How to get rid of birds in your backyard

by Sos Wildlife Control | Jun 25, 2017 | Bird Control, Helpful Tips

How to get rid of birds in your backyard

Problems caused by birds

Birds end up inside homes by flying, or walking, in through windows or doors, or more commonly through attics, rooftop eves, a crack in your siding, ceiling, or roof. Ending up in a home is as terrifying for the bird as it may be for you. It can be even more chaotic if you have a cat in the house as they will chase the bird around and most likely cause some property damage, or at the minimum leave you with a mess to clean up. Bird removal needs to be done quickly and humanely for your property and for your safety. Birds in or around your home can cause damages that may not be as superficial as well:

Droppings can clog stain, corrode and damage building materials
Droppings can become a safety hazard as well, as they could cause slip and falls.
A bird’s nest can become a fire hazard if it’s close to any lighting or any electrical equipment.
Birds nested in or around food production or warehouse infrastructure may contaminate equipment or even worse, the products going to customers.
Large bird population, birds roosted in trees and birds inside chimney’s, drop ceilings, vents, or flues can become a nuisance because of all the noise they make

Birds especially become a problem if they start to build nests (which they can do very quickly), because they will return frequently and the noise created by the offspring will become a nuisance. We at SOS Wildlife Control bird removal services make sure to take great care to ensure that birds and their offspring are relocated somewhere where they have the best odds of survival and can adjust quickly.

Easy ways to get rid of birds

Bird removal can be done with various do it yourself techniques. If you feel the bird is small enough and is fairly calm, there are some techniques to get birds out of your home. Remember that killing the bird or birds is never the right answer. In most cases the bird(s) are just looking for shelter for themselves or their offspring or are lost and confused because they were recently taken out of their normal territory. Having said that here are some steps you can take to remove the bird or birds yourself:

Identify the type of bird
1. Some birds are easy to identify because they may be common in your area, or you really know your birds. It’s important to identify the bird first because some species are protected by law and have special regulations as to how they can be treated
2. To find out the species take note of its color, shape, and behaviors.
Determine if you can remove the bird
1. Check your local laws and regulations if you can legally remove the bird or birds
2. If it is legal to remove the bird or birds check if there are any laws around the limits on how far out you can release the bird
3. If you see a nest, don’t do anything until 2 weeks after the eggs have hatched.
Remove any nests
1. If legally allowed ,you can remove the nest signalling that the habitat is hostile to the bird.
2. Clean the area with disinfectant after removing the nest
3. If you catch the bird trying to rebuild the nest, knock it off as soon as possible

If the bird is violent, large or returns frequently, you’ll want to call a technician. Birds can do serious damage if provoked and especially when protecting its eggs.

What is Bird Control and why is important

Our bird removal service is done by the best technicians with humane, ethical techniques. As mentioned above certain birds are protected by law and have regulations around them. You don’t want to deal with a city fine on top of the cost of removing your bird problem.

Effective bird removal by a professional

We provide fast, effective and, most importantly, humane animal control services with your needs and concerns at the forefront of all our decisions. We first to a thorough inspection and based off our situation analysis we explain where that main entry points are, as well as other vulnerable spots and potential future entry points. Based off this information we lay out the nest options to tackle the issue head on with you and your property and the structure of your property as our first priority as well as the safety of animals.

There are four different methods we use to get birds off and away from your property

The most common method of removal is called the “one way door method” in which a one way door is installed and when the bird or birds leave as part of their regular routine, the door becomes sealed and they will not be able to re-enter.

Bird Spikes

Bird spikes are installed upon flat services where the birds nest, for example ledges and signs. Spikes are the most common tactic used for bird removal as they are durable and effective. The spikes don’t hurt the bird but make it impossible for them to land. They may be an eye sore, but they are better than unsightly and unsanitary bird feces. Bird spikes are attached using a very strong adhesive so they are durable. Each spike strip can range from 3 inches to 7 inches depending on the area to be covered.

Bird Netting

Bird netting is used to block birds from much larger areas such as balconies or parking garages. Bird netting is extremely durable and can be expected to last many years. A stainless steel cable is attached around the perimeter of the area to be excluded and the net is attached using small steel rings. It is a permanent solution providing excellent bird control.

Shock Track

Shock track is a discreet bird control deterrent system that has the advantage of deterring all species of birds. It employees an intermittent electric pulse which while unpleasant, does not injure birds in any way. The track is less than an inch in height so it is excellent in areas where aesthetics are important.

In the event where the birds had babies in the house the one way door method is not used, rather our technician will physically remove the babies from the house and place them into an insulated box where they will stay until the mother comes and picks them up. The mother then relocates each baby one by one.

Call today toll-free 1-866-526-6329 to schedule humane bird removal

What can you do about squirrels and raccoons in your yard?

by Sos Wildlife Control | Jun 19, 2017 | Squirrel Control

Squirrels and raccoons in your yard

Squirrels and raccoons, like any of us, want a place to call home, to come back to after a long day and to raise their family in. Unfortunately these furry tenants can cause problems for you, your home and your family. Squirrels and raccoons can become extremely protective especially if they have kids to protect, making it likely that they attack you or anyone that, unintentionally, comes close to them and do serious damage to your property. There are a few techniques to get them out from under your deck or shed or your yard, but we need to be sure that we use humane techniques to give the squirrels or raccoons a chance to live in the wild. If you’re strapped for time or don’t want to deal with them yourself, it’s always best to have animal removal problems dealt with by an animal removal specialist who can humanely take care of your problem.

How can you humanely keep wildlife from homes under your deck and your yard

Animals like squirrels and raccoons just want a place to call home ,just live most of us, having animals under your deck or your yard can become quite a nuisance, especially if they start to bred! So what can you do to make sure squirrels and racoons don’t take up residence under you deck on in your yard? Think about buying a home. You wouldn’t live somewhere they you found to be inhospitable. It’s the same basic idea here. Create an environment that no animal would like.

Here are some ways to make the space under your deck inhospitable:

Noise: Place a battery powered, water-proof radio tuned to a talk radio show under your deck to have the constant chatter keep squirrels and raccoons away. If you live somewhere where there is a fair breeze at all times, a wind chime can work too! This may take some experimentation.
Light: You can also have a flashlight, trouble light or sensor light under the deck or in your yard to keep squirrels and raccoons away. Something reflective can help during the day too, such as cds, tin foil, pie plates or glass.
Odors: Sprinkle some ammonia ,which you can pick up at a grocery store, on some rags. Tie up the rags into tennis ball size balls or place them into a container with holes in the lid. Place the balls or container close to where the squirrels and raccoons are taking residence. Do not use moth balls as they are not humane and can do serious damage.
To insure that the animals have already left you place a newspaper or board at the entry point, and when you see that it has been moved you can get to work. To seal the entry point completely you use rocks, a board or you can call us and we can seal up that entry point for you, as well as alert you of any other possible entry points.

Why live trapping is not humane

Squirrels ,raccoons and skunks live to take up residence in places like chimneys, underneath sheds and decks because they want a safe, quiet and dark space to look after their children. As urban life takes over more and more green space, it’s understandable why they choose these areas. As mentioned above they can also be a potentially dangerous nuisance when the mothers are protecting their young. Live trapping, followed by release somewhere far away, is the usual animal removal solution most people jump to, but there are some deadly consequences to this solution for the invading squirrel / raccoon /skunk and its offspring.

When you trap a mother and release her into the wild somewhere far away, you may accidentally be orphaning her children who have no one to look after them and eventually die of starvation. This can be a whole other issue for a home owner as its never pleasant having to get rid of the bodies of dead animals.

Being relocated isn’t beneficial for the mother either, as most of them do not settle into their new surroundings well. A 2004 study of grey squirrels that were live-trapped and released into suburban areas showed that 97 percent of the squirrels soon died or disappeared. To put this in perspective let’s look at this from the animal’s point of view when released into a new area:

The mother is in a new strange place with no knowledge on where to get food, water or shelter.
She may be in another animals’ territory and becomes prone to attack or being chased out into yet another unfamiliar area.
She is unaware of where to go to be safe from predators
And are most likely desperately searching for her babies that she was separated from

Meanwhile her children starve and, if they are lucky they are discovered, taken to a rehabilitator to be reared. It’s not an optimal solution for either party and can be easily avoided.

Why calling for a professional wildlife removal service is a good idea

We’ve covered the dangers of live trapping and the dangers of letting squirrels ,raccoons or skunks take up residence under your shed, deck or inside your chimney, so now what can you do to keep your home safe and ensure that the animals have the best chances for survival in the wild? Professional animal removal service technicians are well versed in animal removal and know all that dangers animals face when being relocated. We know that you want to keep your home in good shape without hurting animals or endangering your immediate environment.

We go through a thorough inspection process when assessing any removal job taking into consideration your needs, the needs of your property and then needs of any wildlife as well.

After an inspection is conducted, SOS Wildlife Control Inc. technicians will be able to provide you with a thorough description of what the problem is. Based on the inspection, our technicians will explain to you what the main entry points are, other entry points and potential entry points. Multiple options will be given to you tailor-made to your specific situation and structure of the property. The main method for animal removal is a one-way door. Once a one-way door is installed, when the animal leaves as part of their regular routine, they will not be able to re-enter. If babies are involved, a one-way door is not used and the technician will physically remove them from the property and place them in an insulated box. They will remain here until their mother picks them and relocates one-by-one. If a situation requires trapping the animal(s), they must then be relocated a maximum of 1 kilometer away in accordance with Ontario Law.

To ensure that the animals will not enter through any other weak-points or potential entry-points, a prevention method can be conducted. This ensures that the weak-points, entry-points, potential entry-points and main entry-points are protected by galvanized steel mesh, a material strong enough to prevent animals from chewing through. If you have any questions about squirrel removal, baby squirrel removal or squirrel prevention, or raccoon and baby raccoon removal you can call SOS Wildlife Control at 647-559-3720