Wildlife Management

Types of Wildlife.

An average homeowner, whether in the suburbs or a rural area, can be plagued with raccoons, skunks, squirrels, ground-hogs, bats and opossums. The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial in North America. Bats are specially protected mammals under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, while under the same act raccoons, squirrels, skunks and opossums are considered fur-bearing mammals.

Proactive Control

The first step is to inspect the area for signs of the presence of  wildlife pests. Raccoons and squirrels are well known to tear into roofs and eaves to gain access to the attic of a home to nest. They will travel up and down nearby trees and jump on the roof, or climb the homes downspouts. Once inside the attic they can cause considerable damage to insulation, drywall, electrical and venting and create unwanted odours with they faeces and urine. Proactive management involves checking your home frequently for openings in the and around the roof. Any opening is an invitation for a raccoon or squirrel to take up residence. Also keeping nearby trees pruned removes an easy access route.

 

Management System

Pest Xpress uses an integrated pest management approach when dealing with wild life problems. Only through proper inspection, monitoring, identification, action and evaluation can the problem be solved. Once the problem is identified the first step is proofing.

Wildlife proofing refers to the actions involved in stopping animals from gaining entrance into a structure. Eliminating all possible entry points is what proofing is all about. Whether it's bats, raccoons, squirrels, opossums, ground-hogs or skunks, proofing a structure is the only long term solution to ridding your dwelling of wildlife inhabitants. Mesh screens and aluminium fascia can be most effective at sealing holes created by animals in your roof and eaves, and under porches, keeping them from getting in. One way doors can also be used  if it suspected an animal is already in your attic. The animal goes out the door but cannot return. However, if used incorrectly the animal may find another way in or simply create a new hole to re-enter the attic. Sometimes it may be necessary  to place one or more traps in your attic, to catch the animal. Here at Pest Xpress we have the experience and knowledge to deal with your wildlife problems.

Wildlife trapping options:

Pest Xpress offers both a full trapping management system and a trap rental option for those wishing to save money.  Traps for wildlife need to be placed out for 10 successive days to ensure the problem animal is caught. Ontario law dictates that live traps must be checked every 24 hours. This means 10 trips to your premises by our technicians. Some people would rather not have any interactions with their problem pests and for them this is a good option. A more economical solution is trap rental. Pest Xpress will bring, place and set the live rental traps and it is the homeowners responsibility to check them daily for wildlife. Upon finding an animal simply contact Pest Xpress and we will dispatch a technician to pick up the trap. Contact us for details and pricing on this or any other service we offer.

More Resources:

Link to more information about raccoons: http://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/mammals/raccoon.html

Link to more information on raccoons.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon

Link to more information about squirrels: http://www.hww.ca/assets/pdfs/factsheets/eastern-grey-squirrel-en.pdf

Link to more information about skunks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk

Link to more i nformation about skunks: http://www.hww.ca/assets/pdfs/factsheets/striped-skunk-en.pdf

For more information on wildlife control or to schedule a peace of mind inspection for your home, contact Pest Xpress.

Pest Xpress is a proud member of the Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce.