blog

No one likes the idea of unwanted visitors in their attic, but sometimes people think that if they ignore the problem, it’ll simply go away. This isn’t true at all, and choosing to drown out the scratching or squeaking you hear could be a very costly and potentially dangerous mistake. Rodents in your attic or walls can cause severe damage to your home and health issues to your family.

Don’t Ignore Noises in the Attic

There are many noises you may hear when rats and other rodents nest in your attic, such as thuds from playing or squeaks from rodent conversation. Every scratch and bump is evidence that they’re rearranging insulation and chewing their way through the structure of your home.

One of the biggest issues with these invaders is the fact that they chew on everything. Because their teeth never stop growing, rodents must gnaw on a variety of surfaces and materials to maintain their teeth. Unfortunately, one of the most frequently chewed items is wiring. When they strip away the protective rubber or plastic and expose bare wire, it creates an incredible fire hazard. Ignoring the situation, hoping the critter will leave or pass away, or pretending there isn’t a problem at all could be dangerous.

Avoid Housing Disease-Carrying Rodents

The most common visitors are rats and mice, and their presence in your home is certainly not without risk. The droppings, fur, and bites of wild rats and other rodents can transmit more than 30 diseases to humans. When they’re tumbling around in your attic, they may break into ductwork, spreading germs across your home.

Don’t let a few visitors turn into an infestation, or prevent their entrance from the beginning. Call Critter Control of Gainesville at 352-372-3922 for a free estimate today.

Many people like squirrels. With their bushy tails and cute bounding strides, it’s easy to see why. When they’ve decided to invade your house, however, they’re not quite so endearing. Squirrels in your attic can cause serious damage to your home, increase health risks and create bothersome noises.

Consider Why Squirrels are an Issue

Although they may seem more adorable and less troublesome than other rodents, they bring their own set of problems, some of which include:

• Extreme noise. Rats scratch and occasionally squeak, but squirrels jump, wrestle, play, chatter, and bump around for hours. If squirrels are living in your attic, you can say goodbye to sleep.
• Exposing your roof. Squirrels often create multiple entry and exit holes to their dwelling. These openings have to be big enough for the adults to fit through and can leave your roof quite exposed when, especially with Florida’s unpredictable weather.
• Home damage. Like all rodents, squirrels chew. They can gnaw on boards, chew through wiring, rip up insulation, and cause general havoc while making their nest in your attic. Hosting squirrels is not only expensive, can cause potential harm to your family through the dangers they create with their chewing.

Critter Control of Gainesville Offers Humane and Effective Removal

When our specialists arrive, expect humane removal and relocation of these furry creatures. We have the training and experience to evict your unwanted houseguests as quickly as possible, while ensuring the safety of the critters.

Once we remove the new occupants, we help repair the damage they caused. We provide a comprehensive service, so you don’t have to worry about patching the holes or adding insulation yourself. Call 352-372-3922 for a free estimate if you have squirrels or other pests in your attic.

With their colorful coats and beautiful songs, it is hard to see birds as pests. They contribute a lot to our environment by eating unwanted bugs and keeping insect populations like mosquitos in check. However, birds can leave droppings all over your property that carry tons of germs and diseases. Not only that, but their beautiful songs can turn into annoying chirps. A safe and easy way to remove birds that you may not have heard of is called sonic bird control.

Where do they work?

These devices can cover many acres of land, and are so discreet, most people won’t even know that they are there. If you are looking for bird control in a larger area than just your home, this kind of bird removal can still be an option for you. Areas that use sonic bird removal include places like:

• Shopping malls
• Parking lots
• Farms
• Sports fields
• Marianas and docks
• Airports and hangars
• Factories and warehouses

Why Sonic?

These devices are both non-intrusive and simple to install, but they are extremely effective. Sonic devices make use of birds’ natural fear instincts by targeting the affected area and emitting both predator noises, and distress calls. Instead of attempting to catch and release birds, sonic devices just deter the birds from entering the area and keep them out. The key to keeping them away from the area is to switch between the predator sounds and the distress calls. The variation in sounds will keep the birds confused and worried, and will deter them from entering your property again.

Call the Experts

If unwanted birds are making a home on your property, call the experts at Critter Control Gainsville®. You can trust us to remove pesky birds and keep them from returning to your property. If you have questions about bird removal, or would like to schedule a free home or business consultation, call us at 352-372-3922 today.

Hear that? The sound of soft pitter patters above you? Or mysterious scratching noises in your walls? Or squeaky chattering? Chances are you have squirrels in your house. Lots of animal lovers might welcome the idea of having these cute, bushy-tailed critters cohabitating with them. However, they can cause more trouble than they’re worth, considering all the diseases they can carry and the amount of damage they can do to your home.

Keep ‘Em Out

The easiest way to get squirrels out of your house is to prevent them from entering in the first place. Look out for any entry points these rodents could have made to sneak into your home. Some of a squirrel’s favorite ways to break into your house include:

• Pre-existing holes in your home made by other animals
• Holes that they themselves create
• Open windows
• Chimneys
• Weak spots in your roof
• Through the attic

It’s best if you can check all of these areas for any holes or openings. Be sure to check the structural integrity of your roof and walls as well, because it could be easy for a squirrel to create a hole of its own if your walls are weak.

Call in the Experts

If you’re already living with squirrels, now is the time to reclaim your home. Call the squirrel experts at Critter Control® Gainesville to help get your home back to normal and keep your family safe. We specialize in safely removing the squirrels from your home and relocating them to somewhere they will enjoy much more than your house. Afterward, we will clean and repair any messes your unwelcome house guest may have created. If you have questions about your squirrel problem, or you would like to schedule a free consultation with our experts, call us today at 352-372-3922.

Bat invasions can be more common and more dangerous than people think. Most people know that bats can transmit rabies with their bites, but not everyone is aware that bats can spread other diseases via their droppings. The greatest danger that bat droppings (also called guano) pose is histoplasmosis, which is caused by a fungus that grows in the feces of infected bats and other animals. The fungus can also be present in the soil and the droppings of infected bats can spread the fungus wherever the bats spend time.

Know About Histoplasmosis

Humans can contract histoplasmosis when they breathe in the spores of the histoplasmosis capsulation fungus. People have a higher risk for contracting the disease based on the amount of spores in the air and the longer that they are exposed to them. In humans, histoplasmosis can cause flu-like symptoms such as:

• Chest pain
• Chills/ Fever
• Joint pain or stiffness
• Rashes
• Shortness of breath

In some severe cases, histoplasmosis can lead to death. That is why it is important to contact a professional as soon as you notice signs of a possible bat infestation.

Critter Control® Can Help

Because of these health risks, homeowners should never try to clean an area with large amounts of bat guano. Leave it to the professionals at Critter Control® of Gainesville to not only clean up your bat mess but remove bats altogether. If you have questions, concerns, or would like to schedule a free consultation, call Critter Control® of Gainesville today at 352-372-3922.

They travel in packs, steal your food, and leave disease-ridden droppings all over your property, so it’s no wonder pigeons are such pests. Controlling these birds can be near-impossible, however the Humane Society says killing them is one of the worst options. Not only is it cruel, but it won’t keep them all away. Here are some tips on how to keep pigeons away from your home or business.

1. Use pigeon birth control. As crazy as it sounds, OvoControl is a type of bird birth control that comes in pellets, so it’s easy to administer to the birds in question. The birds that eat the birth control will end up laying eggs that do not develop fully. This keeps their populations down.
2. Prevent nesting. Homes and businesses provide a lot flat spaces for pigeons to nest on. By making these flat spaces inaccessible for pigeons, you deter them from making a home on your property. Using wood or metal seathing, bird wires, or netting will prevent them from nesting in unwanted places.
3. Cut their food sources. Pigeons will return to places they know they can find food. Whether you are feeding them intentionally or not, it is important that you do not give them access to food. If you like to scatter bird feed, try putting it into a bird feeder to deter big populations of pigeons.

Call the Experts

If your home or business has a pigeon problem that can’t be fixed by anything of the tips above, trust the experts at Critter Control of Gainsville® to safely remove and relocate these birds. If you have any questions about pigeon removal, or would like to schedule a free consolation, call us today at 352-372-3922.