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
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
An attic provides a safe shelter for a raccoon, and usually meets all of their living requirements: shelter, safety and food. The first step is to identify if there really is a raccoon in the attic. Next, steps must be taken to remove the raccoon. Lastly, you must find a way to prevent future raccoons in the attic.
How to know you have a raccoon in the attic
The four main ways to identify if you have a raccoon in the attic is sight, noise, damage or odor.
Sight
The easiest way to know you have a raccoon is to spot it. You may see it entering or leaving however this could be rare as they are very skilled at staying hidden. Raccoons are nocturnal and they enter and leave mainly at night. If you do see a raccoon in the attic have it removed immediately.
Noise
The most common way to know you have a raccoon in the attic is to hear it. Noise is the primary way our customers know they have a raccoon in the attic. We get calls in the middle of the night as they can be very loud. Raccoons are much larger than cats and even some dogs so it is not surprising they make so much noise. Raccoons in the attic sound very heavy and move slowly, compared to squirrels who run around.
Damage
You can also identify a raccoon problem by the damage they cause. They often destroy anything that gets in their way in their search for food. They will knock over garbage cans, break glass, and destroy property.They have nimble fingers that allow them to open lids to gain access to food. The longer you have a raccoon in the attic the more damage they will cause. Having a raccoon for two weeks will cause a lot of damage to your attic. They will chew through the wood at the side of your house or chew through soffits to gain access. In some cases they don’t just make one entryway they make several. Having several holes on your roof and the feces on the insulation effects the energy costs in your house. They will chew on electric wires which may cause a fire hazard. As soon as you notice a raccoon in the attic you should have them removed immediately! For more information on Raccoon damages read our Raccoon Removal page.
Odor
Raccoon feces can contain roundworm disease which is dangerous to humans. If the feces is near your ventilation system it is possible for the spores to travel around your home. It is important for your health to have the raccoon in the attic removed. For dangers of raccoon feces read our Animal Feces Removal page.
What to do if you have a raccoon in the attic?
If you have a raccoon in the attic you have two options: Do it yourself raccoon removal or hire a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to remove the raccoon for you.
Do it yourself raccoon removal
This involves using sprays, loud music, sound devices and other gimmicks to scare away the raccoon. These methods may work, but only temporarily. In many cases, the raccoon will return.
Eliminate Attractants
Other ways you can resolve a raccoon problem without trapping the animal is to eliminate whatever is attracting the raccoon to your property – garbage, pet food, a pond, tree branches. Assess your house for weak points where they may enter and exit.
There are a lot of dangers with do it yourself raccoon removal methods, and you may spend a lot of time and money on gimmicks that don’t work. We highly recommend removing raccoons professionally, by someone who is trained with the experience and knowledge to conduct humane raccoon removal. We do not advise you to try live trapping as it should only be done by a professional. Also note the rules and regulations for you area in regards to wildlife on your property. If you are going to try this yourself, please read up on the Ministry of Natural Resources Laws. It’s important to make sure the safety and welfare of the animal is in mind during any raccoon removal method. Check out out Raccoon Removal page for more information.
Baby Raccoon in the Attic
If you have a raccoon in the attic, be aware that during some times of the year, there are higher chances of finding baby raccoons. If you have baby raccoon in the attic, do not remove them by yourself, hire a professional. Mother raccoons are extremely protective of there young. You will not want to enter an attic with a mother raccoon and babies. A wild animal in a confined space protecting her young can be dangerous. Visit our Raccoon Removal page for information on our baby raccoon removal methods.
Prevent future raccoon in the attic
To prevent future animals entering your home SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated provides wildlife prevention for your home. Wildlife prevention keeps them out and is a very smart move to save you money in the future. Read our Wildlife Prevention page for more information.
Call SOS Wildlife if you have a raccoon in the attic
Professional Raccoon Removal Toronto mostly use the one way door method to remove raccoons. What is a one way door, you ask?
One way doors are specially designed doors which allow the animal(s) to exit the property and not re-enter.
This raccoon removal Toronto method is very humane and does not include catching the animal in anyway. It involves blocking off all entryways to your home except one, the last unsealed entryway is where the one-way door is set up. The animal leaves through the door and cannot re-enter your home. This is the most humane approach and the animal returns to it’s natural habitat. This is the most common raccoon removal Toronto method, however it is not always suited to every job.
What do they do with the raccoons once they are trapped?
We have been asked on many occasion what do we do with the wildlife after we catch it.
As Ontario Law has very strict rules and regulations especially when it comes to wildlife. All raccoon removal Toronto must be humane with no harm to the animal. Once we snare and put the animal into a live cage, the animal is then taken and released a kilometer away from where it is caught.
These approaches sound very easy but it takes experience and knowledge of the animals to do it correctly. If there are babies involved it is different again as you have to remove the mother with a one-way door then remove the babies separately. Check our raccoon removal Toronto page if there are babies involved. Wildlife removal must be done in a humane manner with respect to wildlife. If you have a wildlife problem, call us at 647-994-9453 or email us at info@soswildlife.ca.
Do It Yourself Raccoon Removal Toronto
Although we don’t recommend it, If you wish to do it yourself you have to learn how to remove raccoons humanely. It is important to understand what to do with them once caught and know the law. If you do not use the correct humane raccoon removal Toronto method you may face a fine. You may think you will not get caught but read about Dong Nguyen, the man who hit three baby raccoons with a shovel as they destroyed his garden in downtown Toronto in 2011. He faced a $1,365 fine and 100 hours volunteer service in a animal shelter. Hiring a professional raccoon removal Toronto technician would have been a better approach. Read more on Dong Nguyen’s inhumane raccoon removal method. There has been a lot of cruel acts by people towards these raccoons which is very wrong, please don’t be one of them. If you do want to remove the raccoon yourself, take the time and research into humane raccoon removal Toronto methods.
Depending on where you live, check the local bylaws to see if you are allowed to relocate these animals. If so relocate the animal one kilometer away from where you captured it, into a green wooden area.
Be careful not to get scratch by raccoons as they may carry numerous diseases including rabies and roundworm found in their feces. Only handle their feces if it is wet, the spores are released when it is dry. Ensure to wear gloves and a mask. If you get scratched seek medical attention immediately. Read our Raccoon Removal and Rabies page for more information.
Do It Yourself Raccoon Removal Dangers
There’s a reason professional wildlife trapping companies exist. Do it yourself options for raccoon removal like trapping and releasing can risk you trapping a family or neighbor’s pet, or even worse a toddler. Be very careful before doing this and check the law in your area to see if it is legal to relocate a raccoon yourself.
Another sad inhumane raccoon removal method happened in Oakville in 2015, where a resident set rat poison around a tree to kill off squirrels and ended up killing 3 pet dogs and putting 3 more dogs critical condition.
These are both devastating stories so please be aware when initiating raccoon removal Toronto methods yourself. There are other risk factors involved. We really do highly recommend removing raccoons professionally, by someone who is trained in what they are doing. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated provides efficient, professional and humane methods. We do not advise you to try live trapping, as this takes practice and should only be done by a professional. You don’t want to accidentally trap the neighbors cat or toddlers. Also remember there are strict laws of the sizes of the traps and the animals have to be relocated. If you are going to try this yourself please read up on the Ministry of Natural Resources Laws.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated on (647) 994-9453 for Raccoon Removal Toronto
Although we don’t recommend it, If you wish to do it yourself you have to learn how to remove raccoons humanely. It is important to understand what to do with them once caught and know the law. If you do not use the correct humane raccoon removal Toronto method you may face a fine. You may think you will not get caught but read about Dong Nguyen, the man who hit three baby raccoons with a shovel as they destroyed his garden in downtown Toronto in 2011. He faced a $1,365 fine and 100 hours volunteer service in a animal shelter. Hiring a professional raccoon removal Toronto technician would have been a better approach. Read more on Dong Nguyen’s inhumane raccoon removal method. There has been a lot of cruel acts by people towards these raccoons which is very wrong, please don’t be one of them. If you do want to remove the raccoon yourself, take the time and research into