Bill Dowd, Author at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control - Part 37
Bill Dowd

About the author: Bill Dowd is the Founder, President and CEO of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, a company he launched in 1989 with a mission to provide homeowners with humane, effective wildlife solutions. A graduate of Brock University with a Bachelor of Physical Education in Teaching and Coaching, Bill also played professional hockey with the New York Islanders from 1983 to 1985. His leadership, discipline and strong community values laid the foundation for building a business focused on making a meaningful local impact. Starting from his childhood bedroom in Hamilton, Ontario — with his mother as his first receptionist — Bill grew Skedaddle from a one-man operation into an industry leader. Recognizing early on that trapping and relocating wildlife was neither humane nor effective long-term, he pioneered prevention-focused solutions homeowners could trust. Today, Skedaddle continues to be guided by Bill’s original mission: delivering compassionate service built on integrity and trust.

Connect with the author via: LinkedIn

The Importance of Bat Guano

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Bats play a vital role to our ecosystem. They play significant roles in controlling insect populations. Others pollinate many valuable plants, ensuring the production of fruits that support local economies, as well as diverse animal populations. Even bats droppings, called guano, can be beneficial. Bat guano makes an excellent fertilizer. It’s fast-acting, has little odor,… Continue reading

Rabies Vaccine Baiting Set to Resume in Ontario

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Ontario is set to start dropping more anti-rabies vaccine as part of its new phase in its fight against the virus, which has so far been found in 70 raccoons and skunks. Chris Davies, head of wildlife research with the province’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, said they plan to drop the vaccine in… Continue reading

Raccoons are Smart – Making Your Home Vulnerable to Invasion

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If you have ever had your garbage bin broken into by raccoons, even after several attempts to lock it up, you know how smart and persistent raccoons can be. It seems that the more obstacles you throw in their way, the smarter they get, a testament to this is their ever increasing populations in urban… Continue reading

Wildlife Babies are Showing Up In Strange Places

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Don’t you hate going in for a routine oil change and end up getting a car full of squirrel babies? This was a case for a Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control’s customer this past Saturday! In our 29 years in business, we typically find wildlife babies in all sorts of areas- attics, chimneys, walls, balconies, bathtubs!… Continue reading

Rabies Cases Rise in Hamilton, 70 Animals Infected

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The number of rabies cases in Hamilton continues to grow, prompting a warning from Public Health to steer clear of raccoons and skunks. The wildlife rabies is spreading to more skunks, the number of raccoons and skunks found with rabies since December has jumped by 44 cases to 65 in the past two months. Hamilton… Continue reading

The Problems Starling Present to Homes and Businesses

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Starlings have become one of Canada’s most common birds. Male and female starlings look similar.  Both are glossy black with purplish and greenish iridescence on the head, back and breast. The European Starling has spread quickly through much of Canada and is still expanding in range. Currently it breeds across the U.S. and southern Canada, as… Continue reading

How to Stop Squirrels Stealing From Your Bird Feeder

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Squirrels spend a lot of time eating. They have a very fast metabolism and need a constant supply of foods high in fat for energy. Squirrels typically eat more than their body weight in food each week. Squirrels are opportunists. Squirrels’ diets consist mainly of nuts, seeds, berries, tree buds and insects. What they eat… Continue reading

The First Wildlife Babies of the Year are Here!

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  Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control found it’s first babies of the 2016 spring season today! We found babies in a beer cooler in Oakville and more babies in a Hamilton attic. On Saturday, March 12th, we discovered the first squirrel babies of the season- under the hood of a BMW! The car had been towed… Continue reading

What a Raccoon Diet Consists of

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Raccoons, like humans are omnivores and have teeth designed to grind plants or tear meat. They are normally nocturnal, though they do sometimes come out in the daytime to search for food, especially in urban environments and on garbage days. Fruit is important for raccoons. They consume plenty of apples, blackberries and cherries when they… Continue reading

10 Reasons Why Raccoons Don’t Make Good Pets

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With mask-like markings over their eyes and fluffy striped tails, raccoons are among the most recognizable animals in North America. They figure prominently in cartoons and children’s books, where their cuteness and cleverness endear them to many people. Raccoons in real life are cute and clever like their fictional counterparts, which may make people think… Continue reading

How to Stop Skunks From Living on Your Property

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We have been experiencing a large number of calls from homeowners from Burlington to Montreal, experiencing skunks living on their property. With the recent news that the raccoon rabies virus in Hamilton has spread from raccoons to skunks, homeowners are being extra vigilant. February through March is mating season for striped skunks, so that may… Continue reading

Female Squirrels and Their Reproductive Phase

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Because all squirrels are mammals, their reproductive behaviors are somewhat similar, but issues of gestation, litter size and mating can vary from species to species. The most common species Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control deals with is the Eastern Gray Squirrel. Most female gray squirrels begin their reproductive life at 1.25 years of age but can… Continue reading

Trapping and Relocating Wildlife Can Create Orphan Wildlife Babies

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This is the time of the year when homeowners are most likely to be dealing with wildlife in their homes. It is mating and birthing season for raccoons, squirrels skunks and more. Wildlife are looking for homes to house their babies. When confronted with wildlife living up-close in their own homes or backyards, well-meaning but… Continue reading

Removing Wildlife Babies – the Humane Way is the Best Way

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Baby season is here!  Each spring Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control receives hundreds of calls from home and business owners who have raccoons in their attics, chimney or crawlspaces. Mother raccoons begin to give birth in March and will continue to have babies through spring and early summer. Raccoons do not construct their own den sites… Continue reading

What the Spring Season Means for Urban Wildlife in Ottawa

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Spring appears to have finally sprung in Ottawa and for many area homeowners it’s a welcome opportunity to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. The same is also true for many species of urban wildlife that live in our communities. Ottawa is home to large populations of raccoons, squirrels, skunks birds, bats and mice.… Continue reading

Squirrels Enter Ottawa Attic Through Roof Vent

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Proper roof venting is critical to maintaining a healthy attic and extending the lives of roofs and shingles. One thing roof vents don’t do a good job of keeping out is urban wildlife. Raccoons, squirrels, birds, mice and bats all use roof vents as a point of entry into attics. They are able to detect… Continue reading

Animal Invasion in Burlington Leads to Black Mold, Roof Damage

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When it comes to wildlife invasion in the home, the damage they can cause can be costly to your home as well as your health. On a service call last week in Burlington, our Wildlife Specialist came across frost and black mold inside a client’s attic. The mold was developing on the truss and roof… Continue reading

Mice Living in a Basement in Ottawa

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This photo was taken during a recent inspection of a home in Ottawa. The homeowner had been struggling with a mouse infestation for many years and had tried solving the problem using a number of different methods. No matter what they tried they just couldn’t manage to keep their house free of mice for any… Continue reading

Raccoon Found in Niagara Tests Positive for Rabies

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Niagara Region Public Health is asking residents to be vigilant after a raccoon in West Lincoln tested positive for rabies. A raccoon from the Caistor Centre area in West Lincoln- right beside Hamilton- has tested positive for rabies. It’s the first non-bat case of rabies in more than 25 years, said public health’s Peter Jekel,… Continue reading

The Importance of Deodorizing and Cleaning Up After a Wildlife Infestation

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When your house and attic have been invaded by wildlife, capturing and removing the animals are simply the first parts of what you need to do to repossess your home from them. Often times the animal will have left behind feces and urine, leaving the insulation contaminated with dangerous viruses and parasites. The urine and… Continue reading

Ticks: Your Most Common Zoonotic Disease

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While ticks are mostly a nuisance, some can carry pathogens. Pathogens are microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause illness. If a tick infected with a pathogen bites you, disease transmission is possible, and you may become sick. In addition to Lyme disease, ticks also carry ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and others. Some ticks are… Continue reading

Signs You Have Squirrels in Your House

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Year after year home owners from all over Canada discover they have squirrels and other wildlife in their home and that these animals have lived in their home for quite some time. If that’s the case you’re looking at quite a bit of damage to deal with. Once inside your home or business, they will shred insulation and gnaw… Continue reading

Psittacosis: Common Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

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Psittacosis — also known as parrot fever, and ornithosis — is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Chlamydophila psittaci and contracted from parrots, such as macaws, cockatiels and budgerigars, and pigeons, sparrows, ducks, hens, gulls and many other species of bird. The incidence of infection in canaries and finches is believed to be lower than in psittacine birds. In certain contexts, the word “psittacosis” is used when the disease is carried by… Continue reading

Fox Week- 15 Fascinating Fox Facts

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The week of February 8th-13th is fox week. Here at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, we are getting more and more fox calls, especially from Hamilton and Montreal residents. We usually experience the highest volume of calls from homeowners concerned about foxes in January, which is their mating season. It is also the peak dispersal season.… Continue reading

Zoonotic Disease

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Every year, tens of thousands of Canadians will get sick from a disease they caught from a bug or other animal. These are known as zoonotic diseases. What is Zoonotic  Disease? Zoonotic disease, also called zoonosis, are a group of diseases that can be transmitted to humans by nonhuman vertebrate animals, such as mammals, birds,… Continue reading

Groundhog Day- How It All Got Started

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For one day each year, people across North America count on a network of  groundhogs to rise at dawn and issue a six-week weather outlook. It’s a popular tradition from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to Vancouver, British Columbia, with crowds often braving bitter cold on Feb. 2 just to see the furry forecasters in action. But why? How did… Continue reading

10 New Cases of Raccoon Rabies Found in Hamilton

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The number of raccoon rabies cases in Hamilton has nearly doubled since the start of January.  That brings the total number of cases found in Hamilton since December to 21. Haldimand County now has four cases. The latest cases, reported online Jan. 26, were found across Hamilton, including in upper and lower Stoney Creek, Ancaster,… Continue reading

Skunk Mating Habits

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Skunk mating season stretches from February through the end of March, meaning residents may notice that familiar smell wafting through their neighborhoods, as well as increased sightings of skunks’ bushy black tails scurrying for cover. When February rolls around, males will begin looking for females for breeding. They will travel up to 10 kilometers during… Continue reading

Foxes Spotted In Montreal

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A number of fox sightings in the in the NDG neighborhood of Montreal are raising questions about the safety of wild animals and humans living in close proximity to one another. Surprising, you say? It shouldn’t be. There’s more wildlife than most people realize in Montreal, including deer and coyote packs on the West Island.… Continue reading

Rabies: Understanding the Rhabdovirus

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With 15 confirmed cases of raccoon rabies in the Hamilton, ON and surrounding areas, and a case of arctic fox rabies in Perth, ON there has been a lot of discussion, concern and questions about the virus. Rhabdovirus AKA Rabies has been recognized for over 4,000 years. Yet, despite great advances in diagnosing and preventing… Continue reading

The Health Risks of Bird Droppings

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Urban pigeons are descendants of the Rock Dove, a species of pigeon domesticated by humans for food and as pets. Birds that were released or escaped became today’s city pigeons. Pigeon droppings are as much a concern as the pigeons themselves. On average, a well-fed pigeon deposits 25 pounds of droppings a year. Pigeon feces… Continue reading

10 Things You Should Avoid Doing If You Encounter Wildlife In Your Home

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Do you know what to do if you encounter wildlife in your home? Should you pick it up? Is it at all dangerous? It really all depends on many factors, but these suggestions are meant as a guideline only. Always remember “safety first“, and “when in doubt, call the professionals. Here are the top 10 things you should avoid… Continue reading

The Dangers Bats Present to Your Home and Your Health

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Bats tend to divide people into two categories. Those who love them, appreciate their importance to the environment, or those who are afraid of them as a result of misinformation or folklore. While we at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control are bat lovers, and value and appreciate their role in our ecosystem, we also want homeowners… Continue reading

20 Fascinating and Rare Facts about Bats

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Bats aren’t seen as one of the most cute or lovable animals in the world. In fact, many people are fearful of them. They get a bad reputation for being creatures that lurk at night. The reference that they are vampires has been deeply seeded into various cultures and that further instills fear. Others, understand… Continue reading

10 Nutty Reasons to Love Squirrels

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It’s the 21st of January again which means it must be Squirrel Appreciation Day! Squirrels are impressive animals. They can leap 10 times their body length. They can turn their ankles 180 degrees to face any direction when climbing. They also use their feet as their sweat glands.  Their eyes are positioned so that they can… Continue reading

Why You Have Bats in Your House during the Winter

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Lately, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife has noticed an increase of calls from homeowners experiencing bat invasions in their homes. Unfortunately these homeowners have a colony of bats hibernating in their attic or walls. Contrary to popular belief not all bats hibernate in caves. There are two species of bats that colonize buildings in Canada, Little Brown… Continue reading

Using Infrared Technology to Locate and Safely Remove Animals From Walls

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At Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, as the name suggests, we place great value on using humane measures to evict animals from our customers’ homes. We pride ourselves on limiting the stress of removal on the homeowner AND the animals. We use safe infrared technology (FLIR) to see signs of wildlife activity in difficult to access… Continue reading

Cow in Ontario Tests Positive for Arctic Fox Strain of Rabies

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Animals on a farm in Perth County are under confinement after a calf on that farm tested positive for rabies according to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The PDHU said the cow was infected with the Arctic fox strain of rabies, which arrived in Ontario in the 1950s. It’s the first… Continue reading

What You Need To Know About Squirrel Habits

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Out of all the animals that Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control deals with, squirrels are the ones that cause the most damage and frustration for homeowners. Understanding squirrel habits is one of the keys to determining what kind of nuisance problem you’re dealing with. Once you’ve got that nailed down, you can begin to evaluate your… Continue reading

5 Raccoon Habits You Should Know

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Raccoons are highly intelligent, cute and curious creatures that are becoming more and more common in urban environments. However, they can also be a nuisance to homeowners and cause structural damage to homes when searching for food or looking for a home for the babies. The best defense against raccoons invading your space is to… Continue reading

Santa Has Come and Gone, So Who’s That in My Chimney?

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Though Santa is famous for entering through the chimney, if you hear something moving around in your fireplace this winter, it’s probably a less-welcome guest. Uncapped chimneys, openings into attics, rotting roofs and loose shingles are all invitations to animals seeking a place to den. Unfortunately, once you get birds in the chimney, they can… Continue reading

Why Wildlife Infestations in Urban Areas Increase Every Day

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Whether it is the mountain lion living on the edge of Los Angeles, the thousands of feral chickens running around Miami or the thousands of raccoons in Toronto, the facts are indisputable- Many North American species have successfully adapted to urban environments and are thriving. Typical examples include coyotes, the top predator of such regions. Other common urban… Continue reading

Four More Raccoons Test Positive for Rabies in Hamilton

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Four more raccoons have tested positive for rabies in Hamilton, bringing the total number of area cases to 10. Six of those diseased raccoons have been found in Glanbrook, including two of the latest positive tests identified on the city’s public health update site Monday. The other two new cases are identified as being in the east… Continue reading

The Importance of Cleaning Your Home After an Animal Invasion

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When wildlife takes up residence inside your home it can be pretty stressful for you and your family. For most people, the immediate concern is removing the animals and preventing them from getting back in. Getting rid of troublesome raccoons, squirrels, birds, bats, mice and skunks from your home or property is only part of… Continue reading

Neutralizing Skunk Odor in Pets

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  Dogs can be very curious. If your dog encounters a skunk it is likely to get sprayed if it insists on checking out this newly found creature. When a skunk is startled it will make a peculiar purring sound, sometimes growling.  Before emitting its sulfuric spray (mercaptan) in self-defense, it will warn its target by raising… Continue reading

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