WILDLIFE REMOVAL IN THE VILLAGES
Wildlife Removal in The Villages, FL
Rats in villas, bats at a golf starter shack, raccoons and fox squirrels: The Villages has seen them all on the record. Call (844) 264-6254.
- Same-Day Service
- Free Inspection
- 4.7 Google Rating
- Same-Day Service
- Free Inspection
- Sealed for Good
Who removes wildlife in The Villages, FL?
A private company. In 2016, Sumter County told residents of The Villages with rats to call a commercial company, and the county says its Animal Services generally deals only with domestic animals. Pro Wildlife Removal handles rats, bats, squirrels and raccoons in homes across The Villages. Call (844) 264-6254.
- Call (844) 264-6254
- Lake, Sumter and Marion counties
- Bats at Hilltop, 2025
Towns covered
The Villages and nearby
The Villages spreads across Lake, Sumter and Marion counties. The Census Bureau's The Villages CDP covers the Sumter and Marion parts; the oldest villages, such as Orange Blossom Gardens and La Zamora, are in Lake County, in and around Lady Lake. We cover every village, and the rest of Sumter County too: Bushnell is the county seat and Wildwood the largest city. The Census Bureau estimates Sumter grew from about 130,000 people in 2020 to about 158,000 in 2025, yet the 2020 Census still counted 89% of its land as rural.
Lake, Sumter and Marion counties
- Marion County
- Lady Lake
- Wildwood
- Bushnell
- Webster
- Sumterville
- Lake Panasoffkee
- Summerfield
- Ocala
Common problems here
Rats, bats, raccoons and squirrels in The Villages
From villas to golf courses, The Villages has a long local record with the animals we handle. Here is what news reports and the health departments show.
Bats at the Hilltop starter shack
In 2025, Golf Course Industry reported 100 to 300 bats roosting in the starter's building at Hilltop Executive Golf Course in the Village of Orange Blossom Gardens, on the Historic Side in Lake County. Crews waited until Aug. 15 to put up nets that let the bats out but not back in.
Bat houses by the woodworkers
Villages-News reported in October 2025 that The Villages Woodworking Club built bat houses as a new home for the bats, since Florida's strict rules ruled out evicting them from the starter shack by force.
Rats in a Village of Santiago home
In May 2016, News 6 reported rats getting into homes in the Village of Santiago. Sumter County said residents with a rat problem should call a commercial company to remove them.
Rats and bats at a Briar Meadow villa
A Legacy Villas home in the Village of Briar Meadow South, on the Marion side, was overrun with rats, bats and more, neighbors told the District 4 board in September 2016, Villages-News reported. They were urged to take the case to the Marion County Health Department.
A burned house draws rats
In July 2025, Lynnhaven residents told their district board that a fire-damaged home in the Village of Lynnhaven was attracting rats and buzzards, and Sumter County had opened a code enforcement case.
A rabid raccoon nearby, 2019
In December 2019, the Marion and Sumter health departments warned residents of the northwest portion of The Villages after a raccoon nearby tested positive for rabies, and told them to avoid raccoons and bats.
A staggering raccoon in La Zamora
Also in 2019, Lady Lake police shot a raccoon suspected of being rabid at a home in the Village of La Zamora, in Lady Lake (Lake County). The officer wrote that it appeared to stagger, then collapsed, as he approached.
Rabid cats in Webster and Sumterville
Elsewhere in Sumter County, the Department of Health issued rabies alerts after a rabid cat in the Webster area in June 2026 and another in the Sumterville area in June 2024. Food left out for outdoor cats feeds raccoons too.
A black fox squirrel
In May 2025, Villages-News ran a reader's photo of a rare black southern fox squirrel in the Village of Summerhill.
Rats in The Villages
Rats on the record in The Villages
Local news and board meetings show where rats have caused trouble here, and the county and district rules show what keeps them fed.
Santiago, 2016: rats the size of squirrels
Two Village of Santiago homeowners told News 6 in May 2016 about rats as big as squirrels, with things going missing or chewed. One was catching them in his possum and raccoon trap. The property manager pointed to a bird feeder that had been in the area until recently and about 400 acres of farmland nearby.
The county's answer
Sumter County told News 6 that residents with rats should call a commercial company to remove them. Its nuisance wildlife page says Animal Services generally deals only with domestic animals.
Briar Meadow South, 2016: an empty villa
Villages-News reported in September 2016 that neighbors told the Community Development District 4 board that an abandoned Legacy Villas home was overrun with mold, snakes, rats, bats and bees. The owner, who lived in Nevada, faced fines if the villa stayed out of compliance, and a supervisor urged neighbors to go to the Marion County Health Department.
Lynnhaven, 2025: a burned house
Villages-News reported in July 2025 that a Village of Lynnhaven home damaged in a fatal fire on Dec. 23, 2024 was drawing rats and buzzards, residents told the CDD 5 board. Sumter County had opened a code enforcement case on the property.
Bags, not cans
In Districts 1 through 11, the district FAQ says household waste goes out in sealed bags, and garbage cans or bins aren't allowed. Set bags out close to collection time.
Roof rats live up high
Florida DOH describes roof rats as good climbers that like high places such as attics, and UF/IFAS says a rat can squeeze through a hole about half an inch wide (UF/IFAS). In a villa, that means soffits, roof returns and A/C line gaps.
Sumter County Animal Services
(352) 689-4400. Pets and strays; the county says it generally doesn't handle wildlife.
A neglected property next door
Bring it to your Community Development District board, as the Briar Meadow and Lynnhaven neighbors did, or to Sumter County code enforcement.
Who to call
Sumter, DOH and FWC contacts for The Villages
Who handles what in The Villages, from Sumter County's and the health departments' own pages.
Sumter County Animal Services
352-689-4400, option 3 for animal control complaints. The county says it generally deals only with domestic animals.
Bites: DOH-Sumter
352-569-3102, the number in DOH-Sumter's June 2026 rabies alert.
FWC: Northeast Region
FWC's Northeast Region office in Ocala, 352-732-1225. Nuisance alligators: 866-FWC-GATOR.
Reviews
What customers say
- ★★★★★
Brandon came out of his way to help remove a raccoon who had decided to use my front door mat for nap. Brandon was very polite and professional. He removed Ralph without issue and pretty quickly.
Cassandra Bronzo
- ★★★★★
There's a first time for everything! Somehow a snake made it's way into our office building and chose my office to hang out. I called Pro Wildlife on Sunday and explained it to the tech. They arranged the appointment to come and remove it for today @ 9am. The tech Zak Brooks arrived and got the snake out very quickly! He was friendly and professional!! Definitely recommend and we'd use them again if needed! Thank you again!
April Daves
- ★★★★★
Josh came out & removed a dead cat from my engine that had been there for over six months! Absolutely no one else would do the job and other places said they couldn’t even find the animal. Josh found it and removed it with ease. I can’t thank him enough!
Allyson Hill
Services here
Our services in The Villages
FAQ
The Villages wildlife questions
Will Sumter County remove rats or raccoons from my villa?
Usually not. Sumter County says Animal Services generally deals only with domestic animals, and in 2016 it told residents of The Villages with rats to call a commercial company.
Have rabid animals been found elsewhere in Sumter County?
Can bats be removed from a building in The Villages in summer?
Only with an FWC permit. Maternity season runs April 16 to August 14. The Hilltop crew in 2025 put up its nets on Aug. 15, Golf Course Industry reported.
Do you handle possum removal in The Villages?
Yes. Opossums (possums) are on our list in every village. Under FWC's nuisance wildlife rules, a trapped opossum can only be released on the same property, or on at least 40 contiguous acres in the same county with the landowner's written permission. See opossum removal.
Why does my trash have to go out in bags?
In Districts 1 through 11, the district's FAQ says household waste goes out in sealed bags, and garbage cans aren't allowed. Set bags out close to pickup time so they don't sit overnight for rats or raccoons.
Is the black squirrel in my yard a fox squirrel?
It may be. FWC says fox squirrels range from buff to gray and in some cases black, and weigh one to three pounds. A rare black southern fox squirrel was photographed in the Village of Summerhill in 2025, Villages-News reported. FWC's rules say fox squirrels may not be taken or pursued, so leave it be.
How quickly can someone reach a home in The Villages?
Same-day appointments are often available in The Villages. Call (844) 264-6254.
Wildlife problem in The Villages?
Villagers can call (844) 264-6254.
Serving Central Florida: Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, Polk and Marion counties.