Removing raccoons from your home or property is a commonly requested service, especially in Toronto GTA. Ontario has a large population of raccoons so it’s safe to get your home checked and proofed. Your property is the perfect shelter for a raccoon with heat and food supply. While good for the raccoons, this is almost always a nuisance to homeowner and property owners!
The most common raccoon complaints we receive from customers are:
removing raccoons from attic
removing raccoons from chimney
removing raccoons from crawl space,
removing raccoons from yard
removing raccoons under porch
Raccoons can be loud, cause damage to the building structure/contents and can be dangerous for your health with the diseases they carry. It is important to have them removed professionally, humanely and effectively.
Common Times for Raccoons to Enter your Home
Raccoons can enter your home anytime of the year but they are more likely to do so during spring and winter. During the winter period it’s more difficult for raccoons to find food and shelter making your home very appealing. In the Spring, raccoons give birth to a litter of 3-7 babies. The mother scouts several dens before choosing one, the attic of your house or under your porch is a nice secluded area that is a common spot for them.
Raccoons are quite large animals compared to squirrels and other wildlife animals that come inside your home. Since they are heavier you will hear loud thumping rather than scratches if they are in your attic. If it’s a family of raccoons consisting of a female adult raccoon and a litter of her babies living up in your attic, you will hear the baby’s unique whining and crying
Removing raccoons from your home
Raccoon removal once you find the raccoon is recommended because they can be very dangerous and damaging. Getting rid of raccoons involves scare tactics, baiting, cages, although we do not recommend this unless you are a licensed and trained professional. Wildlife can be quite aggressive when under threat so be careful and remember that raccoons can carry several diseases dangerous to humans like rabies and roundworm. If you are getting rid of raccoons it’s strongly recommend you use a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at 647.994.9453
It is very common in Toronto GTA to see squirrel-human interaction. People find amusement in watching squirrels sitting in the park watching them run around and climbing up trees. Watching wildlife from afar can be relaxing pastime, but sometimes the interactions are not wanted and people are not pleased with it at all.
If you’re faced with a squirrel on your property, then it’s very likely that you want the squirrels removed! But getting rid of squirrels can be a difficult task without the proper knowledge and experience. That’s why a lot of people just contact professional wildlife technicians like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to conduct squirrel removal for them. To figure out how to get them out, you need to find out how the squirrels get in in the first place. Once this is determined, then you can plan how to get them out.
The preferred and common method professionals usually use a one-way door. A one-way door is a door installed usually at the main entry point. All other entry points are sealed which allows the animal to exit and not re-enter only via the one-way door. This is the most humane squirrel removal method and involves no human wildlife encounter. In certain conditions, depending on the type of situation in play, snares are use. There is no one size fits all solution to getting rid of squirrels, but conducting humane removal with minimal contact with wildlife is the ideal squirrel removal method.
Once you get rid of the squirrel, repairs on any weak points to the property is recommended to ensure you have no further unwanted visitors. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated will advise you on what areas are in need of attention.
How do squirrels get into your home?
Knowing a little about squirrels will help you understand. Squirrels are fairly intelligent mammals who can find weak spot on your property. They can rip open soffits, open vent hole, open walls, gable vents, and other roof vents. There are various different ways on how squirrels are able to come inside your home which can be mind blowing once you find out the exact measures they have taken. They are very good climbers, very strong and have agile paws. These traits make it easier for them to climb into your house, or rip soffits or vents and make their way into your attic. They are not one bit scared of heights as they are amazing climbers. Getting rid of squirrels can be tricky, but once they are in your home you should remove them immediately before they cause too much damage.
Some homes may have bigger holes and easier accesses to inside the house. Any ripped soffits or damage on the exterior wall makes it easier for squirrels to enter your home. If you do not fix the weak areas and wildlife proof your home, you may need squirrel control more often to make sure there are no squirrels returning to live inside their house. Once one squirrel lives in a house they leave behind their scent which attracts other wildlife and predators. It is advised when you remove squirrels you should clean that area extremely well. If you’ve had a squirrel in the attic check your attic insulation to see how badly it’s damaged and have your attic restored to its clean state. Wildlife proof your home! If you don’t want to hire a professional, take all the wildlife prevention methods you can yourself to prevent further unwanted critters entering your home. Houses with lots of tall trees surrounding them are higher at risk of having squirrels living in their home. Trim the branches from your house and check for any holes in your roof or soffits regularly throughout the year to ensure there is no wildlife in your home. Read our blog Signs that wildlife are living in your home. Check for these signs and try to remove anything that makes your home attractive to wildlife.
As mentioned previously, squirrels usually come in your attics by torn open soffits, open vent hole, torn open wall, gable vents, and other roof vents. You will want to seal any holes and or openings, but in doing so, you need to make sure you don’t trap the squirrel inside as this is cruel and is illegal. When sealing entry points, close all holes except for the one way entryway. Leave this opening open so that the squirrel will be able to get out. If there are babies involved you will have to contact a professional to remove the babies and their mother. Read our squirrel removal page for info on baby squirrel removal.
Call SOS Wildlife at 647-994-9453 for getting rid of Squirrels
October 1st is Raccoon Appreciation Day! This is an effort to highlight the benefits the little critters have to our city. I always read (and wrote myself) how over populated Toronto is with raccoons, how we don’t even know how many raccoons we have in the city, but today I will talk about the benefits of having them in our wonderful TO.
The raccoons have managed to thrive in our urban centers and rural communities by adapting to our habitat. They are very intelligent and from a distance lovable creatures. They are not just the garbage stealing, pet food eating bandits we portray them to be, they do provide an important role to the city and the ecosystem. They help distribute seeds from what they forage and maintain “healthy” populations. As I said we do not know numbers but they are plentiful and far from extinction. Raccoons are also beneficial to humans because of their consumption of pesky insects and mice. They eat worms, frogs, snails, berries, nuts, seeds and as we know garbage, compost and backyard vegetables and fruits. From a distance they are an enjoyable and lovable animal and I am happy to have them around and the mice gone!
They are the most easily recognized mammal in North America with their distinctive black markings, fox-like face and bushy tail!
Entertainment Value
And we cannot forget the total entertainment value these little guys provide us. As a wildlife blogger raccoon and squirrels are the two wildlife critters that are featured constantly in Toronto news. They are constantly surprising us with their intelligence or amusing us with their tricks.
The entertainment in Toronto alone! Raccoons are always featured in headlines,on signs and social media!
How can we forget Conrad the Raccoon! Today we salute Conrad! RIP
Raccoons are a large part of the Toronto GTA lifestyle. As they adapt to our habitat we have to adapt to living with the critters. However as much as we give out about the raccoons, the city would not be the same without them!
Fun Fact: Did you know raccoons have five fingers on each paw. Their paws are so nimble they can unlace a shoe, unlatch a cage and climb ladders
How do squirrels get into your home?