Wildlife exclusion in Tampa, FL
Wildlife exclusion in Tampa, FL is the part of the job that keeps the problem from coming back. Critter Guys finds every gap an animal could use, from the ridge to the crawl space, and closes it with material they can’t chew through.
- Prevention comes first
- Every gap, ridge to slab
- Before or after removal
Close up your Tampa home
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 wildlife exclusion in Tampa, FL by inspecting the whole house, then sealing and reinforcing every entry point on the roof, soffits, vents, utility lines and foundation. It keeps out raccoons, squirrels, rats, bats and opossums, and it works before an animal moves in or right after we remove one. Text or call (321) 203-6963 to put an inspection on the calendar.
Why we recommend exclusion before anything else
Our first recommendation on every Tampa job is prevention. It’s cheaper to seal a house when you first hear a noise, or before anything gets in at all, than to pay for removal, cleanup and repairs after a family of raccoons has spent a season in the attic.
Exclusion also covers more than the animal you have now. A roof that’s sealed against squirrels is sealed against rats and bats too. One visit closes doors for every species.
- Costs less than removal plus cleanup
- Stops several species at once
- Works before or after removal
- Protects insulation, wiring and ductwork
Openings we close on Tampa houses
Every house is different, but these show up on almost every Tampa exclusion we do.
- Soffit returns and the gaps where two roof planes meet
- Gable vents and foundation vents with weak or missing screen
- Ridge vent ends and roof vents with rusted or cracked covers
- AC chases, plumbing stacks and cable lines through stucco or siding
- Eave closures on barrel tile roofs
- Crawl space openings and skirting on raised homes
A few recent calls
Wildlife exclusion for Tampa’s mix of old and new homes
Tampa’s housing covers a century. The bungalows and frame homes in Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights and Hyde Park often sit over a crawl space and have wood trim that has been painted and repainted for decades. The block and stucco ranches of Carrollwood and Town ‘n’ Country have slab foundations but plenty of aging soffit. New Tampa’s two-stories have complicated rooflines with lots of joints.
Each one needs a different plan. Older homes usually need work low and high. Slab homes are mostly a roofline job. Newer builds often have gaps the trades left around vents and pipes. Water matters too: houses near the Hillsborough River, the bay or the New Tampa wetlands see more animals testing the walls. Our Tampa wildlife removal page explains what’s out there.
Tampa field notes
- Century-old frame homes near downtown
- Block ranches in Carrollwood
- Complex rooflines in New Tampa
- Hurricane-tested roofs citywide
How our Tampa exclusion work goes
Exclusion only works if the house is empty when the last gap closes. Here’s the order.
Whole-house inspection
We go over the roof, attic, eaves, vents, utility lines and foundation, and mark every opening, used or not.
Make sure nothing is inside
If an animal is living there, it comes out first, with one-way doors or humane traps. Sealing an animal in causes far worse problems than it solves. For bats, that means waiting until after August 14.
Seal with the right material
We use hardware cloth, metal flashing, heavy vent screen and sealants matched to the spot and the animal. Squirrels and rats chew through foam and thin screen, so we don’t rely on them.
Repair the damage
Chewed fascia, broken soffit and bent vents get repaired so the house is solid again instead of patched over.
Tampa homeowners on our sealing work
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
★★★★★
Nelson from CritterGuys provided great service today! He was professional, and explained everything very well and helped us and the neighbor with a rat problem on the patio. He also inspected the attic, roof and exterior of the house, sealed a space on the roof, and added bait station boxes. Great service! Highly recommended!
Aura NicolaeGoogle review
★★★★★
Dion is doing a great job responding to our needs and flexible to our schedule since there is not always access to the house. He explains what we need, points out trouble spots and fixes some of them when possible. Thanks Dion! …
MiLo TeamGoogle review
Read every review on Google or see more Critter Guys reviews
Plugging one hole vs. sealing the whole roofline
A lot of Tampa homeowners call after a DIY patch didn’t hold. Here’s the difference.
| One-hole patch | Full exclusion |
|---|---|
| Animal finds the next weak spot within weeks | Every likely entry closed at once |
| Expanding foam or thin screen gets chewed | Metal and hardware cloth stand up to teeth |
| Animal may still be inside | House confirmed empty before the final seal |
| Storm damage elsewhere goes unnoticed | Whole roof checked, including hurricane wear |
Hurricane damage Tampa roofs are still carrying
Tampa took a beating from the 2024 hurricanes, and plenty of roofs still have damage nobody has spotted from the ground: lifted shingles, cracked or shifted tile, soffit panels pulled loose, vent screens torn open. Animals find those openings fast.
If your roof was repaired, the new section may be fine while the eave next to it isn’t. After any big storm, an exclusion inspection is a smart call. It’s also a good time to look at the gaps bats in Tampa like to use, since they fit through very small openings. You can read more on our main wildlife exclusion page.
Removal and cleanup services in Tampa
Exclusion work near Tampa
Wildlife Exclusion in Tampa: quick answers
Still wondering about something? Call or text (321) 203-6963.
What does wildlife exclusion cost in Tampa?
It varies from house to house, and your quote is built from the inspection. The number of openings, the roof type and height, the amount of repair needed, and whether an animal has to come out first all affect it. We go over each item with you first.
Can you seal my Tampa house if nothing is living in it yet?
Yes, and it’s what we recommend. Sealing a house before an animal moves in is the cheapest way to handle wildlife. It also protects your insulation, wiring and ductwork from damage.
Will sealing the attic hurt my roof ventilation?
No. We screen vents with heavy material that keeps animals out but lets air move, and we don’t block the ventilation your roof needs. The goal is closing gaps, not sealing the attic airtight.
Do you do exclusion on older raised homes in Tampa?
Yes. Older frame homes in neighborhoods like Seminole Heights often need the crawl space sealed as well as the roofline. We close foundation vents and gaps under the house with heavy screen so raccoons, opossums and rats can’t den beneath the floor.
Do you seal Tampa condos, townhomes and commercial buildings?
We do. We work with HOAs, townhome communities, property managers and business owners, and exclusion across several connected units is common. Shared rooflines mean one gap can affect more than one unit.
Can my roofer handle wildlife exclusion instead?
A roofer can fix the roof, but exclusion means knowing how each animal gets in and making sure nothing is trapped inside before sealing. We look at the whole house with that in mind. It’s a different job, even when it overlaps with roofing.
Seal your Tampa home before the next animal finds it
Phone or text (321) 203-6963 and we’ll walk the house, mark every opening, and show you what closing them involves.