Pest Control or Wildlife Control

Dr. Critter started as a highly specialized company focused on wildlife control and removal. With more than 25 years in the field we have watched the industry change a great deal, some of it good, some of it not, and a fair amount of it we helped pioneer ourselves. The biggest shake-up in Florida wildlife control has been traditional pest control companies moving into animal work. Before that, the two trades really only overlapped on rats and mice. One of the largest pest control companies in the world, the one with the iconic red-diamond uniforms, got its start selling rat poison.

What is the difference between pest control and wildlife control?

Pest control treats insects, usually with chemicals and usually on a recurring schedule. Wildlife control removes animals such as raccoons, squirrels, bats and rats, then permanently seals the structure so they cannot return. The animals are the reason the two trades are not interchangeable: insects behave predictably, and animals learn. The sections below cover where that difference actually shows up when someone is standing on your roof.

How much experience does animal removal really take?

Enough that it is the main thing separating the two trades. Insects are highly predictable, doing the same thing every time you encounter them. Animals are not. Many are intelligent, and they adapt to your countermeasures through learned behavior, which is why a trap that worked at one house fails at the next. Only long experience gets you past those behavioral traits, and pest control is a relative newcomer here. We have more than 25 years of it.

Are pest control repairs as good as wildlife exclusion work?

In our experience, no. Exclusion is a specialized craft, and the repairs we see from pest control companies tend to be rudimentary, unattractive and often ineffective. We have spent years and considerable expense developing techniques and materials that are both more durable and better looking. Your home is usually your largest investment. We would rather not leave it looking worse than the animals did.

Is wildlife removal more humane than pest control?

Most people do not think twice about swatting a fly or spraying ants. That is not an option with animals, and for good reason. People who go into wildlife work generally do it out of genuine regard for the animals they handle, which is not the norm in an industry where spraying toxic chemicals is standard practice.

Rodent control is where the gap is widest. For years the pest control answer to rats and mice has been poison, which subjects the animal to a prolonged and painful death and then leaves a decaying carcass somewhere inside your home. Anyone who has smelled a dead animal in an attic or wall cavity does not want a second experience of it.

In the wildlife trade we use humane eviction or trap-and-release wherever it is possible. In the rare case where relocation is not, we still have humane options that do not cost you weeks of unbearable smell.

Do I need a recurring contract or a one-time fix?

You need the fix. Pest control companies tend to view a customer as recurring revenue and will try to sign you to a lengthy contract, which quietly works against solving your problem for good. Our approach to almost any animal problem is to correct it permanently. No contracts, no extended programs.

How is a wildlife technician trained differently?

By not being trained in eight other things at once. We spend 100 percent of our professional lives on wildlife. A pest control technician or salesperson has to cover pest control, termites, lawn care, rodent control, wildlife, cleaning products, insulation and landscaping. That breadth is also why you will often meet one pest control representative on the sales call and a different one on the service call.

Who answers the phone at 10pm on a Saturday?

Call one of the larger pest control companies and, after a run of phone prompts, you will likely reach a representative in another state or another country who does not know a raccoon trap from a bat eviction valve. That is if anyone answers, since most work Monday to Friday. Call Dr. Critter and you will speak to someone with years of field experience who already knows what your problem will take, even late on a weekend.

Why does the technician's pay structure matter?

Because it decides what gets recommended to you. Pest control technicians and sales staff are typically paid on commission, which is why the conversation so often widens into services you did not call about. Most wildlife control companies do not pay on commission, and Dr. Critter certainly does not.

So when you are choosing, the question is whether you want the large out-of-state corporation that sprays your bugs, or the specialized local company that fixes the structure without signing you to a contract. For us the choice is clear. Leave the bugs to the pest control companies, who have been good at that for the better part of a century, and let us handle what we are good at. If you are not sure which one you need, our page on humane wildlife removal covers what the work involves.