Wildlife

Wildlife we handle in Ontario

Wildlife work covers the animals that move into a building rather than the insects that infest it. Raccoons are the most common, 60 to 95 cm and 5.5 to 22 kg, reddish brown with a black facial mask, and strong enough to tear open a roof vent or a soffit. Grey squirrels are 400 to 700 g and active in daylight, and they gnaw their way into attics. Skunks are 52 to 80 cm, black with two white stripes, and they den under decks, sheds and porches. Bats are small, 3 to 20 g, and roost in attics, soffits and wall voids. Groundhogs, also called woodchucks, dig burrows under sheds, decks and outbuildings and are common around Ottawa. Virginia opossums are grizzled grey marsupials that shelter in the same spaces. Each needs a different approach, but the principles are the same.

What these animals have in common

None of them are trying to cause trouble. They are looking for a dry, sheltered, defensible place to rest or to raise young, and a building offers better shelter than a tree cavity or a burrow. Attics, chimneys, soffits, roof vents, the space under a deck or shed, and the gap between a porch and the ground all read as ideal den sites. Most are active at dusk and through the night, with squirrels the main exception. Most arrive in late winter and spring looking for somewhere to have their young, which is why the season matters so much. And all of them will return to a den site that stays open, or be replaced by the next animal, unless the opening is closed properly.

Signs of wildlife in your home

• Noise overhead, such as heavy thumping and rolling sounds from raccoons, rapid scampering from squirrels during the day, or light fluttering and squeaking from bats at dusk.
• Damaged roof line, including torn soffits, lifted shingles, bent roof vents and chewed fascia.
• Droppings and staining, in an attic, along a soffit, or below an entry point on the wall.
• A strong smell, from skunk spray under a deck or from urine and droppings in an attic.
• Burrow openings and fresh soil at the edge of a shed, deck, porch or foundation.
• Insulation pushed flat or pulled apart in the attic, or a trail worn through it.

Health and property risks

Wildlife in a building causes real damage. Torn soffits and roof vents let in water. Insulation gets flattened, soiled and stops working. Squirrels and raccoons gnaw on wiring, which is a fire risk, and a raccoon opening a roof can leave a hole that costs far more than the removal. Groundhog burrows undermine sheds, patios and retaining walls. On the health side, droppings and urine contaminate attic space and can affect indoor air, raccoon droppings carry roundworm, bats can carry rabies and should never be handled, and any of these animals can bring fleas, mites and ticks into a structure. A cornered or nursing animal can also bite, which is why removal is work for a licensed technician rather than a homeowner with a ladder.

How to keep wildlife out

• Inspect the roof line each year for loose soffits, gaps at the gable ends, worn fascia and vents that have been pried or chewed.
• Cap the chimney and screen roof, soffit and gable vents with material strong enough to resist a raccoon.
• Close off the space under decks, porches and sheds with screening carried below ground level so animals cannot dig under it.
• Keep bins secured with a latch or a strap, feed pets indoors, and clean up fallen fruit and spilled birdseed.
• Trim branches back from the roof, since overhanging limbs are the usual route up for squirrels and raccoons.
• Repair the small damage early. An opening that a squirrel made is often the opening a raccoon uses next.

How GO! Pest Control handles wildlife humanely

• Inspection. We identify the species, find every entry point and check for young, because removing an adult and leaving a litter behind is both inhumane and a worse problem.
• Treatment. We use humane methods suited to the animal, such as one way doors that let it leave on its own and hand removal and reuniting of young where that applies, in line with Ontario requirements.
• Exclusion. We close and reinforce the entry points once the animal is out, so the same opening cannot be used again.
• Follow-up. We return to confirm the building is clear and the repairs are holding.
• Advice. We point out the roof line, deck and yard conditions that made the property attractive in the first place.

Bats are protected in Ontario and the timing of an exclusion matters. Work is not carried out while flightless pups are in the roost, because that would trap them inside. We assess the roost, explain the timing and schedule the exclusion for a period when it can be done properly.

We are licensed, insured and bonded, and we work in homes, apartments, condos and businesses across the Toronto GTA, Ottawa and Hamilton.

Common questions about wildlife