When do raccoons breed?

Male raccoons will attempt to mate with multiple partners each season whereas the female will mate with only one male, avoiding all others afterwards. Mating occurs during the winter months but can continue until June. This prolonged mating season makes it essential for wildlife technicians to detect if there are any babies present during the initial assessment.

Offspring are born about 9 weeks after mating. It is not uncommon for mothers to make a last minute den to give birth in which is why urban structures are so attractive.

Female raccoons produce litters between 1 and 7 offspring (typically 3 or 4).

Marvelous Mustaches

Lots of mammals use body hair for motion detection. Cats use their whiskers to identify objects in darkness, but these sensitive hairs can even detect changing air currents in a room. Useful if an obnoxious, cat-bothering child is silently on the prowl.

Underwater, this ability can be even more helpful. Whiskers, known as vibrissae, are present in animals as diverse as hippos, river dolphins, and sea otters.

Seals, the best-studied of these groups, have the largest “mystacial vibrissae” of any mammals. These luxurious mustaches grow to at least 41 cm in length and are vital to their hunting in low visibility.

Each whisker on a seal contains around 1000–1600 nerve fibers. That’s about ten times more than found in rats or cats. The vibrissae are extraordinarily sensitive. Seals can discriminate between objects of slightly differing sizes as well as monkeys can with their hands.

All information from naturetripper.com

GATES UPDATE: We are on day 28 of November and have raised $800! Keep up the good work team! Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far.

One Reason To Solve Your Wildlife Intrusion Quickly

Pictured is a roof vent that is missing the cap. This piece was pulled off by a raccoon, leaving a large hole in the middle of the roof. Through the entry holes in the roof, rain and snow will enter. As you can see, snow is falling right into the attic.

It is important to have your roof checked if you suspect a wildlife entry especially before winter!

One Reason To Solve Your Wildlife Intrusion Quickly

Pictured is a roof vent that is missing the cap. This piece was pulled off by a raccoon, leaving a large hole in the middle of the roof. Through the entry holes in the roof, rain and snow will enter. As you can see, snow is falling right into the attic.

It is important to have your roof checked if you suspect a wildlife entry especially before winter!

Preparing for Winter

Squirrel nests that can see assembled in the forks of trees are called dreys. These nests are usually built of twigs, dry leaves and grass. You can typically see them if you look about 20 feet or higher in the trees.

Squirrels build nests to survive winter, survey their territory and care for their young in the Spring. Most squirrels will build several dreys in their territory, which will be close to their food supplies. Tree nests help squirrels survive winter by insulating them from cold winds.

Help ban the use of mouse and rat poison in Toronto!

Please take a moment to sign the attached petition.

British Columbia has banned the use of rat poison and Toronto could be next, with your help!

On October 28th 2022, the province of British Columbia decided to make the ban of use of rat poison permanent.

CBC News released an article on October 28th outlining the timeline of how this came into affect. 

“Last July, the government imposed an 18-month ban on the use of rodenticides over concerns the poison is inadvertently killing owls, among other wildlife.

The permanent regulatory changes announced Friday (October 28th 2022) will ban the widespread sale and use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), which the province says risk the secondary poisoning of animals who consume poisoned rodents.

The province spent the last 15 months conducting a review of SGARS and their impact by speaking with technical experts and holding a public consultation which received almost 1,600 responses. It outlined proposed regulatory amendments in an intentions paper.

The permanent ban will come into effect on Jan. 21, 2023 to align with the end of the temporary ban.”

The BCSPCA states, “This is a big step forward for animal welfare – protecting wildlife from exposure to the most dangerous rodenticides, while promoting more effective and humane methods of pest control.”

Why is this important?

Rat poison has been widely criticized for how it moves through the food chain after it's ingested by a rat. Trace amounts are found in local wildlife and can be harmful to predators like owls.

To read more from the BCSPCA please click the following link: https://spca.bc.ca/news/province-seeking-feedback-on-the-future-of-rodenticides-in-b-c/

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.change.org/p/ban-cruel-rat-poison-in-toronto?fbclid=IwAR08rwWEZvPl4Q2Nu9YJ3dqZmV9yMN0BF5j0WoRaSeuOPT6dwwQKtnJSO4g

Wild Animals with Mustaches | Movember Edition

This week we bring you the Mandrill, supporting Movember with his moustache!

Mandrills are the largest and most colorful of the Old World monkeys. They are related to baboons and even more so to drills. Their furry head crest, mane, and beard are quite impressive. But what grabs your attention is their bright coloration. They have thick ridges along the nose that are purple and blue, red lips and nose, and a golden beard.

An adult male mandrill that has the brightest and most distinctive colors on his face seems to be most attractive to females. But that's not all—those bright colors show up again on the mandrill’s rear end! Why? Well, those colors impress the ladies. And, they help mandrills to follow each other in thick forests. Adult females have duller colors and longer muzzles. They are also much smaller, about half the size of the adult males.

Mandrills live in the rainforests of equatorial Africa. They have long arms and can travel long distances on the ground. They do climb trees, though, and even sleep there, selecting a different tree each evening.

Mandrills live in small social units, but often join up with other small groups to form larger ones called hordes. One of the largest groups documented numbered over 1,200 mandrills! 

All information found from animals.sandiegozoo.org

GATES UPDATE: We are on day 9 of November and have raised $335 so far! Keep up the good work team! Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. 

Our Movember Page: https://moteam.co/gates-wildlife-control?mc=1

Gates Wildlife technicians are growing mustaches this month and fundraising for @movember 
During the month of November, Gates Wildlife will be donating $5.00 for every review that is posted about our company.

To help us reach our goal, we would appreciate receiving a review from anyone who has used our services over the years.

Reviews can be written on our Google account or HomeStars account.

https://homestars.com/.../193063-aaa-gates-wildlife-control

Robins are a protected migrating species. Do Not Disturb!

It is typically illegal to disturb a bird’s nest with eggs or chicks inside. The best solution is to wait a few weeks until the babies grow up. If there is a nest in an area that causes problems (above a building entrance, in a vent) you may need a permit from Environment Canada to move the nest legally.

Migratory birds, their nests or eggs can be harmed as a result of many activities. 

Activities that do not primarily target a bird, but which may cause harm, include:

• clearing trees or other vegetation
• draining or flooding land
• using fishing gear

Causing harm to migratory birds can have long-term negative effects on bird populations. This is especially true if there are many incidents that harm birds.

Our Canadian Government works with the public and industries to help:

• reduce the risk of harm to migratory birds
• ensure the laws and regulations are followed
• maintain healthy populations of birds

To achieve a long term solution it is critical to keep them out after you get them out. Animal proofing is key. Stove, Bathroom and Dryer Exhaust Vents provide a ventilation channel to remove moisture, heat, odours and smoke from inside the house.

Birds and squirrels will build their nests inside the metal vent often preventing it from exhausting the inside air. The only 100% protection against squirrels and birds from entering these vents is to fasten our galvanized screen vent box over the existing vent cover.

Nothing beats cuddles with mom

While inspecting a house we came across a mother raccoon and her 3 babies sleeping the day away. This photo was taken in July so it must have been too hot in the attic.

Did you know raccoons are nocturnal? This means they are active at night and asleep during the day.

Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed senses of hearing, smell, and specially adapted eyesight. They have bigger eyes and wider pupils which give them the ability to collect more light. This enables them to see better in the dark than humans can. They also have a reflective layer called tapetum behind the retina, which explains why you will often see raccoons bright shining eyes staring back at you in the dark.

Fun fact: animals that are awake during the day and asleep at night are diurnal.
 

Moustaches For Movember, FOURTH YEAR RUNNING!

Gates Wildlife is raising funds and awareness this Movember for all the dads, brothers, sons and mates in our lives again this year!

Last year we fundraised $2,705 as a team, which was an increase from raising $1500 in 2020.

For over 38 years, Gates Wildlife has been committed to preserving and saving the lives of animals. In keeping with the philosophy of saving lives, we felt it was fitting to join forces in supporting this cause last year and are very excited to be apart of this amazing cause again this year.

Our team at Gates Wildlife is growing mustaches during the month of November to support the cause. We have set up our team donation page on the Movember site. We welcome donations of any amount to help us achieve our target.

Our Movember Page: https://moteam.co/gates-wildlife-control?mc=1