We get calls from all over Southern Ontario by homeowners who believe they see and hear signs of wildlife living in their attic or home. We can often tell by the time of the year what species it is most likely to be. For example, mice will be more active once the cold weather hits, the same holds true for squirrels. Raccoons can be found breaking in or living in your attic at any time of the year; they are a more robust animal and are less affected by the weather. Birds and bats are usually making their presence known in and around the spring season but are more active during the summer. Because skunks are ground dwellers and lay low during winter months, they are very active during the summer and fall seasons.

Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!

Based on communications with our customers over the past several years, we have put together the top 25 questions we are regularly asked and have addressed the below. This will help you identify the signs that wildlife is living in your home.

 

1 – There’s something up there

I’m not sure if they’re racoon or squirrels in my attic but there’s something up there. Hear them mostly at night, although I thought I heard something yesterday during the day.

When everything is quiet in your home, wildlife of any sort is more likely to be active. Hearing scurrying during the night is dead giveaway wildlife is living in your attic. Before you decide how best t proceed, its important you figure out what animal is living in your home.

2 – I saw a mouse in the bedroom today

I saw mouse in the bedroom today and many times I’ve seen it on the main floor as well

This one is obvious, but don’t be fooled into thinking this was an isolated instance and that it will go away. Many times customers will tell us they left a door open and that must be how the mouse got in. The reality is if you see a single mouse in your house, that usually means you have hundreds living in your walls and attic. They do not accidentally stroll in. Mice need only a tiny amount of space to enter a home. Once they do they breed quicker than any other pest.

Check out this video to see how little rooms they need to get in:

3 – Seems to have come down an existing chimney

Not sure if it is a racoon or a squirrel in our wall. Seems to have come down an existing chimney into walled off fire place.

This is a very common occurrence. Many homes have blocked off fire-places that were active at one time. The problem, in this case, is that many times, when a fireplace has been blocked off, the top of the chimney isn’t sealed off properly. When this happens raccoons and virtually all wildlife are prone to falling in and getting stuck. The worse case situation for this kind of a scenario is usually death by starvation for these animals and usually a cleanup job for the homeowner. If your fireplace is blocked off, make sure your chimney is also properly sealed off as well. 

4 – Birds that are getting into our bathroom fan vent

We have birds that are getting into our bathroom fan vent on the side of the house. We can hear the birds in the ceiling.

Fan vents are common places for finding bird nests. Most vents are up high on the home and generally go unnoticed if you don’t look up or if you don’t traverse your home frequently enough. These vents can and should be properly sealed off to prevent entry but when they’re not and they’ve become a home to birds you eventually start hearing them. If the construction of your home wasn’t 100% infallible, they can usually make their way to other parts of your walls or into your attic. If you can, check your fan vents at least once a year to ensure there are no creatures living there.

5 – Raccoons have taken residence under my deck

I live in a townhouse, and raccoons have taken residence under my deck just outside the basement window.

Depending on where you live, and what kind of deck you have, you could have a recurring raccoon problem with them living under your deck. Signs that they are living under your deck are things like garbage and old food scraps under or around the sides of your deck and simply seeing them (usually at night) waddling in and out from under your deck. If it’s the winter time and there is snow everywhere, you can also see raccoon tracks going to and from your deck. If something is hindering them like a piece of wood or plastic, you’ll also see the results of their chewing through anything that gets in their way.

6 – The odd bat will find its way into my living area

Purchased home 3 years ago, it had been left empty for awhile. There was evidence of bats (dung) in attic when I moved in. Since then, there has been an increase in “bat noise” in walls, attic. Also the odd bat will find its way into my living area. They appear to be coming in the back of the house. I caulked up some areas, but there is still an issue.

If you’re lucky, you haven’t had to encounter any bats flying into your living room, but it does happen. Many a time we’ve been called to remove a bat or more from a home-owners living area. Other signs are the distinctive sounds they make while communication and scoping out their area along with piles of bat guano outside of their entry points. If you want to see the evidence that bats need to be removed from your home follow this link.

7 – We are concerned that there may be A mouse nest

We’ve seen a few mice or rats outside our kitchen door on our deck…the deck is low to the ground and we are concerned that there may be a mouse nest. We have removed all recycling bins from this area but are concerned that they may still be there.

The hard part about finding mice under the deck is in discovering that seeing them there usually means that there’s an entry point somewhere under the deck of which is giving them access to your home. Generally, mice (and all wildlife) prefer to live in warm and dry places, especially in the winter, so if you see signs of mice going to and from your deck, brace yourself for a mice removal job. Chances are they’ve penetrated the foundation to some extent and have made it into your home.

8 – We put new soffit/fascia in

so far 4 bats have been in house and have been able to get them outside – we put new soffit/fascia in November and may have blocked entry/exit – but need help to get rid of more that may be here.

When it comes to your roof and wildlife, one surefire culprit as an entry point is through the roof vents, soffit intersections, exhausts, and the fascia boards. Generally speaking, the average home-owner can attempt to block off these sections themselves, but if it’s not done right and with the appropriate material, the entry will recur. You can do a home inspection yourself for any damage to the parts of your roof and call the professionals if you find something. Please note – bats don’t actually destroy or gnaw at parts of your home in order to get in – they either find holes that are small enough for them to get through or use the holes created by other wildlife. When it’s the latter, you can rest assured that you’ve already got wildlife damage in your attic to contend with and getting things cleaned up is quite pertinent.

9 – Several birds have taken to making this their home

We have a rather large overhang at the entrance to our church. Several birds have taken to making this their home. Very dirty, loud, annoying.

Overhangs on older homes are usually susceptible to problems with nuisance wildlife. Generally, they go years without ever actually being inspected or at other times, a lot of homeowners don’t mind seeing a few birds flying out from under their window over-hangs because they like seeing the birds. The problem is these over-hangs can get damaged and holes can also start to develop. Over the long run, if the birds are given free rein, they can become a very huge nuisance, and potentially end up costing hundreds or thousands in damages.

10 – We have an ongoing mouse problem that can’t seem to be fixed

We have an ongoing mouse problem that can’t seem to be fixed. We have been controlling the situation with a company that uses poison to kill them but we are still seeing the occasional mouse and can hear them scratching in the walls. The current company we are dealing with doesn’t seem to offer any help with keeping the mice out of the house in first place – they just treat the ones that do get in.

We put together a write-up on why there’s no use poisoning or trying to kill mice. You can read it here before you read on. To summarize as to whether poisoning mice works, the answer is no. Now, mice don’t generally scratch the walls or wood. It sounds like scratching, but they’re actually doing is biting and gnawing there way through areas that are hindering their movement or entry into an area. When you hear this chewing you’ll usually find wood, metal or plastic chips scattered everywhere and other signs of damage. This is a clear sign you’ve got a mice problem and need to do something about it quickly.

11 – Residents can hear them, at times, lights flicker

Possibility of squirrels living in the attic? Residents can hear them, at times, lights flicker which makes us think that they are possibly chewing through wires!

Are your home lights and other electrical systems failing? When this happens, there’s a high chance you’ve got squirrels or mice living in your attic or other parts of your home. Mice and squirrels can easily (and safely) chew through electrical wires so along with hearing noises, you may experience things like the lights flickering in your home. If this is the case, call the experts right away before the damage gets worse.

12 – I have found mice droppings in a cupboard

Hello, I have found mice droppings in a cupboard, set traps and caught nothing, however, one of the cats in the house found one. I have heard scratching in the attic and in one wall of the kitchen (quite loud, so unsure if just mice or a squirrel also???) Thanks for your help!!

It’s common for household pets to bring home gifts for their owners, and usually in the form of a dead animal. There are two situations you need to consider here; is your pet an inside or outside pet? If it’s an inside pet, and it’s brought you a dead animal like a mouse, you can safely say you’ve got some form of an infestation. If your pet is an outside pet and brought in a dead animal, you still may have an infestation, but the chances are decreased. To be sure, a basic home inspection will do the trick of letting you know whether you’ve got a bigger problem to contend with.

13 – Squirrels in the wall between the layers of brick

We have squirrels in the wall between the layers of brick (old house).

Older houses are always going to be more susceptible to wildlife intrusions. The wood is generally more soft that the wood of new homes and so chewing out holes as entry points for wildlife isn’t hard to do at all. Generally, wildlife like squirrels tend to make homes in attics, but we have found and removed hundreds from behind brick or dry-wall walls. If there’s room for them to get in, they’ll try and many times they get stuck. In this case, you can do an outside inspection just to see if you see any damage to any of the foundation or structure of your home, specifically around the bricks or around the soffit vents.

14 – My house sits on boulders and railway ties

I have skunks, opossum and I think raccoons living under my deck and house. I have no foundation, no basement. My house sits on boulders and railway ties. They have inhabited under my house for some time, have just accepted them, but now getting a little much. I am concerned of cost and how to keep them out, used to have chicken wire around the house but that doesn’t deter them.

If you’re hearing strange noises under your home, even though you don’t have a foundation and basement, you’ve probably got a wildlife problem. Like this home-owner, if you see an increase in the amount of wildlife hanging around your home, and if they’re brave enough to come out in the open, they’ve probably been around for some time and feel secure enough to make their presence known. Don’t ignore them – we know they’re cute, but they can cause a slew of damage, are dangerous to your health and end of costing your thousands in repairs.

15 – The barn floor is sand/gravel and they are digging tunnels

We have rats in our barn. The barn has been there for about 7 years now, but the problem just started in the fall. The barn floor is sand / gravel and they are digging tunnels. Looking for a company that can provide humane removal. We can’t use poison as there are livestock and dogs also in the barn and other wildlife all around that could be affected.

Do you see tunnels in the sand or in other parts of your barn or attic? Mice love making easy-to-travel trails almost anywhere they decide to live. This is in their nature and if you’re seeing their trails anywhere near or inside your home or barn, you should be slightly concerned. Also note, the more trails you see, the longer they’ve been there. The longer they’ve been there, the more damage they may have caused. In this case, it’s wise to call the experts as soon as possible.

16 – Opossums eating our garbage

We currently have a problem with Opossums eating our garbage. We believe that there may be more than one, and that they are possibly living under our shed in the backyard. We see them often in our car port, in the front of our home, which puts them directly outside our main entrance to the home.

Opossums are quite brave, and when they’re hungry you’re going to know it. If you see food scraps and garbage scattered anywhere around your home, there’s a chance they’re living close by you – usually under a shed, a deck, in between big rocks, and sometimes in an attic. If opossums are greeting you in the morning or late at night, chances are you need an inspection just to ensure they haven’t breached your home and in case they have, to get them removed.

17 – Live trap from Home Hardware useless

Loud scratching and chewing 95% during the night. Lot’s of wood in my house (floors, open basement ceiling). Can’t get at holes on outside of house because of snow and ice. Now moved to the walls in the bathroom. Very, very loud. Can’t sleep at night. Driving cats crazy. Found a mouse dead in a bucket of water (accidental death) so pretty sure it is mice. They only started this just before Christmas. Live trap from Home Hardware useless. You guys successfully got squirrels out of my rafters/attic a number of years ago. HELP- need an estimate.

There are times when mice can get loud, especially if they’ve grown big and feel they’re safe. Smaller mice don’t make too many loud sounds, but like in the case above, if the sounds are loud, your pets are reacting dramatically, you can rest assured you’ve got a mouse problem to contend with and need the assistance of the experts.

18 – Noticed some mice droppings on my stove

Noticed some mice droppings on my stove and kitchen cupboards. Also the last few months the odd sounds of footsteps in ceiling and walls of my house.

The longer you let the sounds of mice get by unnoticed, the braver they will become and in due time you’re going to see their droppings in various parts of your home. Any kind of wildlife droppings are dangerous to a person’s or animal’s health so once you see strange mouse droppings anywhere in or outside of your home, assume you’ve got a mouse problem and need the situation rectified by professionals.

19 – Found some shingles on the ground

Heard something in the attic or walls for about 2 hours last night and went outside and found some shingles on the ground. Need a quote.

Are parts of your home strangely damaged? Do you see wood chips, broken pieces of shingles on the ground? For the most part, when wildlife get into a home, they’ve left some kind of damage, big or small, but it’s the big pieces of evidence that cause alarm and if you see pieces of your home scattered in your yard somewhere, chances are you’ll need a wildlife inspection just to be sure.

20 – I hear chewing and running around at night

I am pretty sure there are squirrels in our attic. I hear chewing and running around at night and at times during the day. Bigger than mice sounds. checked outside to see if there were footprints on the roof but don’t see anything. Just had entire roof replaced in the summer, plywood included.

The different type of sounds you hear can help you determine what type of wildlife is living in your attic. Squirrels like to jump around a lot – they’re very active and fast so you can hear them move around – day and night. Raccoons are larger so, for the most part, you’re going to hear thumping and banging around as they prepare a nest in your attic. Mice make chewing and scurrying sounds and create holes and tunnels in attic insulation – they’re much harder to hear, and the evidence is usually found in isolated areas of your home. As for birds in your attic, you’ll hear baby chirping and occasionally hear a scurrying sound, but this is rare unless they are trapped behind a wall or in a vent.

21 – The neighbours have watched squirrels going in and out through the roof

I have black squirrels in my attic. I have moved into a previously vacant house and the neighbours have watched squirrels going in and out through the roof. I have been into the attic and tried coyote urine tablets to no avail. I have found the hole but cannot patch until they are gone. How much to remove?

This is an interesting situation. The long story short is, if a neighbour has told you they’ve seen any kind of wildlife running around your home or your roof, it’s a sure sign they’ve penetrated your attic. The flip side to this is that it’s also a concern if you personally see wildlife entering your neighbor’s attic through the roof. Why? Because if squirrels have breached your neighbour’s home, there’s a good chance that they, or another group of wildlife has entered your home too. If you see wildlife anywhere near your neighbors, don’t assume your home is safe – it just may be infested with wildlife problems too

22 – Broken through a guard

Raccoons have broken through a guard they installed in the attic.

Wildlife problems are quite common, more common than most people believe. When a home-owner has encountered wildlife in their home and have had it removed, sometimes the company they choose doesn’t do the job right, and the animals get back in. When they do you can usually see the damage they’ve done to the prevention methods the previous company has used. If you see damage guards and so forth, you’ve got a recurring wildlife problem and you need to call the experts.

23 – There is something in our attic

We are unsure what animal it is, but there is something in our attic, It is active at night mainly and seems to be able to go into the walls as well. Is there a fee for a quote for removal?

Here is another example of wild animals being active and making themselves known at night. They can’t help it. When they sense everything is silent, they believe they are alone and decide to run amock and take care of their business. If you’re hearing bumps in the night, you’ve got a wildlife problem that needs to be resolved.

24 – Squirrel running around in the duct work

We have what I think is squirrel running around in the duct work above our shower. Not sure how it got in or whether it can get back out.

This is a special case, a case where you’ve definitely run into wildlife problems. If you’re hearing wildlife in your air ducts, there’s definitely a problem and a hole somewhere that’s allowing them to get in. If your air/heating vents aren’t properly secured on and using strong material, most wildlife can chew and get through and travel along the air tunnels of your home.

25 – Found a bat in my basement

Found a bat in my basement. Trapped it and got it out of the house. The house is 20 years old, first evidence of any animal infestation in the house.

Like many of the examples I listed above, when you’ve got wildlife like bats either wandering around parts of your home or flying around, there’s a chance there are more of them and you have an infestation. There is the lucky break that somehow, the bird or bat simply flew into your home from an open window or door, but it’s not worth the risk of the damage they can cause. If you see an animal in the living part of your home, call the experts!

In the end, the bottom line is, if you sense wildlife in your home, chances are they’re there. Don’t wait for the problem to get worse, and ensure that you call the experts in the service. 

Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!

 

 

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