Ways to Control Wildlife at Home This Winter

Cold winter weather often sends rodents scrambling towards warm shelter and your house could be next. Read more to learn about the various ways that you can prevent these pests from entering your home this winter.

As the cold weather begins to quickly approach, the streets become emptier while we take shelter in our homes to avoid the cool winter chill. Similarly, rodents mimic this behaviour and are unfortunately notorious for invading approximately 21 million homes each year with roughly 45% of these intrusions occurring during the fall and winter. Consequently, pests in houses have created an ongoing series of mouse problems across the GTA, but don’t panic – we have a few tips and tricks that you can follow this winter!

Evaluate the Exterior

Rodents vary in size and have a unique body structure that gives them the physical ability to fit in and between confined spaces. Rats can squeeze through pathways the size of a quarter and mice can successfully pass through spaces the size of a dime, while a raccoon-sized creature can enter through an opening as wide as 6-inches. As a result, when examining your home’s exterior walls, SOS Wildlife Control recommends you to look for light coming through cracks. Pay special attention to areas where utility pipes are present; any form of damage can act as an entryway for pests, as they may enter your home through sink and bathtub drains. Another tip is to feel for air movement between crevices which may ultimately point you to a crack that may have been missed and to replace loose mortar and weather stripping.

Rodents are scavengers and generally have sharp teeth to complement their lifestyles. Rats and mice have sharp teeth known as incisors, which are highly specialized for gnawing on and through tough material. With this in mind, SOS Wildlife Control highly suggests homeowners to fill larger gaps on exterior walls with thick material including pieces of steel wool. The roughness of the steel fibres makes it difficult for rodents to gnaw through the material.

Focus on Windows and Doors

These are the most likely entry points for pests. If you plan on ever leaving your windows or doors open, you should fit them with screens, or check any existing screens for tears. Inspect the doors and windows for any cracks and seal any with inexpensive caulk or foam, if present. Once again, feel for air movement that may be a result of a present draft from your windows and doors.

Put Screens on Vents

Not every hole should be plugged up. Some are there for a reason, such as air vents in the kitchen or under cupboards. Installing screens allows air ventilation to take place while ensuring your home’s security against unwanted pests. Rodents (mice in particular) are both scavengers and mobile animals so be sure to replace or mend damaged screens immediately to prevent them from traveling in and around pathways throughout your home.

Control Your Garden

Plants close to the house provide a haven for insects and rodents as they await their chance to dart through an open door.  More importantly, the presence of fresh food is a key factor that causes pests to continually visit homes. Rats and mice feed on a variety of fruits and vegetables; popular garden fruits and vegetables that these animals take a liking to include carrots, cabbage, blueberries blackberries. To reduce the likelihood of rodents invading your home, keep garden plants about 1 to 2 feet away from the house. Like raccoons, rats and mice are known to scavenge through garbage bins while seeking for food. To reduce the likelihood of rodents loitering around your home, secure your garbage bins shut and place them an agreeable distance from home entry points. If you have any pets, it is also advised that you feed them away from doors and windows as well, due to the fact that numerous pet foods such as bird seeds have been known to attract these scavengers.

Monitor, monitor and monitor

Vigilance is key. Pests mount their primary attacks on our homes twice a year – president of Green Earth Pest Control, Josh Alpert says. It often happens once the temperature drops at the beginning of winter, and once when it goes up again as summer starts.  Therefore, being aware and taking proactive action towards home safety is important this time of year.  

If Your House is Invaded by Pests:

 

  • Identify the animal

 

You need to know what you’re dealing with so you can better prepare yourself to get the job done. It can sometimes be difficult to catch a glimpse of the intruder but there are a few indicators that may point you in the right direction. For instance, fecal droppings, chewed wires and gnawed baseboards may indicate the presence of a mouse or rat. A quick Internet search may also help you identify your intruder.

 

  • Plan a course of action

 

Eliminating unwanted pests isn’t as scary as you may think it is. Once you have identified the intruder, plan and take a course of action to get the intruder out of your home once and for all. A series of over-the-counter products can be used to help treat these pests.  

 

  • Leave it to the professionals of SOS Wildlife

 

Getting rid of unwanted house pests may sometimes cause you a hard time and may become dangerous, so it is important to know where to draw the line and when to call the professionals at SOS Wildlife. For your safety and the animal’s, contact us at (647) 994-9453!

If you notice signs of wildlife in your house give us a call. At SOS Wildlife, we provide superior wildlife removal services for residential, commercial, and industrial clients, guaranteeing effective results. Let us help you solve your wildlife problems. Taking action before it’s too late will help eliminate animal damage repair costs. We are available 24/7, 365 days a year for EMERGENCY wildlife nuisances, and can easily be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Don’t wait and call us to schedule an appointment for a thorough inspection to help evacuate all your unwanted wildlife guests in the most humane way possible.

Call SOS Wildlife 1.800.981.0330 for Pest and Wildlife Removal!

Mice control

Last Updated: May 2021

If you think you have a mice control problem SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated can help. Professional mice control involves removing the mice from your home by sealing the animal entry holes and setting bait stations or traps for the mice depending on your infestation situation.

Signs you need Mice Control

If you are hearing scratching or gnawing noises at night, there is a good possibility you have a mouse issue. You will also know you have mice by droppings, by odors and through finding bite marks on certain foods and household items. Make sure you call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated, Toronto rodent removal experts right away. Don’t let a small rodent issue in your home or business turn into a huge infestation problem.

The most efficient mice control methods are those administered by trained pest control experts

Is Mice Control Necessary?

Yes, living with mice can put you at risk of health issues. Mice droppings are unhygienic and need to be cleaned up immediately as the smell may also attract more rodents. About 6% of mice can carry the hantavirus disease in their urine, feces and saliva that can infect people. All mice and their droppings should be treated as infectious and dangerous. Mice will also cause a lot of damage in your home by chewing. Having wildlife in your home, especially rodents must not be taken lightly. When you’ve got a mouse or a family of them in your house, call the experts.

Populations grow rapidly and are extremely difficult to eradicate. It is best to target infestations when colonies are small

SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated Mice Control Service

How do professionals get rid of mice? Well each mice control case is entirely unique. when you contact SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated we will ask you numerous questions prior to engaging in any extermination or control methods.

Questions that will help implement a strategic solution include

  • What is the size of the property?
  • Is it detached?
  • Where have you seen the mice?
  • What noises are you hearing and when?
  • How long have you had them?

Your answer helps assess your mice control situation and implement a program based on whats deemed necessary. We will come to your home and inspect the outer perimeter to find entry holes. If we find entry points for the mice in the exterior inspection and they are minor holes we can plug them for you. We will then go into your house and implement the best option whether its mouse traps, mechanical traps, glue boards or bait stations. The bait stations are inaccessible and locked, although they must never be tampered with unless you are a trained and licensed professional. They are strategically placed throughout the infrastructure of your home.  Extreme caution and safety is exercised when implementing mice control measures.

  • Please be patient, depending on the infestation level effective control can take a period of time.
  • Do not move or tamper with any stations or traps
  • Do not use any other mice control products as it may work against our rodent control measures
  • Follow recommendations given by technicians like removing food sources, sealing containers, keeping floors very clean and removing trash regularly.
  • Technicians will return at a time convenient for you and them to check the situation and remove bait and traps.

Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at 647-994-9453 for Mice Control

Wildlife in your home? How do wildlife get in?

Last Updated: May 2016

Do you hear noises in your attic, or hear scratching in the walls or chirping in your chimney? Then it is more than likely that you have wildlife in your home. In these cases the first step is to find out where exactly they are. The second is to figure out how they get in! Knowing what wildlife animal is on your property will help determine where you need to look.

Wildlife in your home

Mice

If you have mice on your property, then it will be tricky to figure out exactly how they are getting. Mice have the capability due to their size and dexterity to squeeze tiny entry ways. They are cunning creatures who find ways to enter through tiny cracks and holes. They dart in open doors and even in windows. Mice are good climbers and if you leave your windows open especially on the first floor it is possible they will enter in to your home.

Seal any gaps in your doors, cracks/holes on the outside of your home or any gaps between the window and the frame. Mice may also enter through vents, chimneys or around access holes created for pipes and cables. Sealing holes and cracks and putting screens on vents and chimneys is the best way to keep mice out. And don’t forget to keep your doors closed.

Rats

Although larger than mice, rats similar to mice can fit through very small holes. They can inhabit very small nooks and crannies inside a house, from walls to ceilings, crawl spaces and attics. Rats excretion as you will know is very dangerous, so it is vital if you have rats you have them removed and closely inspect for your house for their entry points. It is not always easy to spot entry points, but a brown grease marks is usually an identifier for it if used often. For rats, you may have to crawl into tight spots or in some cases dig which is why it is highly advised to hire a professional to get rid your rat problem.

Raccoon’s

Raccoons are extremely intelligent animals who have adapted to city and urban life in Toronto too well. Raccoons have different vision from humans. They are able to see the heat escaping from your home and approach that weak area and get inside. They might rip open a soffit or go through an open vent, tear a hole in the wall or even just climb through your pet door. Not only do they have great sight but they have a great sense of smell, so do not leave any pet food about as this attracts them and may lead the raccoons into your home. Below are common areas for raccoon entry. It is recommended to inspect these areas at least twice annually to make sure there are no holes or any weak areas that need to be replaced.

Squirrels

Squirrels, like raccoons enter through holes in the roof, rip soffits, go through an open vent, chimney or through a hole in the wall. Squirrels are usually more frightened of you than you are of it, so try making loud noises or play ongoing music or call a professional. Covering entry holes with metal mesh, capping chimneys and trimming trees back from your home will help keep them out. The above diagram shows entry points for raccoons as well as squirrels. These areas on your roof should be inspected twice annually to monitor and replace any weak areas.

Opossum

Opossums are pests because they will do anything to break into your home. If a opossum learns you have food, in some cases they will return on a daily basis and cause havoc. Opossums will make a nest in your home by chewing through the exterior of your house to get into your walls, garage, attic etc. If opossums invade your home they can chew through wood, drywall, gnaw on electrics and rip up all insulation in your home. To prevent opossums from entering, remove all food sources, secure your garbage and put a wire mesh around your yard or house buried at a foot deep to stop them digging under it.

Always check for babies before removing an adult, and do not remove an adult and seal off the entry points as the babies will starve and die. The babies need to be humanely removed and reunited with their mother who will take them to another nest.

As explained, services and methods depend on the situation, the type of animal and how they get in. It is highly advised to wildlife proof your home, this involves sealing all vents and weak areas of your home with mesh. Surrounding your home with a foot deep mesh that will help prevent wildlife from digging under your home and gaining entry. You should check your home regularly throughout the year to see if there are any sign of animals trying to enter your home as the best method for wildlife control is prevention.

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