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 stopping them from getting back in.

Getting rid of troublesome raccoons, squirrels, birds, bats, mice and skunks from your home or property in Oakville is only part of the battle. Once they’re gone, it’s important to inspect the infected areas in search of what they’ve left behind.

The level of damage and contamination left behind by a wildlife infestation depends on a number of factors. The type of species involved, where they’ve been living and how long they’ve been living there will all play a role.

Here’s what to look out for inside your home after removing and excluding a wild invasion:

Urine and Feces

Wild animals are not toilet trained. Whether you have raccoons or squirrels in your attic or birds nesting in a vent pipe you can bet they’re filling the space with urine and feces. Over time, strong odors from urine and feces will soak into building materials and fill an entire home.

In the case of raccoons, their droppings are not only unsanitary they can also be dangerous to your health. Raccoon droppings can carry a dangerous parasite called Baylisascaris that if ingested can cause severe neurological damage.

Damaged Insulation

When wildlife nests inside your ceiling or attic damage to your insulation is inevitable. Raccoons and squirrels are able to inflict the most damage through moving, compacting and shredding insulation.

The result can be expensive for homeowners as insulation plays an important part in keeping down energy bills. Removing and re-installing insulation can also be a labour intensive task as the damage is sometimes very hard to reach.

Chewed Wiring

Your attic and walls are filled with electrical cables for lights and appliances inside your home. Unfortunately squirrels, mice and raccoons love to chew through them. Damaged and chewed electrical wires from animal infestations could lead to a fire.

Nesting Material

In nature, squirrels and birds build their nests using grass, leaves, twigs and just about anything else they can carry. When these animals take up residence inside your attic or vent pipes they bring along large amounts of the same material. Severely blocked ventilation systems can cause appliances in your home to overheat and fail.

Ectoparasites

Most animals are also carriers of ticks, mites and fleas. Once the host wildlife has been evicted from their den, these nasty little parasites will often migrate into the home in search of a new home. The good news is that in most cases they can’t live on humans, the bad news is that they can still bite and irritate you as they search for a blood meal.

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control

Sometimes the damage and destruction left behind by wildlife can be worse than the infestation itself. The best way to avoid unnecessary repairs is to hire a professional wildlife removal company to deal with the problem immediately. The longer you wait the worse it could get. Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control specializes in cleaning up what wildlife leaves behind and has been trusted by homeowners in Oakville since 1989.