Food and water: remove the invitation
Wildlife shows up for three reasons — food, water, and shelter — and food is the one you control most. Secure trash cans with locking lids; raccoons defeat bungee cords routinely. Bring pet food inside at night — a full dog bowl feeds raccoons, opossums, and rats. Clean grills after cooking. Pick up fallen fruit from citrus and other trees promptly. Fix dripping faucets and AC condensate puddles — in dry spells, water draws animals as strongly as food.
Your yard: make it boring to wildlife
Trim branches so none touch the roof — branches are highways for squirrels, rats, and raccoons. Pull mulch back from the foundation and keep vegetation from touching siding. Clear brush piles, woodpiles, and junk — every pile is a den waiting to happen; move firewood away from the house. Reduce grubs in the lawn if armadillos are tearing it up; fewer grubs, less digging. Mow regularly — tall grass hides snakes and rodents.
Your house: close the doors
Cap the chimney — the single best wildlife prevention purchase for a Florida home. Screen or repair attic and gable vents. Seal gaps where pipes, cables, and AC lines enter the house. Fix broken crawl space vent screens and add lattice or screening under sheds and porches. Check the garage door seal, especially the corners. Lock pet doors at night or switch to an electronic one that only opens for your pet's collar.
The seasonal walk-around
Do this twice a year — spring and fall. Walk the full perimeter slowly, looking up at the roofline and down at the foundation. Look for new gaps, chew marks, bent vent covers, droppings, and tracks. Check the attic for droppings or nesting material. Catching a new entry in month one is a ten-minute fix; catching it in month six is a wildlife removal job. If the walk-around finds something you can't identify, send us a photo — we'll tell you what you're looking at.