FREE HELP: Florida Wildlife Commission: 888-404-3922

The Florida Wildlife Commission, also known as the Florida Department of Fish & Game or the Florida Wildlife Conservation Office, provides free resources for pest wildlife, or conflict or nuisance wildlife, as it is also called. They can send an officer to address certain wildlife issues, or provide other resources for the control of nuisance wildlife species, and provide help to the residents of Gainesville with certain wildlife problems. You can reach their offices by calling 888-404-3922. Visit them at https://myfwc.com/

FREE HELP: Alachua County Animal Control: (352) 264-6870

Alachua County Animal Control Services most commonly help with domestic animals, such as stray cats or dangerous dogs. They also might help with wildlife issues in various capacities. Call your local office for a description of services. Visit https://alachuacounty.us/Depts/animalServices/Pages/AnimalServices.aspx. If that doesn't work, click here for the Gainesville police dept, who can provide free Gainesville wildlife control - but read my explanation.

FREE HELP: Gainesville Wildlife Rehabilitation: (352) 371-4400

Gainesville Wildlife Rehabilitators usually work with injured, orphaned, or sick wildlife. They will often help with wildlife issues and concerns. It is nice to give them donations for their help and wildlife rehab efforts. Visit Florida Wildlife Care at http://www.floridawildlifecare.org/

PAY SERVICE: Superior Wildlife Services: 352-415-9031

Superior Wildlife Services is a private wildlife control business that charges for critter removal in Gainesville. Superior Wildlife Services is available 24-7-365 and provides same-day wildlife removal services, including the removal of animals inside attics, rodent removal, and more.



If you have an animal problem and need assistance, there are several free animal control resources in Gainesville, Florida. The first thing you can try is your local Alachua County animal services, or the free Gainesville animal control services by calling (352) 264-6870. They may be able to help you with your critter problem, and possibly offer free raccoon removal or free snake removal. But they primarily deal with dogs and cats, and might not help with wildlife. For wildlife-specifice issues, try the Florida Wildlife Commission at 888-404-3922. They do free wildlife control in Gainesville and all of Florida. But they often deal with special cases like bears, or illegal hunting. They might not help you with specific cases in your house, like free rodent control or free squirrel removal. At a more local level, you can call Gainesville Wildlife Rehabilitation at (352) 371-4400 for local free animal removal and trapping, and they may help with providing free critter removal in Gainesville. But this organization, like all wildlife rehab, mostly focuses on healing and caring for sick or injured wildlife. There's no business that provides free pest control in Gainesville that will remove wild animals that I know of, like free bat control or free rat removal. Sometimes, for a case of animals in an attic, or wildlife problems on private property, you need to hire and pay for wildlife removal, and if so, I recommend Superior Wildlife Services at 352-415-9031. Some people wonder if animal control costs money, or how much does animal removal cost. For that, call 352-415-9031 and ask. Of course, you can be sure to get free pest wildlife removal if you solve the problem yourself, so read my Do-It-Yourself page for more hints. Finally, you can call the local Gainesville police department. Click here for Gainesville police department animal removal and for a short explanation.

Gainesville wildlife issues:

The winner may starve to death or is claimed by some nuisance wildlife control professional who may happen along. What usually occurs, however, is that the lesser pest animal may break away after a few minutes of combat, leaving the field to the stronger of the two. This combat may or may not be for the affections of some nearby Gainesville doe. I have witnessed two such fights when there was no other nuisance wildlife present. The paths of the two pest animals seemed to cross in a casual encounter and they went at each other with hammer and tongs. When I put in my appearance they promptly pulled apart and vanished in the neighborhood. On one of these occasions I did see a raccoon on the outskirts of the battleground, but from what I could gather she was merely a disinterested spectator, and the object of the fight was to drive the weaker male out of the area rather than to win the affections of the doe.

In the northern urban wild animal range the peak of breeding activity occurs early in November, but in the southern range it tends to happen later. The pest animal is sexually mature at about one-and-a-half years of age, while the Gainesville raccoon can be successfully bred the first fall after it is born. A pest animal may stay in breeding condition from about September through February, but not always will he find a receptive doe. The doe's heat period lasts only 24 to 36 hours. She reaches that condition again in about 28 days if not successfully bred the first time. The raccoon has three such periods possible during the breeding time of year, usually insuring that each raccoon will be bred and rear a fawn in the spring. There is little indication anywhere in the urban wild animal range of a breeding pest animal shortage.

Even where the pest animals are none too plentiful there is a fawn crop every year, for in the wild a pest animal can usually service from six to seven does during the time of year, and as many as twenty when penned up in a semi tame state. Just when the mating time of year will occur is not always possible to accurately forecast, but it does often coincide with the removing unwanted wildlife time of year. In this regard, experts say that it is the waning light of the fall that brings on the mating time of year, not frost or change in temperature as is summery thought. In the north suburban neighborhood, as noted, the mating time of year comes in late fall, but it also may occur as early as September. At this time, the pest animal may be in an amorous mood, but not always the doe. She may not be receptive to the Gainesville pest animal until about ten days after he enters the mating time of year, and at this time the pest animal is particularly aggressive, and where possible will usually be close to some doe, following, or taking the lead. During this time of year, especially, the nuisance wildlife control professional should take heed of any congregation of does, or even a single doe, waiting and watching. If he does not see a pest animal close at hand, sooner or later one will usually appear.

FREE HELP: Florida Wildlife Commission: 888-404-3922
FREE HELP: Alachua County Animal Control: (352) 264-6870
FREE HELP: Gainesville Wildlife Rehabilitation: (352) 371-4400
FREE HELP: Gainesville police department: (352) 393-7500
PAY SERVICE: Superior Wildlife Services: 352-415-9031