If you live on the West Island then you certainly know that it’s crawling with urban wildlife. The island of Montreal is home to large populations of raccoons, squirrels, skunks, groundhogs, birds, bats and mice. With so many people and wild animals living in close proximity conflicts are bound to arise.
As a homeowner, it can be pretty frightening to hear scurrying, scampering or scratching in your attic. When wild animals decide to take up residence in your house your first thought might be to call an exterminator, but when dealing with any contractor, it’s important to ask the right questions before hiring anyone.
Many exterminators operating in Montreal use the trap and relocate method to solve wildlife problems. Under this scenario a contractor will set up a live trap or traps to capture the offending raccoons, squirrels or skunks and then drive them out to the country. Problem solved, right?
Not so fast, before hiring an exterminator to trap animals in your home you should be sure to ask some important questions:
What if there are babies?
Raccoons, squirrels and skunks begin giving birth to litters of babies in March and continue to give birth well into summer. Baby animals are not mobile for up to 8 weeks after birth; the only way to properly remove them from your attic is by hand.
If an exterminator traps a mother raccoon and drives it out to the country only to find out later that a litter of babies has been left behind in the attic it could lead bigger problems for you the homeowner. Who’s going to take responsibility for dealing with the babies after their mother has been taken away?
![](https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IMG_20170422_101434.jpg)
A mother raccoon collecting her babies after a humane removal.
How do you know if you’ve trapped my raccoon, squirrel or skunk?
One of the problems with traps is that they don’t discriminate who they capture. Setting up a trap on the roof of your home or in the backyard with tasty bait could catch the animal in your attic, but it could also catch one of the other 15-25 raccoons, squirrels or skunks living in the neighbourhood. In the end, you could end up paying for pricey service calls to remove animals that aren’t the ones making a mess of your attic.
![looking-raccoon](https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/looking-raccoon.png)
A raccoon peaks out of a damaged wall vent.
Will you repair the damage?
For any animal to entry your attic there has to be hole somewhere. Raccoons and squirrels are notorious for destroying roof vents, soffits and shingles to get inside an attic. That’s not to mention what they can do to attic insulation and wiring.
If that damage is not repaired and secured properly then your home will continue to remain vulnerable to future wildlife infestations.
![](https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IMG_20170418_135941-1024x768.jpg)
A soffit panel damaged by raccoons.
Do you guarantee your work?
Before hiring anyone you will want to know that the exterminator will stand behind their service. Don’t be afraid to ask what your guarantee is, what it covers and for how long. If your professional can’t give you a written guarantee that the problem will be solved then you should think twice about hiring them. In the end, you could end up paying a lot more to solve the problem than you were originally quoted.
Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control
Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control has been performing hands-on removals and exclusions of nuisance wildlife since 1989. Our customized approach offers superior results to the one size fits all method of trapping and relocating. We get rid of the animals, clean up the mess and stop them from coming back.
We’ve helped countless home and business owners on the West Island of Montreal to protect their property from wildlife intrusions. Connect with us today at 514-395-4555 to see what we can do for you!
Ask about our lifetime guarantee.
Proudly servicing:
Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, Baie d’Urfé, Senneville, Dorval, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Pierrefonds, Kirkland, Saint-Laurent, Ste-Geneviève, Roxboro, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, I’île Bizard and Lachine