Wildlife control in Bartow, FL
Bartow’s big live oaks are a big part of its charm. They’re also a straight path to your roof for squirrels and raccoons, and that’s where most of our wildlife control work here begins.
- Roof line to foundation sealed
- Humane, by Florida rules
- Historic homes welcome
Ask for a Bartow inspection
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 provides wildlife control in Bartow, FL for squirrels, raccoons, roof rats, bats, opossums, armadillos and snakes. We inspect the house, remove animals humanely with traps or one-way doors under FWC rules, and seal the roof line, vents and foundation so they can’t return. Homes, rentals and commercial buildings across Bartow are all covered, and the fastest way to reach us is a call or text to (321) 203-6963.
Living under the oaks in the City of Oaks and Azaleas
Bartow earned its nickname honestly. Live oaks shade most of the older streets, and many of those limbs reach right over rooftops. To a gray squirrel, that’s a bridge. It runs out the branch, drops onto the roof, and starts working on the softest spot it can find, which is usually a soffit corner, a roof vent or the gap where fascia meets the gutter.
Raccoons use the same trees, just more slowly. In spring, a mother raccoon looking for a quiet place to have kits will climb an oak, step onto the roof and pull open a soffit panel or a loose vent. Trimming limbs back from the roof helps a lot, but on its own it won’t seal a hole that’s already there.
Older homes in the historic districts
Bartow has three historic districts on the National Register, with frame and masonry homes, many with porches, attic louvers and crawl spaces. We seal these houses with care for the original trim, so the fix keeps animals out without looking like a patch job.
How Bartow wildlife control jobs run
This is the order we follow on every Bartow property, from a bungalow off Broadway to a newer block home on the edge of town.
Look at the trees and the roof
We start outside, checking which limbs touch the roof, then work along the soffits, vents, ridge and chimney before heading into the attic.
Identify the animal and its path
Droppings, tracks, chew marks and rub marks tell us who’s inside and exactly where they’re coming and going. You’ll see photos of each spot.
Remove it humanely
One-way doors work well for squirrels, while raccoons usually need live traps. Each species has its own approach, covered on our squirrel removal and raccoon removal pages. Everything follows FWC rules.
Seal it and clean it
We close every opening with metal flashing, hardware cloth or rebuilt vent screens, then remove droppings and nesting and sanitize the attic if needed.
Wildlife services we offer in Bartow
Raccoon Removal
Raccoons climbing oak limbs to pull open soffits, removed humanely with mothers and kits kept together.
Squirrel Removal
Gray squirrels using Bartow’s oak canopy to reach roof vents, moved out with one-way doors and sealed.
Bat Removal
Bats in older roof lines and commercial buildings, excluded with one-way devices outside maternity season.
Rat Removal
Roof rats in attics and Norway rats around foundations, trapped inside with bait stations outside.
Wildlife Exclusion
Rebuilt vents, metal flashing and foundation barriers that keep squirrels, raccoons and armadillos out.
Attic Cleanup & Remediation
Removing droppings, acorn caches and nesting from attics, then sanitizing and treating scent trails.
Bartow, the Peace River and old phosphate country
Bartow is the Polk County seat, about a dozen miles southeast of Lakeland and southwest of Winter Haven. The Peace River’s headwaters sit near Lake Hancock just north of town, and the river runs past Bartow’s eastern edge through a wide, wooded floodplain. US 17, US 98 and State Road 60 all pass through, and the Fort Fraser Trail heads north toward Lakeland.
For more than a century, phosphate mining shaped the land around Bartow, and much of it has since been reclaimed into lakes, wetlands and open ground. Add Mary Holland Park with its three lakes, and you get a town with plenty of water and cover on every side. Homes near the river floodplain and the reclaimed lands tend to see more raccoons, opossums, armadillos and snakes, while the oak-lined neighborhoods closer to downtown get more squirrels and rats in the attic.
Around Bartow
- Polk County seat
- Peace River on the east edge
- Lake Hancock just north
- Reclaimed phosphate lands nearby
County, office and commercial buildings
As the county seat, Bartow has more office buildings, churches, schools and storefronts than most towns its size, plus plenty of rental homes. Larger and older buildings often have flat roofs, rooftop units, parapet walls and decades of utility penetrations, which give rats and bats a lot of options.
We handle commercial wildlife control the same way we handle homes: inspect, remove humanely, seal and clean. For buildings with bat colonies, we plan the bat exclusion for outside the April 15 to August 14 maternity season and work around business hours when we can.
- Rooftop units and conduit gaps
- Parapet walls and flat roof edges
- Bat roosts behind loose trim
- Rodents near dumpsters and back doors
Reviews from Bartow and nearby Polk towns
4.9
141 reviews on Google
★★★★★
Called Critter Guys through a recommendation from my sister in Lakeland after we saw a squirrel peaking out from a hole above the garage at my mother’s home in Riverview. My sister had the same issue at her Lakeland home. We got an appointment for the Riverview house right away and Craig came out to do an assessment and estimate. The price was reasonable and Craig was very professional and friendly. He quickly assessed the issue and found 4 holes in the roof. He set up traps and came back a few days later. During that waiting time one of the traps in the attic caught a mouse. So, when he came back, he sealed off 3 of the holes and set up a one-way trap in the 4th hole to draw out any remaining critters. He’ll come back in 2 weeks to close off the remaining hole. He also gave us a 30 day warranty if anything else happens. So far we haven’t seen or heard anything else. I’m very happy with the service received and would highly recommend this company.
Pramela IttoopGoogle review
★★★★★
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
★★★★★
I can’t recommend this company enough! Josh was absolutely amazing and went above and beyond from start to finish. As a property manager, I work with a lot of vendors, and it’s not often that someone stands out the way he did. …
Andrea GutierrezGoogle review
Read every review on Google or see more Critter Guys reviews
Signs of wildlife around Bartow homes
These are the clues Bartow homeowners mention most when they reach out.
Acorn shells and chewing on the roof
Squirrels carry acorns up to the roof and gnaw on edges. Shell bits in the gutter or on the driveway, plus pale chew marks on fascia, are a strong hint.
A torn soffit panel
A sagging or pulled-out soffit panel, especially in spring, often means a raccoon has gone in to raise kits.
Greasy marks along the eaves
Roof rats leave dark rub marks where they squeeze through the same gap night after night.
Small dark droppings under the eaves
Bats leave guano piles below their entry spot. They’re crumbly and shiny with insect bits, which tells them apart from rodent droppings.
Burrows by the foundation
Armadillos dig holes along slabs and walkways, especially in yards near the river floodplain and reclaimed land.
On the job
What Bartow wildlife does through the year
Florida wildlife is active all year, but the calls we get shift with the seasons.
| Time of year | What we tend to see |
|---|---|
| Late winter into spring | Raccoon and squirrel mothers moving into attics to have young |
| April 15 to August 14 | Bat maternity season, so bats are inspected but not excluded |
| Summer | Second squirrel litters, snakes and armadillos active in yards |
| Fall and early winter | Bat exclusion work, rats moving indoors, acorn season on the roof |
We also serve towns around Bartow
Winter Haven, Lakeland, Plant City and Haines City are all close by, and our crews work in each of them.
Wildlife questions from Bartow homeowners
Don’t see your question? Call or text (321) 203-6963 and ask a real person.
What does wildlife control cost in Bartow?
The price depends on the animal, how many entry points there are, how the roof is built and whether cleanup or repairs are needed. We give you a quote once we’ve walked your Bartow property.
Will trimming my oak trees keep squirrels off the roof?
It helps, but it won’t solve an existing problem. Cutting limbs back several feet from the roof makes it harder for squirrels to get up there. If they’re already inside, they still need to be removed and the holes sealed.
Is it legal to trap and relocate a raccoon in Bartow myself?
Trapping and relocating wildlife in Florida is regulated by FWC, and it’s easy to get wrong. Many DIY attempts separate a mother from her kits, leaving babies stranded in the attic. We follow FWC rules and keep families together whenever possible.
Can you work on older homes in Bartow’s historic districts?
Yes. We work on older frame and masonry homes regularly and seal them carefully so repairs match the original trim. Rebuilding a vent the right way usually looks better and lasts longer than a quick patch.
Why do I see more snakes and armadillos near the Peace River?
River floodplains and wetlands offer cover, food and water, so homes nearby tend to see more ground-level wildlife. Most snakes in Florida are harmless, but don’t try to tell them apart up close, since six species are venomous. Call or text us to remove the animal and seal the gaps under your home.
Are rats in the attic a health concern?
They can be. Rodent urine can spread leptospirosis, and droppings and nesting contaminate insulation over time. We remove the rats, seal the gaps and offer attic cleanup and sanitizing so the space is safe again.
Book a Bartow wildlife control inspection
Call or text (321) 203-6963. We’ll check the trees, roof and attic, explain what we find and give you a plan, the same way our Orlando wildlife removal team does across Central Florida.