By now you’ve probably seen all the reports on the news about the impending West Nile Virus breakout coming to Ontario. It’s a serious issue and we believe the best way to combat it is through knowledge and awareness.
In case you’ve been out of the loop enjoying the summer here’s a report from CBC News that will get you up to speed:
What is the West Nile Virus?
West Nile Virus is an infection of the brain, known as encephalitis which was first identified in Uganda in 1937. It’s common in Africa, West Asia and the Middle East. West Nile is commonly spread by mosquitoes. There is currently no evidence that states that West Nile can be spread from person to person.
What are the symptoms of West Nile Virus?
The problem with West Nile is that symptoms are usually mild and end up going untreated. Some symptoms include:
Fever
Headache
Body aches
Skin rash
Swollen lymph nodes
Symptoms of severe cases include:
Stiff neck
Sleepinesss
Disorientation
Coma
Tremors
Convulsions
Paralysis
Severe cases only affect about 1% of sufferers.
How do people get West Nile Virus?
West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes and their bites. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on birds that are also infected. West Nile can also be spread by birds , which can amplify the spread of the disease when mosquitoes feed on the infected birds. Crows are most commonly infected, although more than 200 bird species have been confirmed carriers of the virus.
Mosquitoes spread the disease when they bite and suck blood from people and animals. The incubation period (the time from infection to development of symptoms is five to 15 days.
As mentioned above West Nile virus is not contagious between humans, one cannot get the virus from touching or kissing an infected person
What kinds if treatments are available for the West Nile Virus?
Diagnosis of West Nile virus is confirmed with a blood or cerebrospinal fluid test. There is not specific treatment available at the time. Most treatment is directed towrd relief efforts and complications of brain infections. Over the counter medication can be used in milder cases to help relieve pain such as Advil or Aspirin.
In more severe cases anti-inflammatory medications, intravenous fluids and intensive medical monitoring may be prescribed.
What can you do to prevent West Nile Virus in your community?
Here’s what we recommend to help prevent catching West Nile virus:
Try to stay indoors at dawn, dusk and the early evening, this is when mosquitoes usually come out to feed
Wear long sleeved shirts and pants to prevent getting bit
Apply insect replant to any exposed skin. An effective repelant contains 20%-30% DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). DEET concentrations higher than 30% may cause side effects especially with children and babies. Avoid applying repelant to very young children as they may get in their mouths and eyes.
Spray thin clothing with repellent containing perminthirin or DEET to prevent mosquitoes from biting through thin clothing.
Install or secure door and window screens, use air conditioning and remove any standing water.
If you find a dead bird make sure you have it removed as soon as possible to prevent mosquitoes from gathering around it and picking up the virus.
Here’s what you can do for your neighborhood
Remove any standing water from your block. This can be close to drains, bird baths and inside gutters.
Take note of the bird population in your area. If you see an increase, make sure to take extra personal precautions as they can easilr5y become new virus spreaders.
Birds are usually classified as pests when they make their nests people’s properties They tend to foul everything they land on with their droppings, which may lead to health hazards. Therefore, there is the need to remove them from our homes without causing harm to them.In Ontario most birds, including their nests and eggs are protected under law – The Migratory Bird Treaty. However there are three birds indigenous to North America that are considered nuisance pests and are not protected under law. They are the Sparrow, Starling and Pigeon. They are over populated in Toronto and the GTA, however they must be humanely removed.
Call today toll-free 1-800-981-0330 to schedule humane bird removal.
Skunks have a bad reputation of being animals that will spray without warning, or if you grew up with Looney Toons you may be afraid that they will try and profess their love for you. Neither are true, skunks are not as dangerous as you think and only spray in self-defense. A skunk living under your shed or deck can become an nuisance especially if you cross it unknowingly.
Where do skunks usually reside inside homes?
Crawl spaces
Dens
Under concrete slabs
In your yard
Your shed
Under your deck
How can you tell if you have a skunk in or around your property?:
To the right is a picture of skunk tracks, which you can find in mud or softer ground.
The sounds of scrambling feet or scratching in your den, attic, or walls are also a good sign that a skunk has found a entry found into your home or onto your property.
When you think of the dangers a skunk you probably jump to one thought.
So if you get sprayed, DO NOT USE WATER, it will make the smell stronger and last longer.
First thing you’ll want to do is NOT go inside, the odor will follow you and make your ordeal much worse.
For a step-by-step guide to what you should do when you get sprayed, click here
Skunks are a danger to any household pets too
It’s common for skunks to spray cats too especially when searching for a food source or if it wants cat food. If you come home your pet, or your pet comes to you with the scent of skunk spray on it there a few options to deal with it:
Use Paul Krebaum’s “Baking Soda and peroxide” formula
1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
¼ cup of baking soda
1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap (not detergent)
Wash your pet thoroughly and massage the mix into the fur, allow the solution to set for roughly 5 minutes until the oder is gone. Allowing the solution to set allows for the solution to really lift the smell off and lets oxygen molecules bond to the oder-causing thoils, neutralizing the smell.
It’s recommended that you wash your pet outdoors as soon as the solution is mixed.
As a precaution the solution can bring a stinging sensation to your eyes so your will want to wear protective gear like gloves and eye mask. Use lukewarm water for larger pets.
2) There are numerous over-the-counter products available for sale such as skunk shampoos, deodorants and sprays that can get rid of the skunk stench (but not to make your local skunk look fabulous unfortunately) and help get your cat, dog , or any pet the protection it needs.
Keep in mind the odor of skunk spray can even be spread by squirrels and skunks in the area that have been sprayed.
If you think your pets or the wildlife in your area are at risk of being sprayed by a skunk your best option is to get a trained technician that can provide effective, humane sunk control out there immediately to contain the situation before it gets bad.
Health risks of a skunk spray
Beyond the awful oder of a skunk spray, the spray can also cause serious health problems to you and any pets in the house:
A skunk spray which is fairly close to the face can cause extreme discomfort and in some cases, temporary blindness. The first thing you should do if this happens is to flush the eyes and the mouth out immediately with water.
Skunk sprays to the face can also lead to vomiting, drool, squinting, sneezing and seizures amongst pets.
Thiol in skunk spray also leads to damage to red blood cells resulting in anemia (a condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness.).
Skunks and baby skunks
Once a skunk gets comfortable somewhere it will want to start raising a family, which means your skunk problem has expanded exponentially. Baby skunks ,like most animals that are new to the world, are easy to scare and this means that they are very trigger happy with their spray.
When can you expect a baby skunk issue?
Early spring is usually birthing season for baby skunks. They stay in their dens for the first 6 to 8 weeks of life. Mother skunks tend to give birth to 4-6 babies at once.
There are specific regulations around how baby skunks and skunks can be relocated
During baby season, the technician will have to dig and find the babies to remove them from the property. Once the technician has all the babies they will put them in a safe insulated box near the one-way door for the mother to find. Eventually the mother will come relocate the babies to a new den. We provide humane, effective and ethical removal of all nuisance animals.
What can you do to prevent skunks from entering your property or taking up residence under your deck or shed?
Skunks tend to do most of their scavenging for food sources at night and tend to avoid light so a good preventative measure is to install lights with motion sensors in your yard. Keeping your back or front yard light on will also work.
Lawn motion detector sprinklers are also an effective method to keep skunks out as well.
What do skunks eat?
Garbage
Plants
Any food left outside
Skunks tend to go right after gardens, garbage bins and any food left outside. Make sure you throw away any food left outside and that you secure your garbage bins with something heavy or a securing mechanism.
Use a wire mesh fence or chicken wire to keep the vegetables in your garden safe and install a motion sensor light as an extra precaution.
If you see any openings into dens, crawl spaces or the attic you’ll want to cover that with a steel mesh screen, one that can withstand a chewing and will secure tightly to the opening. If you arnt sure of any openings you can always call us for an assessment.
For future prevention our technicians can do a thorough inspection of possible entry points and weak spots in your home to prevent future racoon problems from plaguing your home. After finding some major entry points and others that have the potential to become entry points ,we give you options that take these problems and your property into account. We then seal off these entry points with galvanized steel mesh to prevent any entry whatsoever.
Give is a call if you have any concerns, questions or problems involving skunk removal or control at
