Pesky Critters

According the the FWC, Florida’s first known case of lead poisoning in an American crocodile. After a crocodile unexpectedly died during routine capture, researchers performed a field necropsy and discovered more than 22 grams of lead in its stomach, approximately the weight of a AA battery. The lead contents included 23 air r***e pellets, one fishing weight, and small lead fragments. Researchers also found evidence that the crocodile had consumed at least one green iguana that had likely been shot with lead am******on. The crocodile captured showed signs and symptoms of long-term lead exposure, including major tooth loss and high concentrations of lead in its liver tissue. This case has prompted additional sampling for lead and other contaminants in American crocodiles throughout their Florida range. The findings will help researchers better understand the extent of the issue. If you are over ran with iguanas and don’t want to contribute to rising levels of toxic lead, we encourage you to give us a call at 305-255-7296 or 954-927-7296. Pesky Critters has highly trained trappers with live capture equipment to provide safe wildlife removals for the humans AND animals involved.

Learn more about this crocodile af: https://bit.ly/PubSpotlight”

Photo: Joseph Ricketts

A team of python trackers and removal experts in South Florida shockingly found evidence of a bobcat decapitating, burying, and feeding on one of the giant, invasive snakes in an infested area near Naples. Judging from the other clues they found, they say it’s likely that the bobcat also killed the python, a 13-footer that weighed more than 50 pounds. In recent decades, pythons have slithered into the swamps of Florida through the exotic pet trade and accidental releases, and they’ve made major issues for the local ecosystem.

These apex predators can eat nearly anything—birds, deer, even alligators—and because of their size, they have almost no natural predators in the Everglades.
A 2012 study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) showed the alarming drop in mammal populations:

Raccoons: down 99.3%
Opossums: down 98.9%
Bobcats: down 87.5%
And some—like marsh rabbits and foxes—have all but vanished.

People even find them in residential areas, neighborhoods, etc. We have removed them many times! Please make sure to call trappers to remove any python you see in your community. These invasive are making their way out of the Everglades, and into residential areas regularly! Call Pesky Critters today at 305-255-7296 or 954-927-7296. Pesky Critters has highly trained trappers with live capture equipment to provide safe wildlife removals for the humans AND animals involved.

If you’ve followed us for any length of time you’ve heard us talk about ambush predators, as well as opportunistic feeders. Today we have a real (and somewhat scary) example of just that. Reports came in of a crocodile hanging around a dumpster every night. Among investigation we found out EXACTLY why! Every night a hoard of raccoons explores this dumpster, and they do what trash pandas do best—tear up trash looking for easy meals! Well they aren’t the only ones who figured out an easy meal was nearby. Crocodiles are opportunistic apex predators that will eat almost any animal they can catch and overpower. They are also classic ambush predators that will lie in wait to surprise their prey. This crocodile had figured out that every night, multiple easy meals come crawling out of this dumpster! This is why we tell you—always be vigilant around water, you never know where is a predator waiting to strike you, your pets, or your children!

Nuisance wildlife? Give Pesky Critters Wildlife Control a call 24/7 for your wildlife problem at 305-255-7296

If you’re concerned about a crocodile, call 866-392-4286 (866-FWC-GATOR). FWC staff will offer educational information about safely living with crocodiles. If warranted, a site visit may be done to evaluate the location and behavior and determine a course of action.

According to the FL Dept of Health, over 30 cases of rabies in raccoons, cats, bats, and foxes have been reported for 2026 in various counties. Rabies virus is very deadly, with nearly 100% fatal illness in humans and other mammals. The virus is present in some wildlife in Florida and can spread to unvaccinated pets, which then pose a high risk to the pet owner and their family. The main wildlife sources of rabies in Florida are raccoons and bats. Infected raccoons and bats can expose people, pets, livestock, and other wildlife to rabies, typically through bites. Outside cats are by far the most common domestic animal found to have rabies in Florida largely because they are often not kept up-to-date on rabies vaccinations. Dogs, cats, and ferrets are required by law to be vaccinated against rabies in Florida. Animals with rabies may show strange behavior – they can be aggressive, attacking for no apparent reason, or act very tame (especially wild animals). They may not be able to eat, drink or swallow. They may drool because they are unable to swallow their saliva. They may stagger or become paralyzed. Eventually they will die. When an animal is sick with rabies, the virus is shed in the saliva and can be passed to another animal or a person, usually through a bite. Transmission may also occur if this saliva or the animal’s nervous tissue enters open wounds, the mouth, nose, or eyes of another animal or person. Removing nuisance wildlife from around your home is an important step in reducing you or your pets possible exposure to rabies. give Pesky Critters Wildlife Control a call! With over 40 years experience, we serve private, corporate and governmental entities in their wildlife removal needs! Contact us 24/7 at 305-255-7296 or 954-927-7296. Pesky Critters has highly trained trappers with live capture equipment to provide safe wildlife removals for the humans AND animals involved.


For more information on rabies please visit https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/disease/rabies/

As cute and cuddly as they may seem from a distance, it’s important to remember, wild animals are WILD. These critters not only carry many dangerous pathogens, but also may become aggressive and attack people and pets when diseased or when feeling threatened or wanting to establish territorial dominance. Wildlife like raccoons are opportunistic feeders, which means once they find a reliable food source, they will continue to return. Make sure to properly secure garbage, pickup any uneaten dog/cat foot after pets are fed, and when in doubt, give Pesky Critters Wildlife Control a call! With over 40 years experience, we serve private, corporate and governmental entities in their wildlife removal needs! Contact us 24/7 at 305-255-7296 or 954-927-7296. Pesky Critters has highly trained trappers with live capture equipment to provide safe wildlife removals for the humans AND animals involved.

As of July 23, the Florida Department of Health has already reported 17 cases of leprosy statewide in 2026. Thirty-six cases were reported in 2025, up from 20 cases statewide in 2024. Globally, about 250,000 cases of leprosy are reported each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most U.S. cases are contracted abroad and brought back home. But some cases are reported in U.S. residents with no international travel. Several cases in the southern U.S. were likely contracted from armadillos, the CDC says. Leprosy is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Nine-banded armadillos — common throughout Florida and much of the South — can carry the bacterium and pass it to humans. A 2015 study found that in some areas, 15 to 20 percent of armadillos carry the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. The nine-banded armadillo often searches for insects by digging in flowerbeds and may rest in burrows beneath patios. Experts say the risk of catching leprosy is low, but people could be exposed through direct contact with infected armadillos or by disturbing areas where infected animals have been present. Health officials recommend people avoid close contact with armadillos. People who garden or work in soil where armadillos are active should wear gloves and long sleeves as an added precaution. Armadillos are the only known animal other than humans to naturally carry the bacteria that causes leprosy. Need armadillos removed? Contact us 24/7 at 305-255-7296 or 954-927-7296. Pesky Critters has highly trained trappers with live capture equipment to provide safe wildlife removals for the humans AND animals involved.

Cases According to the Florida Department of Health, as of July 11:
• Miami-Dade County: 2
• Brevard County: 1
• Charlotte County: 2
• Duval County: 1
• Highlands County: 1
• Lake County: 1
• Lee County: 1
• Manatee County: 1
• Okeechobee County: 1
• Orange County: 1
• Seminole County: 1
• St. Johns County: 1
• Sumter County: 1
• Volusia County: 2

Pesky Critters to the rescue! This morning a call came in that a protected species Crocodile was captured on a shark hook. Owner of Pesky Critters, jumped into action as a FWC Crocodile Agent and came to this crocs aide! We rushed the Crocodile to Miami Metro Zoo in style—which meant in the CAB of the truck! Temperatures were way too hot for this critter to be restrained in the bed for an extended drive, so we safely restrained it in the cab. Once it arrived at Miami Metro Zoo we performed x-rays and safely manipulated the hook out. This team effort more than a dozen people from the zoo staff. This rescue mission was a success and the crocodile was safely released back via the truck cab into its habitat.

Checkout the Miami Heralds latest interview with wildlife trapper, and owner of Pesky Critters, Todd Hardwick

“I’ve been calling our canal system the alligator turnpike for years,” Hardwick said. “It’s the perfect way for an alligator to easily find his way into the urban area with very little effort.”

Read the full interview at the link below ⬇️

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article316648828.html =cpy

Paradise with predators? How South Florida can live with alligators next door

READ MORE: bit.ly/3TrGCAq

If you’ve lived in South Florida, chances are you’ve seen many of these toxic frogs! Cane toad eggs, toadlets, and adults are all poisonous and may be toxic to native wildlife. Accidental ingestion (or intentionally eating them) can lead to rapid heart rates, vomiting, and cardiac arrest. The skin-gland secretions of cane toads (called bufotoxin) are highly toxic and can sicken or even kill animals that bite or feed on them, including native animals and domestic pets. The skin secretions may irritate the skin or burn the eyes of people who handle them. Cane toad eggs also contain bufotoxin and can harm or kill native animals that consume them. Cane toads also potentially compete with native frogs and toads for food and breeding areas. Cane toads are most often encountered by dogs. They secrete a potent poison from large glands (parotoid glands) located in their shoulder regions. Cane toads are able to ooze toxin from their poison glands if they feel threatened, but under the pressure of a dog's bite, the poison squirts from these glands into the dog's mouth. Dogs who have come into contact with Cane toads should have their mouths rinsed thoroughly, and be taken to a veterinarian immediately. Although native toads also have parotoid glands, they are much smaller than the glands of cane toads. Native toads are not a threat to pets or people. If you have nuisance wildlife, call us 24/7 at 305-255-7296 or 954-927-7296. Pesky Critters has highly trained trappers with live capture equipment to provide safe wildlife removals for the humans AND animals involved.