With their cute masked faces and nimble hands, raccoons are one of the most intelligent and curious species in the urban wildlife. However; the raccoon problem Toronto has been experiencing in the last decade has been nothing short of bothersome to property owners and residents. These nocturnal mammals certainly live up to their reputation to be quite destructive and troublesome. Raccoons have adapted well to the city life right here in Toronto, however, they are found in other urban, rural and wilderness areas in all parts of Ontario. They are omnivores and are known to enjoy variety of things from fleshy fruits to insects and small rodents. Raccoons have amazing dexterity and can use their front paws to pry things open, they can turn knobs, press switch buttons, and most famously can get in pretty much all garbage and compost bins. With the Toronto new green bins coming out soon it is the hope of the city that they will will help the raccoon problem, or else it will be millions put to waste if the raccoons adapt. Time will tell.
Increasing number of raccoons in Toronto has resulted in diverse reactions in humans. While some people raccoon-proof their properties, other deliberately feed them. Some wildlife experts caution residents against deliberately feeding wild animals as they could become dependent on humans as their food source. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated agree you should not feed wildlife, and not not feeding wildlife is strongly supported by Fur-Bearing Defenders in the aid to co-exist with them. This would disrupt the ecology cycle and make wildlife’s acclimation back into the nature almost impossible. Contacting professionals ensure your raccoon problem are taken care of, as well as the effective return of these animals back to their natural environment with as little human – wildlife interaction as possible.
Closer Introduction
Physically, raccoons appear harmless and adorable. Although not at all common, people have sworn that they make friendly and lovable pets, with a little bossy and demanding attitude. Again wildlife are supposed to be wild! However raccoon are mostly known for their curious personalities. They enjoy inspecting and examining every situation before taking any action. They collect a lot of information and retain it, as they are extremely intelligent. They are very aggressive and tend to snarl, hiss, and even attack when provoked. More physically, raccoons vary in size, having a length of 40-70cm’s and a body weight of anywhere between 3.5-9kg’s. Raccoons have grayish coats with more distinctive features of having black and white facial masks and extremely dexterous front paws, with long and sharp fingernails. Most raccoon problem are caused by raccoons’ nimble-fingered paws. They can open and close doors, reach and grab food or other items on shelves, pantries, cupboards etc. and they can cause serious structural damage to one’s property by tearing holes in walls, insulation, air duct, and scratching surfaces like hardwood. Read more on our wildlife prevention page to understand how to further prevent this happening to your property.
The damage these little creatures can cause doesn’t just stop at generating hefty repair bills to property owners; they can also transmit lethal diseases such as rabies. What is rabies? Aggressive when provoked, raccoons’ famous nimble fingers can also cut human skin deep causing various other bacterial infections. Human contact with wild raccoons is not recommended, and if a property owner is dealing with raccoon problem, they are strongly encouraged to contact professionally trained technicians. Read further in our article Rabies in Bats, Raccoons and other wildlife.
Damages Caused by Raccoon Problem
In search of shelter and bedding, raccoons will show no mercy to your property. This means their nimble hands will once again, be at work. Raccoons are wild animals and this shows in the damage they are capable of causing. They pick at drywall with their fingers, curious of what’s between the walls, they will rip apart ducts, rip through insulation, and even chew on any wires in their way. While they cause structural – sometimes major, other times minor, they can also cause electrical damage, and possibly fire in properties. While they are busy at work, ripping through one’s attic or basement, raccoons also tend to leave up to 20 droppings per day. Their droppings are bio-hazardous as they carry many diseases as previously mentioned. While they cause a lot of re-constructive work, a property that’s been infested by raccoons also requires a thorough sanitation. If you have pets and children, it is extremely imperative that you contact professionals to inspect and clear the property off raccoons, and to properly sanitize all surfaces potentially infected by their presence and droppings. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated do provide the following services to help your raccoon removal problem: Animal Feces Removal, Attic Restoration and Attic Insulation renewal.
Prevention
While DIY options may provide quick or temporary solutions, we recommend expert advice and removal services for all of your raccoon problem. In our experience sprays, deterrent chemicals, and ultrasonic noise machines have been proven to be unsuccessful raccoon removal methods. They may work for a few days but the raccoon will return. In order to avoid raccoon problem specifically, here are some preventative principles you can live by:
Ensure your fences (if you have them) are in good shape. Treat the wood, and fix any gaps, damages regularly
Make your garbage and compost bins raccoon-proof by strapping the lids down with bungee cords
Keep your doors and windows locked, ensure screen doors are properly shut and locked
Do not leave any human food, food remnants, pet food, or food packaging/containers outside
If you have pets, keep pet food indoors or in garage
Ensure motion sensor lights are in working order in and around your property as light repels raccoons. If you suffer from raccoons consistently visiting your yard, invest it motion sensor lights
These are just tips,they may not work. The best solution for your raccoon problem is a professional raccoon removal and prevention service for city of Toronto. We can cease your raccoon problem by our effective one way door or if needed live trapping method. This method allows us to ensure successful captivity of the animals, but it also helps us ensure the animals are uninjured. We treat animals humanely and ensure they are brought back to their natural habitat. We don’t recommend any lethal, poison required methods as the existence of wildlife is necessary for a balanced ecosystem and it is illegal in Ontario.
At SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated, we provide superior Raccoon Removal services for any residential, commercial, and industrial clients. Let us help you solve your raccoon problem.We be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Don’t wait and call us to schedule an appointment for a thorough inspection to help evacuate and solve your raccoon problem.
Autumn is a beautiful time of year in Toronto, with the leaves changing colour, the weather cooling down a bit, and signs of wildlife running around parks collecting food for hibernation. However, Halloween is the time of year you can find raccoons and other wildlife lounging around for treats. If you see a raccoon or any wildlife such as squirrels or skunks around this time on your property, we strongly advise you to assess your home to see how it stands against wildlife intrusions. Assess your property for entry holes, or weak areas where it is possible for wildlife to get through. Nuisance wildlife are now searching for shelter for the winter.
Raccoon Fact: Raccoons are much less active with the cold weather and will sleep for longer periods of time
October is the perfect time to wildlife proof your home as snow hasn’t yet fallen and there are no raccoon babies.
Baby Raccoons
As it is October there will be no baby raccoons which simplifies that raccoon removal process. When babies are involved, raccoon removal involves a the mother first needing to be removed, then the babies who are then reunited.This process is not necessary during the fall season due to the fact that it is not their baby season. Read more on baby raccoon removal here.
Check any overhanging trees and trim branches to restrict access to your roof. Put your garbage bins in a garage or secure with a bungee cord to restrict access. Remove any food scraps around your home, and place pet foods inside. Don’t overfill bird feeders. Stopping wildlife from being attracted to your property is step one
Fixing any weak areas of your home
Assess your home for weak areas. Replace any broken, weakened or missing roof tiles. Check all soffits and vents. If heat is escaping from parts of your home, fixing this will not only reduce energy costs but will not attract unwanted critters. If they can’t find any weak areas they will move on. If anything is torn open or got holes big enough for a raccoon can enter then you may already have wildlife in your home. Do not seal them unless you know there is no wildlife inside. You can either do this yourself but calling a professional is recommended.
Unfortunately your Halloween pumpkins might also attract wildlife to your property, but if you wildlife proof your property they will be restricted from getting in the property. .You can wildlife proof your property yourself or you can hire a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to do it for you. Doing this now will save you money in the long run. It is more convenient to prevent a raccoon from entering now than removing it in the middle of the winter when there is snow on the ground. Do not climb on an icy roof to cover holes yourself as this is dangerous, you may risk falling.
Denying raccoons access in the fall gives them time to search for another appropriate living space. If they are found and removed during colder months, their chance for survival is threatened.
Removing raccoons from your home or property is a commonly requested service, especially in Toronto GTA. Ontario has a large population of raccoons so it’s safe to get your home checked and proofed. Your property is the perfect shelter for a raccoon with heat and food supply. While good for the raccoons, this is almost always a nuisance to homeowner and property owners!
The most common raccoon complaints we receive from customers are:
removing raccoons from attic
removing raccoons from chimney
removing raccoons from crawl space,
removing raccoons from yard
removing raccoons under porch
Raccoons can be loud, cause damage to the building structure/contents and can be dangerous for your health with the diseases they carry. It is important to have them removed professionally, humanely and effectively.
Common Times for Raccoons to Enter your Home
Raccoons can enter your home anytime of the year but they are more likely to do so during spring and winter. During the winter period it’s more difficult for raccoons to find food and shelter making your home very appealing. In the Spring, raccoons give birth to a litter of 3-7 babies. The mother scouts several dens before choosing one, the attic of your house or under your porch is a nice secluded area that is a common spot for them.
Raccoons are quite large animals compared to squirrels and other wildlife animals that come inside your home. Since they are heavier you will hear loud thumping rather than scratches if they are in your attic. If it’s a family of raccoons consisting of a female adult raccoon and a litter of her babies living up in your attic, you will hear the baby’s unique whining and crying
Removing raccoons from your home
Raccoon removal once you find the raccoon is recommended because they can be very dangerous and damaging. Getting rid of raccoons involves scare tactics, baiting, cages, although we do not recommend this unless you are a licensed and trained professional. Wildlife can be quite aggressive when under threat so be careful and remember that raccoons can carry several diseases dangerous to humans like rabies and roundworm. If you are getting rid of raccoons it’s strongly recommend you use a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at 647.994.9453
October 1st is Raccoon Appreciation Day! This is an effort to highlight the benefits the little critters have to our city. I always read (and wrote myself) how over populated Toronto is with raccoons, how we don’t even know how many raccoons we have in the city, but today I will talk about the benefits of having them in our wonderful TO.
The raccoons have managed to thrive in our urban centers and rural communities by adapting to our habitat. They are very intelligent and from a distance lovable creatures. They are not just the garbage stealing, pet food eating bandits we portray them to be, they do provide an important role to the city and the ecosystem. They help distribute seeds from what they forage and maintain “healthy” populations. As I said we do not know numbers but they are plentiful and far from extinction. Raccoons are also beneficial to humans because of their consumption of pesky insects and mice. They eat worms, frogs, snails, berries, nuts, seeds and as we know garbage, compost and backyard vegetables and fruits. From a distance they are an enjoyable and lovable animal and I am happy to have them around and the mice gone!
They are the most easily recognized mammal in North America with their distinctive black markings, fox-like face and bushy tail!
Entertainment Value
And we cannot forget the total entertainment value these little guys provide us. As a wildlife blogger raccoon and squirrels are the two wildlife critters that are featured constantly in Toronto news. They are constantly surprising us with their intelligence or amusing us with their tricks.
The entertainment in Toronto alone! Raccoons are always featured in headlines,on signs and social media!
How can we forget Conrad the Raccoon! Today we salute Conrad! RIP
Raccoons are a large part of the Toronto GTA lifestyle. As they adapt to our habitat we have to adapt to living with the critters. However as much as we give out about the raccoons, the city would not be the same without them!
Fun Fact: Did you know raccoons have five fingers on each paw. Their paws are so nimble they can unlace a shoe, unlatch a cage and climb ladders
Raccoons are pretty common wildlife animals that interact with humans in Toronto GTA. Sometimes the interactions are not wanted and humans are not pleased with it at all. They want the raccoons removed! But getting rid of raccoons can be a hard mission which is why many people just contact professional wildlife technicians like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to do raccoon removal for them. To figure out how to get them out, you need to determine how did the raccoon get in in the first place. For raccoon removal, professionals usually use a one-way door. A one-way door is a door set up at one of the entry points the animal has made, usually the main entry point. All other entry points are sealed before the one-way door is set up. This allows the animal to exit and not re-enter. This is the most humane raccoon removal method and involves no human-wildlife encounters. In some cases we use snares when one-way door option isn’t suitable. When using snares, the raccoon is picked up around the waist to avoid any injury to the neck. There is no one size fits all solution but not ensuring humane removal is the ideal raccoon removal method.
How do raccoon get into your home?
Knowing a little about raccoons will help you understand what raccoons do what they do. Raccoons are intelligent animals and will seek out the weak spots on your property. They may rip open soffits, open vent hole, open walls, gable vents and other roof vents. There are various different ways on how raccoons are able to come inside your home which can sometimes be mind blowing once you find out. They are very good climbers, very strong and have agile hands which are traits that make it easier for them to climb into your house, or rip soffits/vents to make their way into your attic. They are not one bit scared of heights as they are amazing climbers. You may have seen the story where the raccoon climbs 213 meters up a Toronto condo tower? Our check our video at the bottom of the page with our raccoon removal from a 200 ft crane. It was the tallest we’ve ever been on a job and removing a raccoon up there I have to admit was quite scary, but we got him down! Getting rid of raccoons is tricky, but once they are in your home you should remove the raccoons immediately before they cause too much damage.
Most of the time raccoons pick their home based on previous homes they have had. Some homes may have bigger holes and easier access. Any ripped soffits, damage on the exterior wall makes it easier for raccoons to enter your house. These homes will have to call for raccoon control frequently to make sure there is no raccoons returning to live inside their house. Once one raccoon lives in a house they leave behind their scent which attracts other wildlife and predators. It is advised when you remove raccoons you should clean that area extremely well. If you had a raccoon in the attic check your attic insulation to see how badly it’s damaged and have your attic restored to its clean state. Wildlife proof your home! If you don’t want to pay a professional, take all the wildlife prevention methods you can yourself to prevent further unwanted critters entering your home. Houses with lots of tall trees surrounding them are higher at risk of having raccoons living in their home. Trim the branches from your house and check for any holes in your roof or soffits a few times annually to ensure there is no wildlife in your home. Read our blog Signs that wildlife are living in your home. Check for these signs and try to remove anything that makes your home attractive to wild critters.
As stated, raccoons usually come in your home and or attics by tore open soffits, open vent hole, tore open wall, gable vents, and other roof vents. You will want to seal any holes and or openings but you need to make sure you don’t trap the raccoon in your home as this is cruel and illegal. Close / fix all holes except for the one way door. Leave this opening open so that the raccoon will be able to come out. If there are babies involved you will have to contact a professional to have them removed. Read our raccoon removal page for info on baby raccoon removal. These are the most common ways raccoons come inside your home. Check these areas of your home to ensure everything is sealed.
Getting Rid of Raccoons
SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated does not advise on do-it-yourself raccoon removal as too often accidents happen. Getting rid of raccoons requires knowledge and experience. Be careful not to trap your neighbors cat, or hurt the animal. Wildlife can be quite aggressive when under threat so be careful. Raccoons may also carry a lot of diseases which are dangerous to humans (rabies and roundworm). If you are getting rid of raccoons I strongly recommend you use a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated. Read further on raccoon removal page.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at647-994-9453 to get rid of raccoons
raccoons are one of the most intelligent and curious species in the urban wildlife. However; the raccoon problem Toronto has been experiencing in the last decade has been nothing short of bothersome to property owners and residents. These nocturnal mammals certainly live up to their reputation to be quite destructive and troublesome.