Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control was founded in Hamilton in 1989 and has called the city home ever since. In that time Skedaddle has grown from just a single service vehicle to Canada’s largest wildlife control company with operations in four provinces and the United States. Founder, President & CEO Bill Dowd, who was born and raised in Hamilton, early on understood the complex challenges urban wildlife can create for city residents. Recognizing that no two wildlife problems were the exact same, he sought to develop an alternative to the one-size-fits all method of trapping and relocating wildlife. Since then, Skedaddle has pioneered humane and hands-on wildlife removal and exclusion techniques that provide a high quality, durable, and permanent solution to wildlife problems for home and business owners.
Hamilton’s reputation for heavy industry might make it hard for outsiders to believe that it is a city co-existing with nature. Hamilton has a unique geography at the western edge of Lake Ontario and is split into upper and lower sections by the Niagara Escarpment. The escarpment, with its trails and waterways provides the city with connected greenspace and is the reason why Hamilton is home to over 156 waterfalls. Aside from greenspace, Hamilton’s coexistence with nature can also be seen through the many species of urban animals that call the area home and are found in great numbers throughout the city.
Urban wildlife species such as raccoons, squirrels, bats, birds and mice, rats and skunks thrive in both natural spaces as well as the city’s residential, commercial and industrial areas. These species have adapted well to city living, evolving their diet and den site needs to the urban environment. The resiliency of urban wildlife to survive in ever changing surroundings is admired by many Hamilton residents but it can also put them into conflict with people. When raccoons and squirrels make their way into an attic or when mice and rats are discovered in a kitchen, home and business owners in Hamilton need effective wildlife removal services to protect their families and property.
Setting a trap and hoping for the best is no answer, that’s why Skedaddle Wildlife Hamilton provides a proactive and permanent approach to help protect homes and businesses that begins with a full 50-point property assessment to determine the species involved, how they have made entry and what will required to get them out and keep them out for good. With our highly trained and experienced team of wildlife specialists and technicians, Skedaddle Hamilton is ready to provide fast and effective solutions to your wildlife problems.
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WHY CHOOSE SKEDADDLE HAMILTON?
Trusted since 1989, Skedaddle technicians have been working closely with Hamilon’s urban wildlife, learning about their unique habits and developing humane strategies for their removal from homes. Our trained technicians use this knowledge and experience each day to help Hamilton homeowners to protect their property from crafty city-dwelling animals. Despite a construction boom in the downtown core, and in growing communities such as Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Waterdown and Dundas, wildlife populations continue to adapt and thrive in urban spaces. It is clear by now that urban wildlife is here to stay in Hamilton but that doesn’t mean we can’t co-exist.
Raccoons, squirrels, skunks, bats, birds and mice often find their way into attics, chimneys, garages and sheds for shelter. When they do, they can cause a tremendous amount of property damage in just a short amount of time. They often make their way into houses through openings left behind after construction or caused by deterioration over time. Wildlife are experts in taking small gaps they found along roofs and foundations and enlarging them using their teeth or paws to squeeze themselves into a warm and secure den site. Even well constructed homes in good condition can end up hosting a wildlife family as many of the construction materials used today are not built to keep animals out. Aluminum soffits, vinyl siding and plastic vents are no match for a determined raccoon or rodent.
Experience has taught us that no two wildlife intrusions are the exact same and a customized approach is needed to get effective results. The species of animal, construction of the home and time of year are all important factors in determining how to best resolve a wildlife intrusion. To ensure your home is protected, our friendly and professional staff will remove the infestation and provide a fully customized solution, using hands-on techniques, to prevent any future nuisance animals from gaining entry.
A thoughtful approach to wildlife removal is especially important during the spring and summer birthing season. Baby raccoons and squirrels arrive in Hamilton each year at the beginning of March and litters continue to be born into summer. Their mothers need safe and secure places to raise the young and that often leads them into attics, crawlspaces and chimneys. Homeowners with wildlife babies in their roof or ceiling will observe an increase in noise and activity as the litter grows. During this time the intense activity of the family can lead to damaged insulation, vapor barrier, drywall, electrical wiring and duct work. Wild animals do not make good house guests and the longer the family is allowed to spend inside the home the more damage they are capable of causing.
Wildlife babies are born immobile and can only be removed by hand, there’s no way to chase or scare them out. That means gaining access to the densite, behind the walls or in the attic. Skedaddle relies on our experience and understanding of wildlife behaviour and the help of infrared technology to locate and remove wildlife babies from the toughest to reach places. The babies are still reliant on their mother and once removed they are reunited outside of the home and the roof is protected against re-entry, forcing the mother to relocate the litter to one of her other den sites.
SKEDADDLE STORIES
SKEDADDLE IN THE COMMUNITY
As part of our commitment to the Hamilton Skedaddle is a proud supporter of the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA and all they do for animals in our community. We’re annual supporters of their Wiggle-Waggle Walkathon, our staff give presentations to children at day camps about wildlife and we even volunteer our time to help decorate the shelter during the holiday season.
Sharing your home with wildlife can lead to sleepless nights and unwanted stress. When you choose Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control you get the benefit of our three decades of experience. We are a truly local company that is proud of its Hamilton roots and the reputation we have established as the area’s number one wildlife control service.
Our established reputation with Hamilton residents has given us the opportunity to help spread our knowledge about wildlife to the community through local media outlets, including the Hamilton Spectator, CHCH TV, and CBC Hamilton. We’ve been asked to provide expert commentary about wildlife in the city, most notably during Hamilton’s 2015 raccoon rabies outbreak. These organizations not only trust us for our expertise, they even call us when faced with their own wildlife issues. We have removed bats from CHCH studios and helped rescue a baby hawk from the Hamtilton Spectator building. We are also proud to have previously served as the official provider of pest and wildlife control services for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Tim Hortons Field.
WILDLIFE REMOVAL HAMILTON
Sharing your home with wildlife can lead to unwanted stress, costly damage and unexpected health risks. When you choose Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control you get the benefit of our three decades of experience. We are a truly local company that is proud of its Hamilton roots and the reputation we have established as the area’s premier wildlife control service. Our commitment to high level customer service is the reason thousands of Hamiltonians have trusted us to protect their homes against nuisance wildlife.
Each Skedaddle removal begins with a detailed inspection of your home to identify the species involved, the entry points used and any damage they may have caused. We climb ladders and crawl through the tightest of attics to make sure we have a complete understanding of the situation. Once our trained technicians have had the chance to assess the situation we will take the time to share our findings and prepare a customized removal and prevention plan that’s right for you. Once the wildlife have been humanely removed and the entry points are secured our final step is to clean up the mess left behind. Best of all, our workmanship and materials are back with a lifetime guarantee.
SKEDADDLE HAMILTON, DID YOU KNOW?
Does the City of Hamilton remove wildlife?
The City of Hamilton deals with injured, sick and diseased wildlife or any wildlife that pose an immediate danger to the public. For nuisance wildlife on private property that do not pose an immediate danger it is the responsibility of the property owner to resolve the issue.
Can I feed wildlife in Hamilton?
The City of Hamilton has a By-law that prohibits the feeding of wildlife. Feeding wildlife can lead to many unintended and potentially dangerous consequences. Fines of up to $10,000 can be levied against first time offenders and can increase to $25,000 for subsequent convictions.
What areas does Skedaddle service?
Our Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control Hamilton location services the Greater Hamilton area including: Ancaster, Dundas, Stoney Creek, Binbrook, Caledonia, Waterdown, Burlington.
Are there rabid animals in Hamilton?
Raccoon strain rabies has been circulating in Hamilton raccoons and skunks since 2015. Since then the city and the province have taken steps to help vaccinate local raccoon and skunk populations to help reduce the spread. Bats are also a common rabies carrier in Hamilton.
Does Skedaddle Hamilton provide pest control services?
In addition to wildlife removal Skedaddle offers Hamilton home and business owners with safe and reliable pest control services. Common insect species to invade Hamilton homes and businesses include spiders, wasps, ants, cockroaches and bed bugs.
