The Difference Between Wildlife Control and Pest Control
The two get lumped together constantly, but in Florida they are regulated differently, require different training, and solve different problems.
Two different licenses, two different jobs
Pest control in Florida (insects, termites, rodenticide-based rodent control) falls under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Nuisance wildlife work, trapping and removing raccoons, snakes, bats, armadillos, and other native animals, falls under Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules, specifically Chapter 68A-9 of the Florida Administrative Code. A general pest control license does not automatically cover wildlife trapping.
Why the distinction matters to you
Wildlife is regulated because it is, legally, still the property of the state of Florida even while it is in your attic. That means there are real rules around how an animal can be captured, transported, released, or euthanized, and around protected species and seasonal restrictions like the bat maternity season closure. A company doing this work needs to know that framework, not just how to set a trap.
What we do
We are a wildlife removal company, not an exterminator. Our work is identification, humane capture, exclusion (sealing the animal out for good), and repair, handled in a way that follows FWC rules rather than just getting the animal out as fast as possible.
Regulatory note
Under FWC Rule 68A-9.010, most live-captured nuisance wildlife in Florida is legally handled one of two ways: released on the same contiguous property where it was caught, or transported for humane euthanasia. Releasing an animal elsewhere requires written permission from that landowner, a minimum of 40 contiguous acres, and staying within the county of capture. Relocating wildlife to a new area “for its own good” without meeting those conditions is not legal, regardless of good intentions. Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Rules can change; call FWC or check myfwc.com for the current version before relying on this for a specific situation.