Bats
It should come as no surprise that bats are nocturnal animals. During the day, bats stay hidden and remain perched inside their shelters. These animals do not like the sunlight and will do anything to stay in dark spaces when the sun is out. However, bats become very busy when the sun goes down. Bats require a lot of food to sustain themselves and they often eat hundreds of bugs a night. Bats can become a problem for Montreal residents if they enter a home searching for shelter. Bats are often found in roof gaps, vents, chimneys, attics and other small crevices. These critters should not be allowed to take up residence in your home as they can spread diseases and cause structural damage. Search your property for small openings and fix any roof damage. Bats can fit through tiny gaps and are hard to get rid of once they set up a nest. If bats cannot easily find an access point to your home, they will likely look elsewhere.
Raccoons
Raccoons are notorious for foraging for food during the night. These animals sleep during the day and come out at night in search of food and water sources. However, the mating season for raccoons is early spring and may cause these typically nocturnal animals to go out during the day searching for a mate. Raccoons don’t venture far from their shelters, but they have been known to enter residential neighbourhoods close to waterways. Raccoons are attracted by garbage as it is an accessible and abundant food source. Close your dumpster at night and secure it in a closed garage. If you must leave it outside, tie it with a rope. Raccoons have natural finger dexterity and can easily open garbage cans and retrieve food. These creatures are opportunistic eaters and will quickly go away if they do not find something good to eat.
Skunks
Skunks come out at night to find food and build burrows. Skunks prefer to live near food and shelter sources. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see them in Montreal neighbourhoods. Persuade skunks to stay away by making it difficult for them to build a burrow in your yard. Skunks use wood and structures such as decks, sheds and porches to build shelters. Make sure they cannot access wood structures around your home by installing wire fencing. Remove other forms of food and shelter, including grass, bushes, shrubs, logs and tree stumps. If skunks cannot find a place to hide, they will go elsewhere.
