Mice

You hear the chewing and scratching at night, you might even see some droppings in the house. Mice are very common and easy to control with the correct application of poison bait and proper monitoring. Identifying all the areas where mice can enter your home will drive you crazy. After all that work there will still be some spot, somewhere, where the mice can squeeze in. Bait stations (installed correctly in locked, tamper-proof containers, placed where they can not be accessed by children or pets) are the best way to control a mouse population in or around your home. Mice are very intelligent and tend to avoid snap traps or live capture traps. 

• Inspect home for signs of mice (droppings, nesting materials, signs of gnawing, signs of burrowing in attic insulation, etc.)

• Place bait in locked, tamper-proof containers where they can be accessed by mice but not by children or pets.

• Follow up to be schedualed 3-4 weeks after initial to assess population and replace bait. Follow up visit is included in the cost of the service.

 

Raccoons (and kits)

 Raccoons are very intelligent and have a lot of strength and dexterity in their hands. They can tear away shingles, soffit, roof vents or anything else in their way. When raccoons are searching for a place to spend the winter or to have their kits (babies) they will commonly break into attics, sheds and garages seeking shelter. Trapping is very rarely a practical solution to the problem. There are thousands of raccoons in York region and trapping the right one can be tricky. Our approach involves physically excluding the Raccoon from your home to prevent future re-entry. 

• Locate entry point.

• If spring or summer, inspect attic for raccoon kits. (If babies are present, they will be removed from the den and placed outside in a warm, waterproof container. When the mother exits the attic, she will relocate her young to an alternate den site.)

• Intall one-way door over entry point with steel mesh. The one-way door allows the raccoon to EXIT the home without injury and then closes firmly behind. Once the raccoon has exited through the door it will be unable to regain entry provided there are no other potential points of entry. 

• We will provide an estimate for any additional repairs that may be required to permanently exclude raccoons (or any other pests) from the home. The best way to make sure that the raccoons do not get back in is to make preventative repairs to any weak spots on the soffit or roof vents. 

 

If the raccoons are living under your shed or deck we will be following the same procedure as a skunk removal. See the skunk section below for more information. 

 

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Squirrels

 Red squirrels and Eastern gray squirrels can be quite the nuissance. They are tenatious and surprisingly intellgent. Often squirrels will gain entrance to your house through gaps in the soffit (where it meets the roof) or they will chew through roof vents. They use vegetation to climb on to the house but they can easily scale the brick so trimming the hedges is not enough. If squirrels have made it into the attic or garage you will hear them constantly running back and forth, especially in the early morning. Like with raccoons, trapping is not generally an effective solution. Squirrels will be physically excluded with repairs made to the roof vents and soffit.

• Locate entry point

• Install one-way door over entry point. The one-way door allows the squirrels to EXIT the home without injury and then closes firmly behind. Once the squirrel has exited through the door it will be unable to regain entry provided there are no other potential points of entry.

• Baby squirrels reach maturity quickly. If babies are present they will be able to follow the mother out through the door. If they are unable to use the door, a small hole (large enough for the babies only) will be provided.

• Provide estimate for any additional repairs that may be required to permenantly exclude squirrels (or any other pests) from the home. The best way to make sure that the squirrels do not get back in is to make preventative repairs to any weak spots on the soffit or roof vents. 

 

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Skunks

 Skunks like to make their homes under your sheds or decks. The smell can be pretty overwhelming but other than that they are completely harmless. Skunks will also dig up your lawn and garden in search of grubs and earthworms, however there isn't much that can be done about this. In order to remove the skunks permanently, the entire perimeter of the structure needs to be secured with screen to prevent the skunks from digging back in. The same procedure is used for raccoons, or any other animal that makes its home under your shed or deck. 

• Locate entry point. 

• Measure perimeter of shed or deck that requires screening. Dig 1ftx1ft (approx.) trench around the perimeter. Screen is then folded in an L shape, secured to deck and buried in the trench. A price per foot is determined based on difficulty of the dig and the size of the project. 

• Install one-way door where it can be easily accessed by the skunk (and babies if applicable). Once the skunk has exited through the door it will be unable to regain entry.

 

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Birds

 Starlings, sparrows and other domestic bird species can nest in wall vents or gaps and crevices on the roof and soffit. They are noisy, smelly and they poop on walls and windows. If the nest is in a wall vent (as is often the case with European Starlings) it can block the flow of air and impede proper function of the bathroom or kitchen vent. An unpleasant odour will often waft into the home after the nest has been there for some time, if a baby bird dies, or the eggs are broken. 

• Remove nest from sofit or wall vent. Baby birds will be placed in a temporary nest box until they have matured and flown away at which time the box will be removed. The mother will continue to feed and care for them in most cases even after they have been disturbed.

• Replace vent (if necessary).

• Install galvanized steel mesh cover over vent or secure entry point. 

 

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Wasps

Depending on where the nest is, it can be very easy or very difficult to treat wasps. If the nest is exposed and clearly visible then treating and removing the nest is very simple and can often be resolved in two visits. If the nest happens to be located in the soffit, behind the siding or in some kind of burrow or recess this makes things a little tricky. Multiple visits are likely necessary to ensure that the nest is completely inactive in the event that the nest can not be directly accessed. 

• Customer must indicate location of the nest. Wasps in your backyard may not necessarily indicate the presence of a nest. If you can, please idicate the location of the paper nest (if visible) or the opening that they have been seen flying in and out.

• Pesticides will be applied to the nest. The method of application varies depending on the location.

• We will return to remove the nest once it is inactive.

• The treatment is guaranteed to be effective. We will return as many times as necessary to ensure the wasps have been eliminated. 

 

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Ants

Certain types of ants can be considered pests under the right circumstances. If you are noticing a consistent issue involving ants inside your home, the first thing to consider is what type of ant we are dealing with. Identifying the species of ant is essential to evaluating the impact they will have on your home and how to treat them effectively. 

• Customer must provide a sample for identification and a description of where and when the ants are being seen inside the home. Place the ant in a sealed plastic bag and we can identify it onsite during the estimate. If you are able to take a picture with high resolution, we can identify your ant via email. pesthound@gmail.com

• Spot treatments where product is injected into wall voids may be required in some instances. 

• A barrier of pesticides will be applied to the perimeter of the house and around doors and windows in most cases.

 

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Bats

 Usually if a bat is in your house, it got there by mistake. They fly unbelievably quickly and can swoop in through open doors and windows in the warmer months. They are not likely to find their way out on their own. They are not dangerous to humans but they can bite so it is best to not attempt to handle them on your own. If there is a population discovered in your attic, garage or shed they can be removed by draping a strip of net along the gap they use. The bats then fly into the net and are not able to re-enter. If the bats are flying into a hole, a cone is used to removed them. The bats exit through the cone and can not re-enter.

• Identify entry point(s) if applicable. If the bat is in the living space it likely entered through a window or open door. 

• Install net or cone until bats are confirmed to have left.

• Close entry point with caulking and/or metal screen.

• If a bat has become trapped inside your home, that is likely not a sign of a population elsewhere. The bat will be removed by hand and the attic inspected for signs of bat activity.

 

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Chimney and Fireplace

Sometimes raccoons, birds, squirrels and some other interesting animals end up in our chimneys and fireplaces. Raccoons and squirrels will occasionally nest in your chimney or just above the flue cover. Birds on the other hand have a tendency to fall down and become trapped. Squirrels can also accidentally fall down and if the sides of the chimney are to smooth they will not be able to find their way out. It may be necessary to hire the services of a chimney cleaner or repair company once the animals have been removed. 

• If the animal has become trapped in the fire place or above the flue they will be removed by hand and released outside. 

• The chimney will be capped in order to prevent animals from entering in the future. If masonry repairs are necessary, we can recommend the services of a company that specializes in just that.

• If the animals are nesting in the chimney and are able to exit on their own, a one way door will be installed to allow the animals to exit but not re-enter. If there are babies they will be removed by hand. Finally, the door will be removed and the chimney will be capped.

 

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Clean up

Is there a mess on your property that you want nothing to do with? Let us take care of it. Garages, sheds, attics and where ever else the animals are calling home can get messy. We can clean out any nesting materials or droppings, dissinfect/deodarize, and dispose of any soiled or unwanted items. We are happy to clean up just about anything even if it doesnt happen to be wildlife related. Let us know what you have and we'll come by and give you a quote.

• Remove droppings, soiled items and nesting materials.

• Sanitize and deodorize area.

• Provide quote for preventative repairs if necessary.

 

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