Wildlife control in Winter Haven, FL
Wildlife control in Winter Haven starts with the water. With roughly 50 lakes tied together by canals, raccoons, rats, snakes and bats have a ready-made highway to the back of almost every lot.
- Quote before any work begins
- 25+ years with Florida wildlife
- Mothers and young kept together
Get your Winter Haven home checked
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 handles wildlife control in Winter Haven, FL, from lakefront homes on the Chain of Lakes to manufactured home communities and inland subdivisions. We inspect, find the entry points, remove raccoons, squirrels, rats, bats, opossums, armadillos and snakes humanely under FWC rules, then seal the house. Call or text (321) 203-6963.
Why the Chain of Lakes keeps us busy
Winter Haven calls itself the Chain of Lakes City for good reason. The southern chain alone links Lake Howard, Lake Shipp, Lake Eloise, Lake Lulu and a dozen more, and the northern chain runs up through Lake Conine and Lake Fannie toward Lake Hamilton. Canals connect them, and every shoreline is a travel lane for animals that live along the water.
Raccoons work the seawalls and docks at night. Snakes move through the reeds and into yards. Bats feed over open water at dusk and look for a roof to sleep under by morning. When a lakeside lot also has oaks over the roof or citrus trees by the fence, it gets visits from all sides.
Winter Haven ground, from Interlaken to the groves
The older neighborhoods around Lake Howard, including the Interlaken historic district on its north shore, have homes from the city’s early decades with wood trim, attic vents and crawl spaces. Further out along Cypress Gardens Boulevard, US 17 and US 27 you’ll find block homes, golf communities, manufactured home parks and land that still carries old citrus groves.
Natural areas like South Lake Howard Nature Park, Lake Conine Nature Park and the Lake Hartridge wetlands are good for the lakes and good for wildlife. Homes near them tend to see opossums, raccoons and snakes more often than the middle of a dry subdivision does.
Winter Haven field notes
- Polk County, between Lakeland and Haines City
- About 50 lakes in or bordering the city
- North and south chains linked by canals
- Headwaters of the Peace River
Lakefront houses have their own weak spots
A house on the water gets more traffic than one a mile inland, and the animals that show up tend to find the same handful of openings. Boathouses, screened porches and pool cages facing the lake take the most abuse. Raccoons rip lanai screen to get at pet food, and roof rats climb palm fronds that brush the eaves.
- Boathouse and dock storage with open rafters
- Lanai and pool cage screen torn at the bottom
- Soffit vents facing the lake breeze
- Gaps where the AC line enters the wall
- Palms and citrus touching the roof
Winter Haven wildlife services
Raccoon Removal in Winter Haven
Raccoons coming off the docks and seawalls into attics and soffits, trapped humanely with entry holes repaired after.
Squirrel Removal in Winter Haven
Squirrels moving from the oaks onto Winter Haven roofs, pushed out with one-way doors and locked out for good.
Bat Removal in Winter Haven
Bats that feed over the lakes and roost in your roof, excluded only outside the April to August maternity season.
Rat Removal in Winter Haven
Roof rats drawn by citrus and palms, trapped inside, managed outside with bait station boxes, then sealed out.
Wildlife Exclusion in Winter Haven
Sealing vents, soffits, skirting and lanai screens on lakefront and inland homes so wildlife has no way back in.
Attic Cleanup & Remediation in Winter Haven
Clearing droppings, nesting and odor from attics and crawl spaces, then sanitizing and treating the scent trails left behind.
What tells you it’s time for animal removal
If any of these sound familiar around your Winter Haven home, get it inspected before the problem grows.
Walking sounds overhead at night
Raccoons are heavy and deliberate. Rats are fast and come in bursts.
Droppings on the dock or lanai
Raccoons often leave latrines in the same spot on decks, docks and flat roofs.
Chewed fruit still on the tree
Hollowed-out oranges or grapefruit hanging on the branch are a classic roof rat sign.
Dark rub marks on the fascia
Grease stains around a gap mean something has been squeezing through it again and again.
Squeaking at dusk from the roof edge
Bats leaving a roost at sunset often chatter before they drop out and head for the lake.
Reviews from around the Chain of Lakes
4.9
141 reviews on Google
★★★★★
I’d choose 10 stars if it were an option. Mike at Critter Guys did such a great job for us. We made only 1 phone call to get rid of the mice (and a few rats). Mike took over from there. He stayed on top of the problem, kept checking in with us by phone and even came out almost every other day to double check that the problem was solved. He climbed into every nook and cranny in our attic space multiple times, in the worst heat, ever making sure that everything was sealed up tight. I happily say that we are now critter free. Mike’s fantastic and he won’t let you down. Thank you again Mike.
Russell SmalleyGoogle review
★★★★★
Kevin did a great job. He arrived promptly and kept me informed through the process.
Debbie ViscardiGoogle 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
Animals we remove most around Winter Haven
These are the calls we get over and over in this part of Polk County.
- Raccoons denning in attics and soffits, often a mother with kits in spring
- Roof rats in attics and garages, especially near fruit trees
- Squirrels chewing roof vents and fascia under oak canopy
- Bats roosting in tile roofs and boathouse eaves
- Opossums and armadillos under manufactured homes, decks and sheds
- Snakes in garages, pool cages and landscaping near the shoreline
Out in the field
Our wildlife control process in Winter Haven
We follow the same order on every property, lakefront or not.
Walk the whole property
We check the roof, attic, crawl space or skirting, and the yard and shoreline side. The inspection tells us which animal it is and where it’s coming and going.
Remove it humanely
One-way doors let squirrels, bats and some raccoons leave without a way back. Live traps cover the rest, checked on schedule and handled under FWC rules. Our raccoon removal in Winter Haven keeps mothers and kits together.
Close the house
Each opening gets sealed with chew-proof material and reinforced. That’s the heart of our wildlife exclusion work here.
Clean and repair
We clear droppings and nesting, sanitize, and fix the soffit, screen or vent the animal damaged.
Nearby Polk County towns we serve
Our crews also cover the towns around the Chain of Lakes, from Haines City and Bartow to Lakeland and Plant City.
Animal removal in Winter Haven: common questions
Have a question that isn’t here? Call or text (321) 203-6963 and we’ll help.
What does wildlife control cost in Winter Haven?
We quote after the inspection, because the price depends on the species, how many animals are inside and how much sealing and repair the house needs. A lakefront home with a boathouse is a different job from a block home inland. You’ll know the plan and the number before we start.
Do raccoons from the lakes really get into attics?
Yes, and fairly often. Raccoons travel the shorelines at night, then climb a tree, downspout or pool cage frame to reach the roof. A loose soffit or a torn roof vent is all a mother needs to set up a den.
Can you remove snakes from my yard near the lake?
We can. Most snakes in Winter Haven yards are harmless, but Florida has six venomous species and you shouldn’t try to tell them apart up close. Keep your distance, keep pets inside and call or text us.
Do you work on manufactured homes in Winter Haven?
Yes. Opossums, armadillos and rats like the space under manufactured homes, so we check the skirting, ground contact and plumbing openings and seal them once the animal is out.
Is it okay to wait until the noise stops?
Usually not. Quiet can mean the animal is out for the night, gave birth, or died inside, and none of those fix the open entry point. Getting the house inspected early almost always saves money compared to repairs later.
Do you serve businesses and HOAs around Winter Haven?
We do. HOAs, property managers, townhome communities and businesses call us for rats, bats and recurring raccoon problems. We can inspect multiple buildings and set up prevention across the property.
Something living in your Winter Haven roof?
Call or text (321) 203-6963 and we’ll schedule an inspection of your Winter Haven house. Critter Guys covers all of Polk County as part of our Central Florida wildlife removal work, plus towns nearby like Haines City and Lakeland.