by SOS Wildlife Control | Sep 22, 2015 | Uncategorized
Last Updated: May 2021
Do you have a Raccoon in the Attic?
An attic provides a safe shelter for a raccoon, and usually meets all of their living requirements: shelter, safety and food. The first step is to identify if there really is a raccoon in the attic. Next, steps must be taken to remove the raccoon. Lastly, you must find a way to prevent future raccoons in the attic.
How to know you have a raccoon in the attic
The four main ways to identify if you have a raccoon in the attic is sight, noise, damage or odor.
Sight
The easiest way to know you have a raccoon is to spot it. You may see it entering or leaving however this could be rare as they are very skilled at staying hidden. Raccoons are nocturnal and they enter and leave mainly at night. If you do see a raccoon in the attic have it removed immediately.
Noise
The most common way to know you have a raccoon in the attic is to hear it. Noise is the primary way our customers know they have a raccoon in the attic. We get calls in the middle of the night as they can be very loud. Raccoons are much larger than cats and even some dogs so it is not surprising they make so much noise. Raccoons in the attic sound very heavy and move slowly, compared to squirrels who run around.
Damage
You can also identify a raccoon problem by the damage they cause. They often destroy anything that gets in their way in their search for food. They will knock over garbage cans, break glass, and destroy property.They have nimble fingers that allow them to open lids to gain access to food. The longer you have a raccoon in the attic the more damage they will cause. Having a raccoon for two weeks will cause a lot of damage to your attic. They will chew through the wood at the side of your house or chew through soffits to gain access. In some cases they don’t just make one entryway they make several. Having several holes on your roof and the feces on the insulation effects the energy costs in your house. They will chew on electric wires which may cause a fire hazard. As soon as you notice a raccoon in the attic you should have them removed immediately! For more information on Raccoon damages read our Raccoon Removal page.
Odor
Raccoon feces can contain roundworm disease which is dangerous to humans. If the feces is near your ventilation system it is possible for the spores to travel around your home. It is important for your health to have the raccoon in the attic removed. For dangers of raccoon feces read our Animal Feces Removal page.
What to do if you have a raccoon in the attic?
If you have a raccoon in the attic you have two options: Do it yourself raccoon removal or hire a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to remove the raccoon for you.
Do it yourself raccoon removal
This involves using sprays, loud music, sound devices and other gimmicks to scare away the raccoon. These methods may work, but only temporarily. In many cases, the raccoon will return.
Eliminate Attractants
Other ways you can resolve a raccoon problem without trapping the animal is to eliminate whatever is attracting the raccoon to your property – garbage, pet food, a pond, tree branches. Assess your house for weak points where they may enter and exit.
There are a lot of dangers with do it yourself raccoon removal methods, and you may spend a lot of time and money on gimmicks that don’t work. We highly recommend removing raccoons professionally, by someone who is trained with the experience and knowledge to conduct humane raccoon removal. We do not advise you to try live trapping as it should only be done by a professional. Also note the rules and regulations for you area in regards to wildlife on your property. If you are going to try this yourself, please read up on the Ministry of Natural Resources Laws. It’s important to make sure the safety and welfare of the animal is in mind during any raccoon removal method. Check out out Raccoon Removal page for more information.
Baby Raccoon in the Attic
If you have a raccoon in the attic, be aware that during some times of the year, there are higher chances of finding baby raccoons. If you have baby raccoon in the attic, do not remove them by yourself, hire a professional. Mother raccoons are extremely protective of there young. You will not want to enter an attic with a mother raccoon and babies. A wild animal in a confined space protecting her young can be dangerous. Visit our Raccoon Removal page for information on our baby raccoon removal methods.
Prevent future raccoon in the attic
To prevent future animals entering your home SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated provides wildlife prevention for your home. Wildlife prevention keeps them out and is a very smart move to save you money in the future. Read our Wildlife Prevention page for more information.
Call SOS Wildlife if you have a raccoon in the attic
by SOS Wildlife Control | Sep 14, 2015 | Remove Dead Animal Carcass
Last Updated: May 2016
Who do you contact for dead animal carcass removal?
This depends where you find the dead animal and on the size of the animal.
You have three options:
- Do it yourself dead animal carcass removal
- Call the city for dead animal carcass removal
- Hire a private company like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated
Do it yourself dead animal carcass removal
If you find the animal on your private property you will have to either remove the dead animal carcass yourself or hire a private company like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated for dead animal carcass removal. If you decide to remove the dead animal yourself, research and take all necessary precautions. Dead animals carry diseases with parasites like flies, maggots and more. The odour can also be quite strong so make sure you wear gloves and a face mask. Never touch a dead animal with your bare hands, as it contains germs, and possible viruses – you don’t know what the cause of death is. The odour is a big indication that there is an animal carass nearby. The most common places are under the porch, dead animals under the deck, dead animals in the attic, dead animal in wall. If the animal is in the wall you may have to cut a hole to remove it. Once you locate the dead animal carcass you can put the dead animal carcass into a plastic bag and leave it on the curb. Call the city and they will eventually come and collect it. Depending on the season and how busy they are will depend how long it will take them to collect it. We all know the story of Conrad the raccoon and his 14 hour wait for collection. Here is more information and contact numbers for the city dead animal removal service.
Once you have removed the animal you need to disinfect the area well. You can use any of your store bought products to help remove the odour and residue left behind. This is a dirty job and we always advise our customers to get a professional to do it properly as there are possible health risks involved.
Call the city for dead animal carcass removal
The city usually doesn’t remove dead animal carcass removal on private property, but it is always worth the phone call to see if they will. Unfortunately, if you live in the city of Hamilton a new pilot scheme is being introduced where the city will charge $50 per hour for wildlife removal. They will remove small and large animals. A small animal is anything smaller than a raccoon, if it is a larger dog or a deer you need to inform the city its a large wildlife animal carcass and this is where it may take a few hours to remove.
The city will remove roadkill, animals in public areas like parks or beaches, streets, sidewalks and highways. Click here for Toronto GTA information on dead animal carcass removal by the city.
Hire a private company like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated
SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated will remove small dead animal carcass from private property. We do not remove large animals like deer or dogs nor be we remove roadkill as these are services provided by the city. If you have a dead raccoon in your wall, dead squirrel in your attic, dead skunk in your porch or deck we will remove all of these and clean up after. This is a very dirty job and hiring a professional is a better idea than doing it yourself. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated will deodorize the area and remove all residue and show you how the animal gained entry and offer wildlife prevention services to stop future wildlife from entering your home.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at
647-994-9453
by SOS Wildlife Control | Aug 27, 2015 | Skunk Control
Skunks are mammals known to spray a liquid with a very powerful scent if they are feeling threatened. Skunks are usually 40 cm to 94 cm long weigh about 1.1 lb which is 0.50 kg. They are usually brown and white but can also come in brown and crème, there are two different types of skunks there is a stripped raccoon and there is also a spotted raccoon both these are very popular in Northern America. Another difference between a stripped and spotted skunk is their weight, a spotted skunk is quite heavier than a stripped skunk a spotted skunk is usually 18 lb which is 8.2 kg. Skunks are able to cause damage to our homes and they can be dangerous for us health wise. Therefore you will have to do a skunk control once you spot any skunks inside your home. Skunk control is necessary however often people don’t realize that they have a wildlife animal such as a skunk inside their homes, so they don’t do a skunk control until they see the skunk in their home. Here are a few ways to know whether you know you have skunks inside your home or not!
Signs of skunk in yard
Holes
Gardens and backyards are a great way to find out whether you have skunks inside your home or not. Skunks usually damage gardens by making holes. If you see random holes in your backyard or gardens there is a high chance you have skunks living with you.
Scent:
As I already said skunks spray a liquid once they feel threatened, the liquid they spray has a very bad smell and the scent doesn’t leave for a really longtime. You will defiantly know by the smell that there are skunks living inside your home / on your property. Unfortunately it has a terrible scent and takes what feels like forever to rid of it.
Damages:
You will have to do a skunk control immediately after you spot them in your house since they can be very unpleasant guests due to their spray. Skunks however are not capable of creating lots of damage but you will still want to put some money into doing a skunk control since they can be very unpleasant. The only thing skunks are capable of doing is damaging our gardens and making them look ugly. They can make holes in the grass making it harder for us to enjoy our backyards.
Skunks under porches is bad because they might spray while they are under the porch making it ten thousand times harder to get rid of the scent. Therefore you will still have to have a skunk control done. If you see them near your home, you would want to ask a wildlife control technician to do a skunk control service for you to prevent you being sprayed.
Skunks are not capable of creating lots of damage that is why sometimes people don’t care as much and don’t do skunk controls once they see a couple of them near their house. However even though skunks are not capable of causing lots of damage they are still capable of transmitting very dangerous diseases to you. Skunk diseases are pretty similar to raccoons, squirrels, and many other wildlife animals.
Skunk Diseases
Rabies:
Rabies is a disease that causes inflammation of the brain in warm blooded animals and humans. Rabies can cause death if it’s not treated and if you don’t seek immediate medical attention. Please be cautious of all skunks, especially sick looking ones, acting strange or foaming at the mouth. If you have a skunk on your property it is advised to call a professional for a skunk control service immediately. If you touch a skunk or your pet does contact your doctor or vet for a checkup to make sure you or your pet are not carrying the disease. Some common symptoms of rabies are fever, sore throat, tiredness, stiff muscles, nausea, headaches, and itchiness and tingling. Some die because of cardiac arrests and respiratory failure. Please read further on our Rabies in Wildlife article.
Hantavirus:
Hantavirus is a very dangerous and fatal virus that you can possibly get from a skunk. You will never want to encounter this virus so do a skunk control done by a professional to make sure that you will not get infected. Some symptoms that usually comes with this virus is fever, vomiting, nausea, headache, lower back pain, and muscle pain. This virus usually comes from the feces and saliva of wildlife animals such as the skunks. This can be a deadly disease so take it seriously and do a skunk control immediately, and it’s highly recommended that you do a skunk control done by a professional.
Parasitic diseases:
Like many other wildlife animals, skunks can also have parasitic diseases that can be very dangerous. Skunks can potentially have a parasitic disease that they can transmit to you. Parasites are living bacteria that can live inside you and cause respiratory and neurological failure. Do a skunk control immediately so that you don’t encounter any of these problems.
Some people will want to save money and spend money on other things rather than a skunk control getting done by a professional. Some simply think it’s a simple job and want to do it themselves. However skunk is the worst animal that you can do a removal on, because of their liquid spray. It is highly recommended that you contact a wildlife control professional to do a skunk control for you since they can be very frustrating. SOS wildlife control guarantees all work done and we provide have a 24/7 service.
Inspect:
Inspect your home and research on where the squirrels made holes and came inside you home from. This way it will make it easier to do a squirrel removal since they would usually come back out from the same way they came inside your home, and it would be easier for you to catch the squirrels.
Seal:
Try to seal any holes that you find in the interior and exterior of your home. Sealing the holes will prevent the skunk entering. However you may want to leave one of the most popular holes they come in and out from unsealed so that the animals can go out of your home once you are doing a squirrel removal. Only seal the final hole once you are sure all skunks are out. If one dies inside the smell will be worse than the spray.
Traps:
You can purchase traps, and you can put the traps at the holes the skunks have made. You need to check for different size of traps and check the local law as it is illegal in certain areas to trap and relocate the animal yourself. Once the skunks are coming out of your home they will get trapped in the trap, then you will have to release the animal at least a kilometer away from your home so that they don’t come back inside. Also you will have to check your local law for trapping animals.
For information on how we remove skunks in yards, skunks under porches read our Skunk Removal page
Call SOS Wildlife on 647-994-9453 for Skunk Control
by SOS Wildlife Control | Aug 26, 2015 | Squirrel Control
Last Updated: May 2016
Squirrels are often known for their size, quick feet, and climbing abilities, however you will not find this impressive rather a nuisance once you realize the damage they are capable of doing to your home. It’s important to exercise caution when around wildlife. Squirrels like other animals may become aggressive feel threatened and they are not very patient animals. Squirrels are capable of biting you and scratching you very hard, which could be extremely dangerous especially if the animal has a disease. Interaction with squirrels can be dangerous just as an English photographer found out when he wound up viciously attacked by a squirrel after he tried to take a selfie with a squirrel.
This is a perfect example of how a small interaction with squirrels can be dangerous. If this is their aggression in the outdoor space you can only imagine in the confined space of your backyard or attic. If you have squirrels in the attic we recommend you hire a professional for squirrel control measures to eliminate risks.
When squirrels do make their way into your home it can be frustrating. The best squirrel control measures is to contact a professional wildlife control technician in order to do a squirrel removal service for you. Sometimes people prefer to preform squirrel removal themselves which is not recommended, to avoid costs. They buy repellents and use DIY internet methods to try and remove the squirrel from the attic. Be cautious, as there may be squirrel removal products that are mostly gimmicks for your money on the market. Some may work for a few days but in many cases, squirrels usually return. There are several myths on how to conduct squirrel removal but usually none of them work as well as calling a pro. The time, energy, money and especially the frustration have lead many of my customers to call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated. Contact a wildlife control technician for squirrel removal .
DIY Squirrel Control Tips
Here are some methods of DIY Squirrel Control that are commonly used
- Leave a portable radio outside all night so that the squirrels get scared by hearing the human voices so that they don’t try to come close to your home or garden.
- Sprinkle different spices and powders around your home so that the squirrels runaway because of the smell and or taste the powder or spices might have. Some examples would be red crushed peppers, Cayenne peppers, black pepper, cinnamon powder, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and etc…
- Shred bits and pieces of soap. People say that the squirrels hate the smell of the soap and would runaway!
- Repellents – There are many squirrel removal products out there that you can buy that is guaranteed to get rid of your unwanted guests. Most of these are gimmicks and a simple way for people to spend their hard earned money on products that will not deliver the end result that they wanted. It may drive the squirrel away for a few days but they will come back eventually.
Take it from a professional, squirrels can be very destructive. You can try any of the above to try and get rid of the squirrels yourself but the best results are through a professional squirrel control service. The easiest and most efficient way to do a squirrel removal is to just contact a wildlife control technician like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to provide squirrel control services. For more information on our Squirrel Removal services read our Squirrel Removal page.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated 647-994-9453 for Squirrel Control Measures
by SOS Wildlife Control | Aug 20, 2015 | Uncategorized
Last Updated: May 2021
Professional Raccoon Removal Toronto mostly use the one way door method to remove raccoons. What is a one way door, you ask?
- One way doors are specially designed doors which allow the animal(s) to exit the property and not re-enter.
This raccoon removal Toronto method is very humane and does not include catching the animal in anyway. It involves blocking off all entryways to your home except one, the last unsealed entryway is where the one-way door is set up. The animal leaves through the door and cannot re-enter your home. This is the most humane approach and the animal returns to it’s natural habitat. This is the most common raccoon removal Toronto method, however it is not always suited to every job.
What do they do with the raccoons once they are trapped?
We have been asked on many occasion what do we do with the wildlife after we catch it.
As Ontario Law has very strict rules and regulations especially when it comes to wildlife. All raccoon removal Toronto must be humane with no harm to the animal. Once we snare and put the animal into a live cage, the animal is then taken and released a kilometer away from where it is caught.
These approaches sound very easy but it takes experience and knowledge of the animals to do it correctly. If there are babies involved it is different again as you have to remove the mother with a one-way door then remove the babies separately. Check our raccoon removal Toronto page if there are babies involved. Wildlife removal must be done in a humane manner with respect to wildlife. If you have a wildlife problem, call us at 647-994-9453 or email us at info@soswildlife.ca.
Do It Yourself Raccoon Removal Toronto
Although we don’t recommend it, If you wish to do it yourself you have to learn how to remove raccoons humanely. It is important to understand what to do with them once caught and know the law. If you do not use the correct humane raccoon removal Toronto method you may face a fine. You may think you will not get caught but read about Dong Nguyen, the man who hit three baby raccoons with a shovel as they destroyed his garden in downtown Toronto in 2011. He faced a $1,365 fine and 100 hours volunteer service in a animal shelter. Hiring a professional raccoon removal Toronto technician would have been a better approach. Read more on Dong Nguyen’s inhumane raccoon removal method. There has been a lot of cruel acts by people towards these raccoons which is very wrong, please don’t be one of them. If you do want to remove the raccoon yourself, take the time and research into humane raccoon removal Toronto methods.
Depending on where you live, check the local bylaws to see if you are allowed to relocate these animals. If so relocate the animal one kilometer away from where you captured it, into a green wooden area.
Be careful not to get scratch by raccoons as they may carry numerous diseases including rabies and roundworm found in their feces. Only handle their feces if it is wet, the spores are released when it is dry. Ensure to wear gloves and a mask. If you get scratched seek medical attention immediately. Read our Raccoon Removal and Rabies page for more information.
Do It Yourself Raccoon Removal Dangers
There’s a reason professional wildlife trapping companies exist. Do it yourself options for raccoon removal like trapping and releasing can risk you trapping a family or neighbor’s pet, or even worse a toddler. Be very careful before doing this and check the law in your area to see if it is legal to relocate a raccoon yourself.
Another sad inhumane raccoon removal method happened in Oakville in 2015, where a resident set rat poison around a tree to kill off squirrels and ended up killing 3 pet dogs and putting 3 more dogs critical condition.
These are both devastating stories so please be aware when initiating raccoon removal Toronto methods yourself. There are other risk factors involved. We really do highly recommend removing raccoons professionally, by someone who is trained in what they are doing. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated provides efficient, professional and humane methods. We do not advise you to try live trapping, as this takes practice and should only be done by a professional. You don’t want to accidentally trap the neighbors cat or toddlers. Also remember there are strict laws of the sizes of the traps and the animals have to be relocated. If you are going to try this yourself please read up on the Ministry of Natural Resources Laws.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated on (647) 994-9453 for Raccoon Removal Toronto
