Critter Control of Florence

While on nighttime scavenges, Raccoons enjoy swimming in pools they can access. They are known to leave behind feces in the water. While chlorine kills most germs, it does not kill a particular roundworm parasite in raccoon feces called Baylisascaris. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific steps you must take to make your pool safe for swimming.

Florence raccoons are filthy, leaving greasy smudges on everything their fur touches, including chimneys, siding, attic walls, and floors. They are also very messy tenants. They shred insulation and drywall, create a toilet space, plug vents and ducts, and scatter trash. With their nimble hands, raccoons can easily climb, scratch, dig, claw, and open just about anything.

The masked wildlife will travel several miles searching for food that can be table scraps, insects, fish, rodents, fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and pet feed.

Getting rid of nuisance raccoons involves following fur-bearing trapping rules set by the state, like obtaining the proper license. It can also include getting the raccoon tested for diseases after removal.

Rats and mice that quickly become a nuisance to homeowners are the Norway rats and house mice. The CDC reports rats and mice carry at least 35 diseases. Diseases can spread from rodents to humans through ticks, fleas, mites, or by inhaling the spores on their feces. You may also contract it by being bitten by an infected rat or mouse, which can happen if you try to remove it and the rodent feels threatened or trapped.

Wildlife experts are trained on house mice and Norway rats. They learn rodents can squeeze through holes less than an inch in size. There are at least ten others in the same area for every rodent you see. The rate at which they multiply can lead to an infestation of hundreds of rats and mice in less than a year.

Female rodents can have between four to six litter a year. With each litter, between six and 12 babies can be delivered.

Signs of a rat or mice problem include gnawing on wood, metal, plastic, papers, and other materials. You may also see contaminated groceries and trails of uneaten foods, followed by feces and urine. Rats and mice can make your home dangerous by chewing electrical wires and building nests in your vents. They also like to dig burrows under your home and driveway, making them unstable.

Rats are active all year round, making getting rid of them a top priority.

Squirrels are also rodents, but there are differences like squirrels typically only breed once or twice a year. However, female squirrels can start reproducing as early as six months old. The threat of an infestation still exists. The squirrels in Florence neighborhoods are the various types of Eastern grey, Southern fox, and flying squirrels.

While squirrels are one of the leaders in helping with forest regeneration, due to planting nuts and seeds in the ground, they can become a nuisance if they move into your attic or crawlspace. Just like other rodents, squirrels have teeth that never stop growing. To keep them filed down, squirrels chew and gnaw on everything. This makes their teeth stronger as they age.

They can chew holes through siding, wood, plastic, and some metals. That means breaking into your home is easier than you think. Once inside, squirrels will chew wires, furniture, cabinets, and anything else they encounter. If you have squirrels on your property, you have the foods they enjoy, like birdseed, fruits, vegetables, bird eggs, flowers, nuts, grains, pet feed, and certain tree barks.

Squirrels are game animals, so removing squirrels may require special permits or licenses at certain times of the year.

There are 38 snake species in South Carolina, only six of which are venomous. In most cases, the worst that a snake will do is give you a scare. Not only is the thought of having a snake in your home an unpleasant one, but also a snake can be a sign of another pest problem, as they’re finding food sources around your home like mice and rats.

Call Critter Control in Florence, so we can identify why the snakes are there and help to safely remove them.