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.
If having a raccoon on your property or in your home wasn’t bad enough, raccoons leaving their feces around your property can lead to a potentially deadly disease called “raccoon roundworm”. If you live in an urban area or a place where you see raccoons fairly often we suggest you get a pest control technician and talk to your health care provider to see how they can help you in the event of a racoon roundworm infection.
Raccoon Roundworm
Also known as “Baylisascaris procyonis” , is the common large roundworm found in the small intestinal tract of raccoons. Raccoon roundworm becomes a producer of dangerous diseases when the raccoon feces is exposed to air and a warm warmer temperature, making the roundworm eggs infected.
The egg ridden, infected feces can be ingested by other wild animals or even your own cats and dogs, making them a source of infection. Fecal matter can also travel though air, making the disease airborne.
Raccoons tend to use establish latrines on rooftops, in attics and around chimneys to defecate in. This becomes dangerous when these places accumulate in roundworm eggs which become a long term source of infections for both wild animals and humans.
Once the eggs get into your system , they hatch and turn into larvae. The larvae then travel through the brain and spine through the cerebrospinal fluid found in the spine and brain.
Who is most at risk?
Wild animals are most at risk for picking up raccoon roundworm, as mentioned earlier they tend to ingest the infect feces unknowingly and become hosts of roundworm infections themselves.
Children who play in the dirt, or outside in general, and like to get their hands dirty and put things in their mouths are at high risk as they may not be able to see the difference between dirt and feces and fecal matter.
The developmentally disabled need special attentions as well as they tend to behave the same as young children.
What are the symptoms of raccoon roundworm?
Racoon roundworm (Baylisascaris infection) symptoms can vary. It depends on how many eggs are ingested and where in the body the larvae travel to.
Eggs hatch into larvae once ingested and travel through the liver, brain and spinal cord.
A small amount of eggs being ingested may lead to no issues ,but a larger amount can lead too:
Nausea
Fatigue
Liver Enlargement
Lack of Coordination
Lack of attention
Loss of muscle control
Coma
Blindness
Some cases of infection have even led to death. Its easy to confuse these symptoms for something less serious so it’s especially important that children and the developmentally disabled are checked as soon as possible for potential roundworm infection.
Diseases that can develop from racoon roundworm
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is a swelling of the brain hat results from a viral infection. It usually starts abruptly and develops fast so it does require urgent care. It usually starts with a fever and headache and becomes as serious as seizures, confusion, drowsiness and loss of consciousness and even coma.
Feline panleukopenia
Feline panleukopenia is a disease that affects cats. Feline panleukopenia attacks growing cells like those in the bone marrow, intestines and any developing fetus. Its common in cats ages 3-5 and happens more often in warmer times of the year. Older cats are more immune than younger ones, so its important to be aware of symptoms of the younger ones. There is no cure for FP , only treatments to support the cats care.
Canine distemper
Canine distemper is a disease that impacts dogs and has no known cure yet. Its spread through the air and through direct contact with other infected animals. It attacks the tonsils and lymph nodes where it replicates itself for about one week. After that in attacks the urogenital , gastrointestinal and nervous system. Symptoms of canine distemper include high fever, reddened eyes and a watery discharge from the nose and eyes. Abnormal enlargements of the pads of the dogs feet is common with canine distemper as well.
Herpes simplex
Herpes simplex is a common virus is mostly seen as a cold sore or a fever blister. It can be nuisance. Some symptoms include blistering sores, pain during urination and itching. Some symptoms can be similar to a flu like fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, tiredness and lack of appetite. It’s usually spread through kissing, and sharing anything used around the mouth. There is no cure for the disease, but treatments are available to prevent further spread.
Parasitic disease
Also known as parasitosis, Parasitic disease affects any living organism. Its symptoms include abdominal pain, weight loss, increase appetite, bowel obstructions, diarrhea and vomiting which can lead to dehydration, sleeping problems, worms present in the vomit or stools, anomia, aching muscles or joints, general malaise, allergies, fatigue, nervousness. Parasitic disease is spread through feces or the inadequate disposal of feces. Parasitic disease is usually treated with antiparasitic drugs.
Raccoons can cause serious issues and even though some may appear cute and friendly and your kids want to keep a raccoon as a pet, its what they leave behind as they scavenge and squat that can cause major issues caused by raccoon roundworm . Click here for an in-depth article on raccoons on your property.
Don’t wait for the worst to happen, have your raccoon situation assessed!
After doing a situational analysis and discussing some of your concerns with the removal of the raccoons we begin our investigation on how the raccoon(s) have been entering your property. In many cases, their entry points will be either in the house, on the roof, underneath the house or under your deck/patio. We will also point out potential entry points that other raccoons may use in the future so we can address that immediately as well. We know that you would like to have the raccoon or raccoons nuisance removed as quickly as possible, but also in a way that is humane and ethical. We make sure that we discuss removal options with consideration to your preferences, your property and your time.
The usual process is called the “one-way door” method in which the raccoon’s entry/exit point is covered by the installation of a screen which allows the raccoon to leave the through the door but not re-enter. Eventually, for common reasons like gathering food from food sources outside of the property the raccoon will leave its dwelling as part of its regular routine. At that point the one way door is used and the raccoon is prevented from re-entering.
If the raccoon has babies, an alternative method is conducted for the safety of the animals. The one way method is not used as this would cause the babies to be separated from their mother leaving them abandoned. Instead the babies will be safely moved to an insulated box outside of their nesting area where they will remain until the mother comes and picks them up and relocates them to a new den.
While uncommon, if trapping is involved in the raccoon removal process, it is done so in a humane method where the raccoon is uninjured and are moved to a location at least 1 kilometer away, in accordance to Ontario law.
For future prevention our technicians can do a thorough inspection of possible entry points and weak spots in your home.. After finding some major entry points and others areas that have the potential to become entry points, we give you options that take these problems, your property and the safety of the animal into account. We then seal off these entry points with galvanized steel mesh to prevent any re-entry.
To avoid encountering these issues and more, call a professional wildlife control technician at SOS Wildlife Control. For residential, commercial and industrial solutions, SOS Wildlife Control Inc. can be there to help you with your wildlife removal problem.
Call 1-800-981-0330 today!
General FAQs
What Diseases Can Humans Get from Raccoons?
Baylisascaris procyonis, commonly known as raccoon roundworm, is a worm found in raccoons. It can infect people and other animals such as dogs. It can lead to a deadly disease.
Can Humans Get Raccoon Roundworm?
Raccoon roundworm can infect humans without symptoms, causing severe neurological problems. Although human infections are rare, individuals or children who are more likely to ingest mud or dirt have a higher risk of acquiring the disease.
Who is at Risk of Raccoon Roundworm?
Wild animals have the highest chances of picking up raccoon roundworm. Also, children, hunters, taxidermists, and wildlife rehabilitators may also be at risk if they handle raccoons or raccoon feces.
What are the Symptoms of Raccoon Roundworm?
The indications of raccoon roundworm include fatigue, nausea, lack of coordination, enlargement of the liver, lack of attention to surroundings and people, loss of muscle control, blindness, and coma. Some cases may also result in death.
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
Mice. We have all heard of these tiny, fast moving rodents. We see them in movies and on television followed by loud high-pitched shrieks from scaring people who come in contact with them. Some see them as cute critters while others see them as nightmares, but one thing’s for sure, is that these little guys can be trouble when they get stuck somewhere in your home. We’ll explain to you how to recognize, prevent and remove these little mice from your property.
How to detect you have mice living in your property
You kind of have an idea, but you’re not yet 100% sure whether you’re hosting a mice gathering in your home, behind your walls or elsewhere? These mice can’t hide for too long. Have a wander around the property and see if you catch some of the following signs:
Droppings on the floor
Holes in the wall
Cracks in the floor and ceilings
Something else you might notice are the sound of gnawing or clawing from behind the wall especially at night when everything is very quiet. Although facing this issue might be alarming, keep your head up! It’s better to find the problem sooner than later, to when it’s escalated to bigger issues like extensive damage or an infestation! If you’re still not sure whether you have mice either behind your walls or anywhere else on your property, give a professional pest control technician a call to conduct an inspection and verify this for you.
How to get rid of mice on your own
So now you’re sure that you are faced with a mice problem. There are several routes you can take from here. One, is to call a professional pest control company to solve the problem for you, giving you lasting results with safety measure implemented. Taking that route is recommended, especially if you have not dealt with wildlife and pest control issues before.
If you are not ready to call for a professional, there are still other options available. While there are different sorts of methods available online or in stores, S.O.S Wildlife Control and Pest Control still recommends calling a pro due to the different risk factors involved. Please take all safety precautions if you decide to conduct your own mice control.
If you are faced with mice problems on your property, these are some popular methods of mice control outside of calling a professional.
Mousetraps are one of the most common solutions to mice control and is easily available for purchase from any general or hardware store. While they are common and available, there are still some risks involved with setting these types of traps. If you do decide to use this as your mice control method, please exercise caution and read and follow safety guidelines as instructed.
As a preventative measure, seal any open holes in your house to keep any mice or other sort of wildlife animals from getting into your property
Removing cartons, cereal boxes and boxes in general will help eliminate their resting place.
Keep a neat area, free of trash or crumbs that might attract mice to these areas for food sources
Keep all food in secure containers, away from any accessible areas for mice. This includes securing pet foods away as well.
Regularly checking property structure for cracks and holes.
While all of these solutions may help reduce mice appearances on your property, they may not always be the best long-term solution. For effective mice control results, call a professional wildlife and pest control company to help you.
Using professional services
Now you’re probably wondering, is calling professional actually worth it when I could just do it myself?
Having a professional help, you solve your mice problem is a long term, safer and more efficient solution over conducting it yourself. Although mice traps may work, they can be a safety risk to toddlers, pets and adults if not careful.
Here are couple more reason why mice control by professionals is the more effective and safer choice:
Wildlife and pest control technicians are familiar with mice, and mice behavior and therefore know the most efficient methods on how to get rid of them and keeping them away
Technicians will know where to look, and conduct a thorough inspection to learn the severity of the situation. They will help you determine whether that single mouse you found is the only one, or if there’s infestation in progress!
SOS Wildlife Control and Pest Control technicians have years of experience in mice control and therefore know the best practices
There are some risks to conducting mice removal, especially when getting too close to mice droppings as their feces can be hazardous. Our technicians ensure the right precautions are taken
An important thing to keep in mind is what happens during these mice removal processes. After technicians have set up the bait stations and the mice have taken the bait, what happens is the mice dehydrate and are in search for water. Unless you have an available water source where mice can easily access from in your home , they poison from the bait will fulfill it’s purpose by the time the mouse it outside leaving you with no dead mice problem inside the house.
All in all, if you don’t want mice in your living space or anywhere on your property call a professional wildlife and pest control service. With a pro, you’ll be able to be longer lasting and effective results! Deal with your mice problem today and call S.O.S Wildlife Control and Pest Control!
If you notice signs of wildlife in your house give us a call. At SOS wildlife control, we provide superior pest control services for residential, commercial and industrial clients, guaranteeing effective results every single time. Let us help you solve your wildlife problems. Taking action before it’s too late will help eliminate animal damage repair costs. We 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.
Wildlife control and pest control- Two terms that have been interchanged for as long as people have been experiencing invasion by squirrel, bed bugs, raccoons, ants and more. While what they do have in common is eviction, these two services are actually worlds apart, actually, species. While one is in no way better than the other, wildlife control and pest control are services that each specialize in different aspects of commercial or home invasion (by animal) and it is important to recognize and understand the distinction as to call the right one when experiencing such problems. The repercussions in calling the wrong people to get the job done can result in fines, animal abuse, property damage and more. It may not even get the job done, and instead escalate the problem costing you more in the end.
Wildlife Control
If you have a raccoon problem, squirrel problem, bird problem or something similar, then what you need is a wildlife control technician to help you solve it. When facing mammals, birds or some reptiles, wildlife removal or wildlife control experts will gladly help you get rid of animal from property. Wildlife control technicians are trained professionals with skills of various humane methods to remove wildlife from your property. They have the experience required to successfully identify a wildlife problem, locate it, remove animal and prevent animal from re-entering. Wildlife Control experts are familiar with the rules, regulations and best practices when it comes to dealing with wildlife where as a pest control technician would not.
Pest Control
Pest control technicians would be the service to call for when experiencing problems with ants, cockroaches, bed bugs etc. Smaller critters that require something similar to an exterminator service require pest control to take care of it. Pest control experts are familiar with the best practices in bugs, insects, and should not be called in for wildlife removal. This can result in a negative outcome.
Pest control technicians, while they are experts in their field of pest removal, are not experts and not the people to call for wildlife removal. Because they have not undergone the same training as a wildlife removal technician, if they do take a wildlife removal job (which they shouldn’t) the outcome can cause more harm than good.
Problems with Hiring Pest Control for Wildlife Problems
Pest control companies don’t have the experience and training wildlife removal companies have
Thorough inspections won’t be conducted (rooftops, chimneys)
Improper/inhumane handling of wildlife (which can result in fines or even worse injuring or killing animal)
Providing inaccurate information about wildlife removal process
Does not have the same liability insurance
Incorrect disposal or removal processes
Damage to property
Complicate issue further, costing you much more in the end while not even properly solving initial problem
A great way to determine the difference between the two if you’re not sure is to see how they identify themselves. If their image represents that of a company that has to do mainly with insects, bugs etc., then don’t call them for wildlife removal. If you’re unsure about whether you are hiring the right type of company for your problem, here are a couple questions you can ask.
What type of animals does your service specialize in?
What kind of training and licensing do your technicians have?
What are your animal removal methods and is it humane?
How many years of experience in wildlife removal do you have?
Does your company have liability insurance?
You can also ask the company in question to provide you with a source of reviews for you to see. In the same way the pest control shouldn’t be called for wildlife removal problems, wildlife removal companies shouldn’t be called for pest control issues. It is all about knowing what kind of problem you’re experiencing and finding a trustworthy company, specializing in this issue to help you.
If you’re experiencing wildlife control problems in your home or commercial area, call a professional wildlife control company like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated. Our technicians having years of experience, conduct humane methods, are honest, reputable and professional. Our services ensure that your problem will be solved, and that your property remains wildlife-free. Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at 1-800-981-0330 today for all your wildlife control concerns.
