Humane animal removal in Maitland, FL
Animal removal in Maitland, FL should end with the animal out, the hole closed and nobody hurt along the way. That’s how Critter Guys has worked for 25+ years, from our shop a few miles north in Fern Park.
- Humane from start to finish
- Entry points sealed after removal
- Licensed and insured
Tell us what you're hearing
Tell us what you are hearing or seeing. We will get back to you, set up a visit and give you a straight answer on what it takes.
- Firm quote before any work starts
- Call, text or email, your pick
- Licensed and insured in Florida
Quick answer. Critter Guys does humane animal removal in Maitland, FL for homes on Lake Maitland, Lake Sybelia and Lake Lily and for offices around Maitland Center. We find how raccoons, squirrels, rats, bats or opossums are getting in, remove them with one-way doors or live traps under FWC rules, keep mothers with their young when possible, and seal the openings. Call or text (321) 203-6963 to set up a Maitland inspection.
The wildlife was here first
That idea is how Critter Guys got started, and it still shapes every job. An animal in your attic isn’t out to get you. It found a warm, dry, quiet spot, and usually it’s a mother looking for a safe place to raise young. Our job is to move her out without needless harm, then make sure she can’t get back in.
In practice that means we look for babies before anything else, use one-way doors wherever they’ll work, and only trap when trapping is the right tool. Everything we do follows FWC rules.
- Young found and kept with their mother when possible
- One-way doors so animals leave on their own
- Live traps checked and handled by our crew
- Bats never excluded April 15 to August 14
- Openings sealed so the cycle doesn’t repeat
Maitland’s lakes, old oaks and office parks
Maitland is a lake town. Lake Maitland, which the city shares with Winter Park, connects south into the Winter Park chain, and Lake Minnehaha sits just north of it. Smaller lakes like Lake Sybelia and Lake Lily sit close to the old center of town. The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey and the Maitland Art Center are both near Lake Sybelia’s shore, under the kind of big, old oaks that line a lot of Maitland streets.
Housing runs the full range. Older lakefront homes and mid-century ranches sit near newer rebuilds and townhomes, and each brings its own weak spots. Raccoons and opossums work the shorelines at night, squirrels use the oak canopy to reach roofs, and roof rats follow both.
Along I-4, Maitland Center is a large office park, and commercial buildings there deal with their own versions of the same problems: rats on flat roofs, raccoons behind dumpsters, and bats in gaps along the roof line.
What we see in Maitland
- Orange County
- Lake Maitland, Sybelia and Lily
- Maitland Center office park
- Between Winter Park and Altamonte Springs
What we handle for Maitland
Raccoon Removal
Raccoon mothers and kits moved out of Maitland attics and soffits together, then the entry closed with sturdy material.
Squirrel Removal
Squirrels that reach Maitland roofs from the big oaks, sent out through one-way doors before the gaps get sealed.
Bat Removal
Humane bat exclusion near Lake Sybelia and the other lakes, planned around the protected summer maternity season.
Rat Removal
Roof rats in lake homes and Maitland Center offices, controlled with traps, bait station boxes and sealing.
Wildlife Exclusion
Closing soffit gaps, roof vents, plumbing holes and crawl space openings so Maitland homes stay animal-free.
Attic Cleanup & Remediation
Safe removal of guano, latrines and rodent droppings, followed by disinfecting and odor treatment in Maitland attics.
Smells and sounds that point to an animal
In Maitland, people often notice a smell before they ever hear anything. Here’s what each clue usually means.
A sharp ammonia smell
Strong, stale urine odor in a closet or attic hatch usually means rodents or raccoons have been using the same spot for a while.
A musty, sweet smell near a wall
That’s often bat guano building up in a wall void or behind trim. Bats themselves are quiet, so the smell can be the first sign.
Rotting odor that comes on fast
Something died in a wall, ceiling or crawl space. It won’t go away on its own, and the area needs to be sanitized after removal.
Chewing behind the drywall
Gnawing at night in a wall points to roof rats. They chew constantly to keep their teeth down, and wiring is fair game.
Squeaks or chirps in spring
High, thin sounds in the attic in spring are often babies. That changes how we remove the family, so tell us when you call.
DIY animal removal in Maitland vs calling us
Plenty of people try to handle it themselves first. These are the spots where a DIY job usually breaks down.
| What DIY usually looks like | What we do instead |
|---|---|
| Sealing the hole with the animal still inside | Confirming every animal and baby is out first |
| Moth balls, lights or radios in the attic | Finding and closing the actual entry point |
| Store-bought trap left out for days | Traps set and checked under FWC rules |
| Spray foam that rats chew through | Chew-resistant metal and hardware cloth |
| Ignoring the droppings | Removing and disinfecting contaminated material |
Maitland homeowners on working with us
4.9
141 reviews on Google
★★★★★
We had a raccoon who preferred to use our pool and back yard as a personal toilet. After trying the usual internet suggestions we called Kevin the Critter Guy. The first night the trap was set the raccoon was caught. The bad news? It was so big that the trap was forced open in 15″. Over the next several weeks we added traps, tried different baits and different locations to no avail. Kevin never gave up and ultimately used red fox urine. It hasn’t been back since. When a service goes as planned it’s an easy job. The true test? What is the response when it’s not easy. Kevin never backed off and ultimately the raccoon is gone. Highly recommended.
Paul MurgoGoogle review
★★★★★
We had a huge yellow jacket nest in a palm and Craig was able to get it taken care of immediately. A+++
Lauralee WestineGoogle review
★★★★★
Craig is great! Always ready to go above and beyond!!
Orazio TartagliaGoogle review
Read every review on Google or see more Critter Guys reviews
What our Maitland animal removal covers after the animal is gone
Getting the animal out is only half the work. If the opening stays open, another one moves in, sometimes within days. So every job includes finding and sealing the gaps, using our prevention and exclusion methods, and fixing anything the animal chewed or tore.
Then there’s the mess. Each animal leaves its own health concern: roundworm in raccoon latrines, histoplasmosis fungus in bat guano, leptospirosis in rodent urine. That’s no reason to panic, but it is a reason to have it cleaned properly. Our attic and crawl space cleanup removes droppings and soiled insulation, then disinfects and treats the scent trails.
For details on specific animals, see our pages on humane raccoon trapping and bat exclusion, or go to our main page for wildlife removal around Orlando. If you live closer to Lake Virginia, our Winter Park page covers what we see there.
Recent work around Central Florida
Catch it at the first sound
Prevention is always our first recommendation. Getting an inspection the week you first hear something saves you from repairing a season’s worth of damage.
Other communities near Maitland
From Maitland we also serve Altamonte Springs, Winter Park, Casselberry and Longwood.
Questions we hear in Maitland
Don’t see your question? Call or text (321) 203-6963 and ask a real person.
Do you kill the animals you remove in Maitland?
No, our methods are humane, and we avoid needless harm. We use one-way doors where they’ll work and live traps where they won’t, all under FWC rules. Bats are protected and are only ever excluded, never killed.
What happens to a baby raccoon or squirrel in my attic?
We look for young before removing anything, and we work to keep them with their mother. Sometimes that means waiting for babies to get old enough to move, or giving the mother a way to carry them out. Sealing the house with babies inside is the mistake we work hardest to avoid.
How much is animal removal in Maitland?
The quote depends on the animal, how many openings we find, and whether repair or cleanup is needed, so we price it after the inspection. You’ll know the full cost before we start. Calling early usually means a smaller job.
Can you help with rats at an office in Maitland Center?
Yes, we work with businesses and property managers as well as homeowners. Commercial rat jobs usually combine trapping inside, locked bait station boxes outside, and sealing roof and utility penetrations. We schedule around your tenants and hours.
Is the smell in my wall a dead animal?
If it’s a strong rotting smell that came on fast, it usually is. We locate it, remove it and sanitize the area so the odor and bacteria don’t linger. Cutting into the wall in the wrong spot is a common DIY mistake, so let us find it first.
Why do animals keep showing up at my Lake Maitland house?
Lakefront yards are natural travel routes for raccoons, opossums and rodents, so the traffic itself won’t stop. What we can stop is access to your house. Sealing entry points, screening vents and trimming limbs back from the roof usually solves it.
Set up a humane removal in Maitland
Call or text (321) 203-6963. After the inspection you’ll get a plan that’s kind to the animal and tough on the entry point.