How We Solve Fort Myers Wildlife Problems
It starts with your phone call. We answer our phones 24/7, and we will carefully listen to your wildlife problem. Every case is different, so we will ask appropriate questions to help
us understand the situation better. Questions like, "do you hear the noises at night or during the daytime?" or "what type of roof do you have?" After we have a general idea of your
situation, we can provide a ballpark price range, and schedule a same-day or next-day appointment to inspect your property.
INSPECTION: Once on site, we will perform a full inspection of your home and property. This allows us to use the correct strategy and traps. If the animals are in an attic, a full building inspection is crucial, including the following:
- All ground-level areas, such as piper or A/C line entry & exit areas, A/C chase bottoms, ground-level vents, etc.
- All mid-level areas, such as dryer vents, siding gaps, first floor eaves or dormers, etc.
- We inspect the entire roof, including all plumbing stacks, ridge caps, vents, and other potential gaps or holes.
- We also inspect inside your attic, to identify animals and damage they have caused.
- If the animals are outside, we notice many subtle clues that will assist us in a successful strategy.
TRAPPING, EXCLUSION, REMOVAL: Once we understand what animal species we are dealing with, and the problem, we use the most effective means of removing the animals. We use dozens of different types of traps.
- Trapping - If trapping the animal(s) in live cage traps, trap type, set, and location are crucial to success.
- Exclusion - Oftentimes, we are able to simply set one-way doors or other exclusion devices that allow the animals inside a building to safely exit, but never get back inside.
- Removal By Hand - Sometimes we actually remove animals by hand, or with special tools like snare poles.
- The Law - In all cases, we obey state and local laws regarding wildlife, but aim to take the most humane approach.
ENTRY HOLE REPAIRS: Repairs are a crucial step in the wildlife removal process. In many cases, such as bat or rodent control, the job cannot be performed without detailed repairs, and in all cases, sealing the entry holes shut ensures that no future wildlife will ever enter your home.
- 100% of the entry holes must be found, and sealed shut, or the job is not complete.
- Our repairs are professional contractor grade, look good, and when applicable we use steel, which rodents such as rats or squirrels are unable to chew through.
- We give a written guarantee on our repairs against any future animal entry.
ATTIC DECONTAMINATION SERVICES: It may be desirable to clean your attic after we've removed the animals. They can leave behind large amounts of droppings, urine, hair, oils, food, nesting material, and so on. These remnants can attract insects like cockroaches, and the scent left behind can encourage new animals to chew their way into your house. You might experience odor problems from the waste. It's possible that mold will grow on waste areas.
- We remove or vacuum all droppings, or remove all the soiled insulation.
- We fog the attic with a special enzyme-based cleaner that destroys any organic matter and deodorizes the space.
- We repair damage, such as ductwork, electrical wires, pipes, insulation, and more.
Fort Myers, located in sunny South Florida, provides a warm climate making it a good home for a wide variety of animal species. The hot and humid year round climate make Fort Myers a popular destination for Americans trying to escape the colder northern states. Due to the high amount of civilization in the area, certain animal species can invade properties and become a nuisance to home owners. We will take care of all nuisance animals including snakes, raccoons, bats, opossums, moles, and many more. Give us a call so we can professionally solve your wildlife problem before it becomes costly. We serve all of Fort Myers and surrounding cities and towns such as Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, Cypress Lake, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, East Dunbar, Gateway, Three Oaks, Tanglewood, Buckingham, Palmona Park, Tice, Whiskey Creek and many more.
Other Fort Myers animal pest control topics:
Mole Repellent
Pigeon Prevention Tips
Scratching Sounds in the Attic or Walls
Rat Prevention
To learn more about our services, visit the Fort Myers wildlife control home page.
This month's wildlife how-to article: How To Get Opossums Out From Under A Shed Or Porch
The opossum is a very interesting creature that has adapted well to living in tandem with human beings, and finding an area around a property where it can nest is certainly something an opossum can do. For those people who are living in proximity with an opossum it can be quite a frustrating experience, as they can cause damage to any plants and foliage in the garden. Although opossums are not natural burrowers themselves, if there are any holes or spaces where the opossum can access easily then it is possible for them to start to make a nest there.
The Challenges Of Removing A Nesting Opossum
One of the biggest problems about removing an opossum that is nesting under a shed or porch is that these animals are generally transient, and will tend to nest in family groups if the female is close to giving birth or is raising babies. This means that those who do catch an adult may still need to search thoroughly to see if there are any baby opossums still under the shed or porch. If the baby opossums are left under that part of the property, not only will they die without the nourishment and food provided by the mother, when they do die they can also cause a health and smell hazard as the bodies start to decompose.
Because these opossums will be living in the confined areas beneath the shed and the porch, many people will find that it is too difficult to remove them, and will choose to hire a professional wildlife removal expert to deal with the problem. Dealing with opossums under a shed or porch is a job that can include a lot of crawling and trying to find the animals, so is not easy for those who are inexperienced in dealing with problem wildlife.
Trapping And Removing An Opossum
The opossum is not a particularly bright animal, so trapping it will often be fairly straightforward even for those who are unfamiliar to the nuances of animal trapping. Most people will find that a cage trap will be effective in catching the animal, because the bait will entice the animal into the trap with the door closing shut behind the opossum. Although opossums are omnivorous animals, they will be particularly attracted to carrion where they can feast on the leavings of other animals. The problem with baiting a trap with meat is that it can often attract other animals such as domestic pets.
In terms of placing the trap, examining the ground surrounding the shed or porch should give a hint about where the opossum is making its entrance and exit. This is the ideal place to locate the trap, as it will be immediately in the range of the opossum as it comes out from under the porch or shed. When you do trap the opossum, check on the underside of the animal to see if there are any obvious nipples that would suggest there are babies underneath.
It is worth noting that many states will have specific regulations about removing and releasing opossums, so in some cases they may have to be handed to a state official. If there are no specific regulations in your state, it is best to take the opossum at least ten miles from your property before releasing it well away from any other domestic properties.
Preventing Future Opossum Infestations
Opossums are opportunistic animals, and will not put a lot of effort into digging their own burrows. This is why sheds and porches are such popular places for opossums looking for somewhere to nest. By blocking up any areas that an opossum may want to use, this will significantly reduce the chance of any opossums moving in in the future.
