Skunk Removal, Prevention and what to do if you get sprayed!

Skunks are often cute and harmless animals from afar but once they spray, that is never the case; skunks are not the greatest choice of company to have wandering outside of your home and can easily become a nuisance to you, your family, pets and property.

Skunk Spray

Skunks are notorious for their rancid skunk smell. As a means of survival, animals develop defense mechanisms that help them survive in the wild and fend off predators. These methods include camouflaging, poison and the emission of foul odors -including skunk spray.

Skunk odor is a common problem that can be detected far from the targeted area due to its very distinguishable and foul smell. Skunk spray is a blend of sulphurous oils that are released when a skunk feels threatened, in order to fend away any predators. Skunks often spray this as their last defensive resort, because their bodies produce and withhold a limited amount of the skunk oil.

Skunk spray contains the compound known as thiol which is also present in rotting flesh and feces, giving it its strong and putrid scent. The odor is bad enough on its own but can only get worse once combined and reacted with water. This chemical reaction makes all attempts to wash the odor away backfire on a skunk’s threat. It also contains the compound thioacetate, which makes the smell last longer and harder to get rid off.

Skunk Spray and Domestic Pets

In addition to wild animals being sprayed, it is also quite common for skunks to spray domestic house pets as well, so it is important to take precautions for the safety of your pet. If your pet comes home with their fur smelling like skunk, there are a number of odor eliminating methods that you can try at home.

  • Option 1: It can be difficult to remove the pungent skunk odor from thick dog coats but Paul Krebaum’s “baking soda and peroxide” formula can get the job done.

Mix the following ingredients in a bucket:

  • 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
  • 1/4 cup of baking soda
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap (not detergent)

Wash your pet thoroughly and massage the solution into the fur, letting the solution set for roughly 5 minutes or until the odor is gone. Repeat if necessary. Allowing it to set in the fur gives way for the chemical reactions between the solution and skunk oil compounds to take place; the oxygen molecules from the soapy solution bond to the odor-causing thiols, resulting in a neutralization reaction and the skunk odor finally eliminated!

It is recommended to wash your pet outdoors as soon as the solution is mixed. Moreover, the solution can bring a stinging sensation to the eyes and open cuts, so it is important to be mindful while washing your pet near the eye area and to do so while wearing gloves. Note: for bigger pets, add lukewarm water as needed to obtain full coverage.

 

  • Option 2: There are numerous skunk odor removal products that you can purchase over the counter. Skunk shampoos, deodorants and sprays can be used to rid your pet of the skunk stench and will provide the odor control your pet needs.

Skunks And Pet Health Risks

Skunk smell is horrid and the pungent spray is not only harmful on the nose – it also poses multiple health risks. When a skunk sprays relatively close to an animal’s face, it can bring serious discomfort and in many cases, temporary blindness. If your pet has been sprayed in the face, make sure to flush the eyes and mouth with water immediately. Skunk spray can also cause animals to vomit, squint, drool, sneeze and have seizures.

The thiol component in skunk oil leads to the destruction of red blood cells, resulting in anemia. As a consequence of skunk spray, there have been a few cases of anemia among house pets. A dog was reportedly able to recover through a mild case of anemia. Another dog suffered from a severe case of anemia, and passed away after undergoing a seizure.

If your pet has been a victim of skunk spray, take the extra step forward and inspect the animal’s skin for any possible bite marks, seeing as skunks are one of the most common carriers of rabies. If your pet has been sprayed, the encounter with a rabid skunk is very unlikely. Although healthy skunks are most likely to spray other animals while rabies carrying skunks are more likely to exhibit extremely aggressive or fearless behaviour, it doesn’t hurt to check your pet for any bite marks.

Skunks and Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease among mammals that not only poses a threat to animals but to humans as well. It is transmitted through the spread of saliva, from bites or exposure to open wounds, and affects the central nervous system.

Some rabies symptoms include behavioural changes, loss of appetite, excessive drooling and becoming partially or completely paralyzed. Rabies is quite often fatal at the appearance of clinical signs; the infected can die within 7-10 days after showing symptoms.

In order to reduce the risk of obtaining rabies, have your pet under supervision while wandering outside; do not leave them unattended. Also, common rabies carriers (skunks, raccoons and foxes) are most active at night so try to let your pets out during the day as much as possible.

Skunks And Property Damage

From their rancid skunk spray to the possible transmissions of rabies, it is clear to see how skunks can pose a threat to you, your family and pets, but these creatures can be problematic towards your property as well. Skunks have a nasty habit of destroying home gardens by eating their way through fresh fruits and vegetables. They sometimes like to scavenge through human trash as well.

Another issue that skunks bring forward to homeowners is physical lawn destruction.  Skunks like to dig 3-4 inch deep holes in the ground while on the search for small insects to eat. They also like to dig burrows under buildings and porches.

How To Avoid Skunks

Despite the many problems that skunks may cause, there are a number of ways to avoid these nuisances and to keep these creatures away from you, your home, your family and your pets.

Skunks are most active at night so to avoid them from sneaking around your property in the dark, consider installing lights in your yard and keep existing lights on to ward these rodents away. Investing in lawn motion detector sprinklers is also an open option to ward off unwanted pests.

Skunks are problematic because of their dietary habits. They dig holes in the ground and eat homegrown gardens, so installing fences and securing trash bins shut can discourage skunks from wandering onto your property!

If you notice signs of wildlife in your house give us a call. At SOS Wildlife Control Inc., we provide wildlife 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 are available 24/7, 365 days a year for emergency services, and can easily be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Don’t wait, call us to schedule an appointment for a thorough inspection, removal and prevention to help evacuate all your unwanted wildlife guests in the most humane way possible.

Call SOS Wildlife 1.800.981.0330

 

10 Interesting Facts About Raccoons

 

Raccoons Have High IQ Levels

When considering the mammal IQ scale, raccoons rank closer to humans than most people would normally think. In general, monkeys are ranked right below humans and great apes, and with raccoons scoring average IQ levels below monkeys, they are considerably close to human IQ levels as well. In addition to their high IQ scores, raccoons are known to have evolving intelligence and methods of thinking. They are able to learn from past experiences and engage in critical and problem-solving thinking when obstacles arise. Moreover, as a result of their notable intelligence, raccoons were once candidates for lab testing alongside rats and monkeys but were discarded for being too smart, adaptive and strong-willed.

Raccoons Can Make Over 50 Different Noises

Raccoons have a large array of vocalizations. In fact, studies have determined that these animals can make over 51 different sounds that communicate different things! They hiss, purr and growl when competing for food. Younger raccoons often chirp and squeal and raccoons with rabies often exhibit extremely high-pitched squeals.

Raccoons Have Special Paws

Similar to human hands, raccoons embody five dexterous toes on each of their front paws that essentially function as human fingers. This gives them the ability to easily grasp things, scavenge for food and lift the lids off of trashcans -something they are notorious for doing. Another interesting feature of raccoon paws includes the abundance of nerves that allow them to become extra sensitive and send messages to the brain – when underwater, raccoons use this sensitivity to examine objects. Raccoons also have special feet that are able to rotate 180 degrees which allows them to climb up and down trees head first.

It was planned to conduct laboratory studies of such drugs as Levitra.

Raccoons Can Move At High Speeds

Raccoons are scavengers and are consequently always on the move searching for their food. In addition to walking, these animals are fast runners as well. In fact, raccoons can run at speeds as fast as 15 miles per hour, not only on solid ground but also while climbing up and down trees, and if dropped from a height of 35 to 40 meters, they can still remain unharmed. In addition to running with agility, raccoons are also able to swim to escape from predators and catch prey to meet their dietary needs.

Raccoons Are Nocturnal

Raccoons are nocturnal and are therefore asleep for majority of the day and are most active at night. Moreover, there are many myths claiming that seeing a raccoon up during daylight hours indicates that it is rabid. This is not true as there are many reasons as to why a raccoon may be awake, such as the availability of food during the daytime.

Raccoons Are Extremely Skillful

Raccoons are commonly associated with wild, violent and vicious behaviour; however,  this is not always the case and are actually quite skillful. As a result of their notable intelligence, people have been able to train raccoons to mirror the same basic skills that the average human toddler possesses, such as clapping and dancing.

Raccoons Can Survive Almost Anywhere

Raccoons were originally found in natural tropical areas but overtime, especially throughout the twentieth-century, they have managed to migrate and were then introduced to a wider array of habitats ranging from mountainous terrains to crowded cities; this is because of their noteworthy and uncommon ability to adapt to foreign environments. When considering their survivability, the average life expectancy of raccoons is typically between two to three years in the wild. The reasoning behind this low expectancy rate is simply cars and the expansion of roads and highways – raccoon death rates have increased because of countless roadkill incidents. However, they can live up to 20 years in captivity where they remain safe from road-related accidents.

Raccoons Do Not Have Life-Partners

Unlike wolves, beavers and other animals that mate for life, raccoons often have more than one mating partner. In fact, male raccoons attempt to mate with multiple females each season while female raccoons generally mate with one partner. Unlike other animals, male raccoons have nothing to do with raising their offspring and all of the responsibility falls on the mother as she raises her newborns alone.

Raccoons Have A Special Name

The scientific name for raccoons is Procyon lotor which is neo-Latin for ‘before-dog washer’. In 1780, scientist Gottlieb Congrad created a separate genus for the species Procyon which translates to dog-like, however raccoons and dogs are not related while raccoons surprisingly remain a close relative of the bear family. In addition to the latin name, the English word raccoon was derived from the Proto-Algonquian language and means “one who rubs, scrubs, and scratches with its hands”, which accurately describes this species.

Raccoons Love The City

Although they originated from earthly and natural habitats, raccoons love the city life! In fact, Toronto is one of the most raccoon populated cities in the world; approximately fifty times more raccoons live there than in neighboring suburban areas. Consequently, not only do crowded cities provide them with lots of space to scavenge around, but they also provide raccoons with easily accessible food resources. You guessed it – trash bins. With this being said you might want to keep in mind some raccoon proofing knowledge and a phone number of a reliable wildlife removal company!

If you notice signs of wildlife in your house give us a call. At SOS Wildlife Control Inc., we provide raccoon removal servicesquirrel 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 are available 24/7, 365 days a year for emergency services, and can easily be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Don’t wait, call us to schedule an appointment for a thorough inspection, removal and prevention to help evacuate all your unwanted wildlife guests in the most humane way possible.

Call SOS Wildlife 1-800-981-0330!

What you can do about Squirrels or Raccoons on your property

Squirrels and raccoons have always been culprits when it comes to hanging out in our backyards, lawns and attics. They take advantage of the space, the food sources and shelters available nearby which make it a convenient place to stay but for the residents who own the property, it can be a problem.

Although raccoons and squirrels have doe-eyed faces which make it easy to like them, they actually have the ability to cause more damage than you think and these problems only get worse the longer they go unresolved. Some of the problems you might face with raccoons and squirrels living on your property include the following:

  • They’re going through your trash bins and making a mess looking for something to eat
  • They rip and chew away at vents or chimney caps
  • They leave droppings
  • They aggravate your pets
  • They have the possibility of carrying different virus’ or disease
  • Aggressive wildlife animal may act defensively and cause injury or damage

Best humane ways of keeping wildlife from making homes on your property

There are several ways to keep wildlife from making homes on your property in an effective, safe and humane manner that included taking wildlife prevention precautions beforehand. Ensuring that wildlife don’t get into your property first and fore-more will drastically decrease the likelihood of any wildlife intrusions. Calling a professional wildlife control who uses a material like galvanized steel mesh to prevent wildlife from getting onto your property will save you money, time and effort in the long run.

If you don’t decide to conduct wildlife prevention, there are also other methods that can help in preventing wildlife on your property. Ensure that your trash bins are shut tight, or put away somewhere completely inaccessible from wildlife, especially raccoons. Raccoons have a lot of dexterity in their hands that make it easier for them to open trash bins or get into small spaces.

Be sure to conduct inspections every so often to look out for any spaces or areas that wildlife animals could possible use as an entry point.  Ensure that there are no wildlife animals living here when before you seal any entry points.

Why live trapping shouldn’t be your first choice

There are numerous reasons as to why it would not be beneficial to conduct wildlife live trapping.  Live trapping (by cage) is the process of catching a wildlife animal usually from a private property requested by someone with a nuisance wildlife problem and relocating them to a more convenient location for the property owner.

Under certain circumstances, live trapping is a necessary process and definitely the better alternative if it comes down to putting down wildlife animals. In some cases, live trapping is simply the best option for the wildlife animal as well as the property owner.

Reasons why wildlife live trapping shouldn’t be your first choice is because of how it affects the animal.

In certain months of the year, many wildlife animals are either already ready or preparing for baby season. This is the time period where wildlife are giving birth, or taking care of their young, teaching them to survive and thrive in the wilderness – but sometimes it isn’t in the wilderness, and it is on your property and that is when live trapping gets tricky.

During the early life stages of wildlife animals, just like us humans, they are dependent on their caretakers. Live trapping during these seasons risks catching the mother wildlife animal and leaving the young behind, orphaned, defenseless and hungry which is why it is especially risky to conduct wildlife trapping during the months of March-August.  

Another key reason why live trapping should be left as a last resort is due to the chance of leaving a wildlife animal disoriented. When many wildlife species settle, they take the time to become familiar with their setting, the surroundings. They know where to find shelter from weather outcomes to predators, and how to find water and food sources within that area. When wildlife are trapped and relocated, they become ‘disoriented’ and don’t know how to find things as well as they did in their previous location. As reported by the Humane Society of the United States, about 97% of squirrels either died or disappeared from where they were released.

Wildlife Removal Legalities in Ontario 

In Ontario, certain regulations are put in place to ensure the safety of wildlife animals as well as Ontario residents, so it is important that these rules are abided by

When dealing with nuisance wildlife, keep these in mind and read the official Rules for Removing Animals as published on Ontario.ca

  • Deal humanely with wildlife
  • Restrict activity to your property
  • Release trapped wildlife within 24 hours
  • Wildlife should not be relocated further than 1km from where they were caught
  • With the property owner’s permission, release wildlife on private property

Why Calling for professional wildlife removal services is a good idea

Calling for a professional wildlife removal service is always a good choice especially if you’ve never dealt with wildlife nuisance problems in the past. Professional wildlife technicians are licensed and trained with dealing with wildlife and pest control problems and know the right method to ensure safety, humane treatment while getting the results you want.

If you notice signs of wildlife in your house give us a call. At SOS Wildlife, we provide superior wildlife removal 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.

Should Pet Owners Be Concerned About Pest Infestations

As of this week, it is officially Summer and with summer comes a multitude of outdoor activities to enjoy, for both you and your pets! Our four legged friends are coming out with us to enjoy warmer weather in parks, campgrounds, forests or even our own backyard. It’s all fun and games but we need to keep in the mind the possible pest infestations and well-being of our hairy best friends (not you, tom).

Dogs and cats are both susceptible to catching all sorts of terrible diseases that can seriously harm them if not taken care of seriously and being outdoor increases these chances. Encounters with pests and wild animals like raccoons and skunks who care capable of transmitting diseases puts your pets at risk.

Here are some of the things to be aware of:

Diseases Your Pets Can Catch from Pests

Aside from physical altercations between wild and domestic animals, there are a number of diseases that your cat or dog can catch from them too. When the doors are open, or when the dog or cat is out, be weary of these.

Roundworms:

Roundworms can be deadly and are sometimes difficult to spot which is why it is very dangerous. Pets are infected when they lick their coat after having rolled around in the soil. When wildlife becomes infected with roundworm, the roundworm lays eggs in the stomach of the wild animal who later excretes it in the soil. When this same soil is ingested, that new animal becomes the host of roundworm. In some cases, roundworm can appear minimal and tame, but in worst case scenarios, the cyst formed from roundworm can be present in the eyes/brain which could cause serious damage.

Rabies:

Rabies isn’t something new to worry about, as the concern has always been around, but it’s definitely something to worry about. Through animals and humans, transmittal occurs when bitten by an infected animal. It is not spread by urine, blood or defecation but through the saliva of the infected animal. When bit, the virus affects the nervous system and eventually spinal cord which could infect the brain which leads to death. Rabies are commonly spread through wildlife like skunks and raccoons, animals who both populate many regions on Ontario, such as Toronto, Markham, Mississauga.

Distemper:

Distemper is a common disease which unfortunately takes the life of many dogs. Symptoms of distemper include diarrhea, vomiting and the infected dog will become tired and lethargic. With distemper, the spinal cord as well as the brain can become infected which greatly increases the chance of fatality. It is contagious and is acquired when vaccines aren’t given or they are ineffective.

Tapeworm:

Tapeworm is transmitted through the ingestion of defecation from an infected animal or through meat that is infected. It occurs when the egg tapeworm is swallowed and ends up in the digestive track and can form cysts in organs throughout the body.

There are many other diseases that can affect your pet, so it is important to stay aware and informed to keep them safe and sound.

How to Protect your pets from the effects of pest

The best way to protect your pets from the effects of pests is number 1, to ensure that they are vaccinated for everything they need to be vaccinated for and that they are all up-to-date.

Always monitor your pet’s behavior for any unusual activity that seem alarming. Get tests done and check with your vet especially if you have recently been outside with your dog and they are behaving this way. Doing this can help identify any existing health concerns that should be taken care of, sooner than later. If done later it may be more complicated or even impossible to treat which is why it is better to take precautions beforehand.

Keep your pets away from areas populated with wildlife animals especially raccoons and skunks. These animals are more likely than others capable of transmitting an infectious disease to your pet that could seriously compromise their health. When you take your pets outdoors, avoid tall grassy areas especially with nearby water sources where there could easily be pests and wildlife nearby.

By wildlife proofing your property, you can help decrease raccoon/skunk encounters. Doing this minimizes the risk of your pet getting too close and getting harmed by infected wildlife on your property.

How SOS Wildlife Can make your home pest free

Ensuring that your property is wildlife free, call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated Incorporated. Our technicians are experienced, knowledgeable, professional and humane. An SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated Incorporated technician can help you by proofing your home helping eliminate the possibility of wildlife intrusion.

For wildlife prevention, call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated Incorporated We conduct safe and humane solutions for your wildlife and pest control problems. Help keep your furry four-legged friend safe by reducing the risk of wildlife intrusions on your property and call an expert wildlife technician. We can easily be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Don’t wait, call us, and we’ll schedule you in for an appointment for a thorough inspection to help identify wildlife access points and personalized wildlife prevention solutions.

Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated Incorporated 1-800-981-0330 for Wildlife Prevention!

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