There are a few instances where a baby raccoon could get separated from its mother. When relocating her babies, a mother raccoon may place her babies in a known safe location to await her return while she either scopes out where she is going next or while she relocates one of her other babies. 

It is not uncommon for a baby to get separated from its mother during their foraging. While the human urge is to want to help the baby, in reality that action can actually do more harm than good. In most cases the mother raccoon will return to collect the baby provided there is no human interference. 

Raccoons are amazing mothers and will come back for their babies. It is common for a mother raccoon to return for her young at dusk or during the dark of night so don’t be alarmed if the baby is still there a few hours later if it is during the day.

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

Female raccoons will typically give birth to 1 to 7 offspring. Although 4 to 5 is more common we have seen up to 11 babies in one litter before. In the wild, it is more likely that a mother will only give birth to two to three babies. 

A possible reason behind a larger litter size in an urban environment could be a result of the female having access to much more food and therefore having more body fat than their wild counterparts. In other words, a female’s biological makeup in the wild may signal her body on how many babies she would be able to support based on her current food intake. This is probably because the wild raccoon wouldn’t have as much fat and cannot produce enough milk for more than a few babies, where as an urban raccoon could.

For example, research has indicated that in the wild, pandas may give birth to a single cub or twins, but only a single baby is cared for. The reason being that the mother can only care for one cub. If she tried to care for twins, the survival of both babies would be at risk.

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

Nestlings often have no feathers at all, just bare pinkish grey skin and will have fluffy down patches instead of feathers. 

Starlings are cavity dwellers, their preference is to nest in the stove and bathroom exhaust vents. The warm, dry, secluded shelter provides protection from other animals and humans, making it a safe place to live. They can cause the infestation of insects, disturbing noises and unpleasant odours resulting from their feces.

In keeping with our humane approach to solving wildlife intrusions, Gates Wildlife Control developed a unique approach to reunite the parent starlings with their babies. To do this the babies are placed in a release jug, fashioned in such a way to keep the babies inside yet allowing continued access by the adult starlings to feed their young. Once the babies have reached flying age they will leave the jug on their own.

Have you ever had a look at your outside wall vents? Do they have flaps missing, nesting material sticking out or feces down the wall below it? If so you may have a mother bird preparing her nest for the fast approaching Spring season. Call Gates Wildlife today if you notice any of these signs. 

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

Raccoons have been given the title of “break-in artists.” They are extremely intelligent and have very sensitive hands with long fingers, toes and nails. Only humans and other primates have similar numbers of receptor cells found in their hands. 

Raccoons are great problem solvers that adapt easily to new environments and objectives. They are very good at grabbing, pulling things apart, scaling buildings, and are adept at figuring out how to open green bins when first introduced in Toronto.

The green bins were labelled as “raccoon proof” but raccoons were quick to adapt to this new obstacle and over time were able to find their way into the bins. They figured out how to undo the latch and gain access to the abundance of food inside. These green bins offered more food than they are used to getting in a week of foraging, which is why I believe they set their sights on these bins. Even with the new green bin design implemented in Toronto, there are videos on YouTube showing a raccoon masterfully turning the handle and gaining access. It’s just a matter of time before word spreads on how easy it is to open this new design. 

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

Following up in a timely fashion on all work in progress is not only important but it can also mean life or death for the animals involved. This is especially important during the spring season when dependent babies may be involved.

Unfortunately, there are some wildlife removal companies that choose to make this essential task a low priority. A one-way-door is installed at the point of entry and a return visit is never scheduled to check if the job in question was proceeding according to plan. What generally happens is the mother animal will exit through the one-way-door and become locked on the outside while her young babies are still in the attic. It is not uncommon for our company to be called out to rescue the babies from the attic because the company that initiated the work refused to return.

During the baby season each and every job should be checked regularly to ensure the mother animal has not been separated from her offspring. A sure sign that this has happened is when a desperate attempt is made to chew or claw their way back in at the point of entry. When a technician fails to return to the site to conduct a follow up inspection the separated babies could die a horrible death without their mother.

The juvenile babies in the attached picture were trapped inside the attic. Notice the screened vent on the roof behind them, blocking the mothers access back into the attic.

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

All female mammals have maternal responses. Even if that maternal instinct is there, it is up to the individual animal whether or not to listen to it. As we see on various job sites there are many fierce animal moms that will go to extremes for their young and we can’t blame them for that!

Although we see strong maternal instincts in all animals we deal with, squirrels are notorious for being extremely persistent if they are ever separated from her babies. Our customers will report seeing the mother squirrel on their roof all day long calling out for her young. Upon our return visit, we are appreciative for the mothers strong instinct. We often rely on a mother’s behaviour cues that inform us that her babies were not old enough to exit through our one-way-door. In such cases when we can not locate the babies in the attic, we will let her back inside the attic to continue raising her young until they are old enough to forage with her. 

With this aggressive mother showing her desire to get back to her babies right away, we placed her young on the roof for her to collect. She quickly made her way over to them and relocated them off the roof one by one to her secondary den site in the neighbourhood.

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

Do you remember how much fun it was to play with Styrofoam as a kid. Some people get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about touching styrofoam but most kids loved building, constructing and best of all breaking it apart.

I can remember getting my hands on the chunks of styrofoam used as packing material from purchased items. I would break each block into a million pieces. So satisfying!

Styrofoam is also used to insulate the top of attic hatches. It is ideal because it is rigid, can be cut to the exact size and it is a great insulator.

As I began my career in wildlife control I was surprised to learn that humans are not alone in their desire to manipulate Styrofoam into small pieces. Raccoons cannot resist clawing and rolling it between their paws. Raccoons have extremely sensitive forepaws. If you have ever watched a raccoon in a stream, without looking down they use them to “see” food underwater by feeling with their fingers.

While I am fascinated that raccoons also find it gratifying to destroy Stryrofoam, I absolutely hate the fact that they do it above the attic hatch (see photo). Case in point, when we need to access the attic to conduct a search for babies, the attic hatch is pushed straight up in order to clear the framework it sits in. Because the raccoons residing in the attic have literally reduced the Styrofoam to the cellular level, a billion pieces proceed to fall directly onto my head, down my shirt and cover a 3 foot swath directly below the hatch. What a mess and there is no way to avoid it.  Cleaning it up is certainly no easy task. The homeowner will walk in the room, think that we did it and say “what did you do?” And it doesn’t stop there, I will continue to shed particles of Styrofoam into my truck and at other customers homes. I will even arrive home at the end of the day, remove my uniform and find pieces stuck to all parts of my body.  

Only now can I fully appreciate my dad’s distaste for having to deal with the aftermath of my styrofoam obsession.

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

In April 2018, Pickering Animal Services received a call from a homeowner that noticed a baby Great Horned owl on the ground in their backyard. The homeowner was concerned for the baby owl as the area is frequented by coyotes.

Animal Services officers Nick and Jen immediately responded to the call and performed their due diligence to determine what was needed to do to save the baby owl. With advice from a wildlife rehab organization they purchased a large Rubbermaid container, bungie cords and lined the container with sticks. Great job Nick and Jen! The only missing piece of the puzzle was finding someone who had a ladder and could secure the container high in a tree.

Nick knew who to call. Within 20 minutes I was on-site and excited to help get this vulnerable baby back safely up in a tree, where its parents could continue to care for it.

After securing the Rubbermaid container 25 feet up the baby was carefully placed inside. We then walked the ravine in case there were other babies that had fallen from the nest. No other babies were found.

The homeowner agreed to monitor the situation to ensure the parent owls are reunited with their baby.

Finding an albino is rare, but the chances of finding three in a litter of four? Try odds of one in 10 million.

In Spring of 2009, Gates Wildlife Control discovered a litter of four baby raccoons, three of which were Albino. When we arrived on site we discovered a raccoon of normal colouration and one albino baby in the garage of the home. Upon a further search in the attic we discovered one more albino baby, all about six weeks in age. 

This was an extremely rare find. Only 1 in approximately 500,000 raccoons are born Albino and for three of them to be born in one litter is even more uncommon.

Our company removes about 1,500 litters of raccoons from homes each year. In 35 years of business, I’ve only seen five albinos. In each case, the raccoons were young and still supported by their mothers. After that, experts say albinos have trouble thriving.

The executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre, Nathalie Karvonen, said Albino raccoons are likely to have problems with their vision, hearing or other body systems.

All four babies were placed in our heated release box on the roof and their mother picked them up one by one and relocated them to her secondary den site in the neighbourhood.

Male raccoons are polygamous and will mate with several females in succession. In contrast, female raccoons are monogamous and will only mate with one male and will not tolerate other males after mating has occurred.

Typically once we see our first litter of the year, the flood gates (no pun intended) will open and we will begin to see babies on just about every job.

The babies removed are kept safe in one of our heated reunion boxes for their mother to relocate them to one of her established den sites in the neighbourhood.

We strongly recommend having Gates Wildlife Control out before the babies arrive as it is less involved and less expensive to remove wildlife at this time of year.

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry. 

Picture this: It is 4am and you are woken up by a large bang from above. It is a week night and you have a deadline to meet at work the next day. You lie awake for hours with an array of thoughts going through your mind wondering what it could be. You begin to wonder what damage they are causing to your home. Your anxiety and stress starts to build. 

Once baby raccoons are born, there will be a lot of noise emanating from the attic. A lot of our customers describe the noise of a crying baby raccoon as sounding like multiple birds chirping. They make a high-pitch chirping noise when they feel bothered or are hungry. Since raccoons are nocturnal, this chaos of noise will occur primarily at night, keeping you awake, worrying about the problem.

Gates Wildlife wants to prevent this from happening to you and your family. Protect your # 1 investment by getting your house inspected on the first sign of an animal intrusion. It is our experience that wildlife problems should be dealt with quickly to avoid further damage to your home. Dealing with the problem before babies are born can alleviate a lot of stress in the upcoming months. 

Gates’ Wildlife Control through this post, is providing information about the consequences of hiring a company without coverage from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and a commercial liability insurance company. Our goal is to protect the public and to raise the standard of how wildlife control is to be conducted in Ontario.

The short answer is NO. 

In recent years the wildlife control industry has been inundated with start-up companies that do not concern themselves or cannot afford adequate insurance coverage. Working on ladders and roof-tops can be a risky business. If ever a job site accident should occur, resulting in property damage or personal injury, the monetary consequences to the property owner could be far reaching. 

To be specific the two types of insurance contractor must carry are:

• Workplace Safety Insurance Board insurance coverage is there to financially assist workers who sustained an injury on the job, preventing the employee from filing a law suit against the property owner.   
• Commercial general liability insurance covers damages and mistakes on job sites. Uninsured contractors may be incapable of paying for any property damage, putting the burden of any mishap squarely on the property owner’s shoulders.

Ontario regulation requires employers to ensure all workes in their employ complete a Minstry of Labour-approved, Working at Heights (WAH) training program before working at heights and using a fall protection system. Furthermore, each individual working for the wildlife control company must obtain this training. 

A well managed company will never overlook the importance of having insurance protection for both their employees and the customer. Therefore, to be fully protected from a customer’s perspective, a valid certificate of both the company’s WSIB and the commercial general liability insurance should be requested before entering a contract.

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry. 

Recognizing the adverse repercussions caused by wildlife trapping and relocation prompted me to develop a more humane approach that safe-guards the welfare of our urban wildlife while providing a long lasting solution for the customer.

I set out 35 years ago to create a socially acceptable and humane solution to urban wildlife control that would minimize the stress caused to the animal. Development and application of passive removal techniques, on-site release methods, together with effective re-entry prevention measures provides the answer to solving wildlife problems. Over the years we continue to adapt with the animals and improve our methods to better suit their natural biology and behaviour. Our goal is to "work with mother nature, not against her."

Passive Removal Techniques

• One way doors have been designed to install at the point of wildlife entry in order to permit the normal exiting of the resident wildlife while preventing re-entry. While this method appears to be a simple and effective means of solving wildlife intrusions, it can prove to be as inhumane as trapping and relocation. The use of improperly designed one way doors, failure to search for offspring and without close monitoring can result in unnecessary harm and possible death. It should also be noted that the complexity of situations that exist demands a wide breadth of knowledge of unique food habits, moving patterns, birth cycles, and behavioral reactions to different stimuli. 

On-site Release Methods

• Leaving animals on-site in familiar territory allows their continued access to existing food  and secondary shelter opportunities. Close monitoring is then possible and is vital, especially during the birthing season to ensure that nursing animal mothers have not been separated from dependent offspring. Baby animal(s) are placed in weather protective/heated releasing boxes which are securely placed outside adjacent to the point of entry. This allows the mother animal to relocate at her own pace to predetermined alternative den sites.

 Re-entry Prevention Applications    

• To avoid new or recurring problems created by opportunistic wildlife, animal proofing measures must be implemented. This long term preventative approach prevents potential attractions and unnecessary removal/repair expenses. Animal proofing measures include: trimming tree branches to prevent easy access to the roof, screening chimneys, roof vents and other potential animal entry areas, regular roof maintenance by replacing missing or damaged shingles. Cleaning eavestroughs to permit proper drainage and preventing roof structure rot are also part of the prevention techniques. Removal of food sources by securing garbage can and composting container lids and refraining from feeding wildlife are as important.    

In conclusion, these non-trapping/entry prevention methods will create a positive and enjoyable association with our urban wildlife while minimizing potential conflicts. These methods are becoming more and more accepted and are adopted by an increasing number of wildlife removal companies and wildlife interest groups not only in Ontario but across Canada and the USA.

The humane treatment is an essential objective. Working together through mutual understanding is therefore critical and beneficial to all.

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

The first step in learning to live with wildlife is to understand that animals are instinctively driven to satisfy the four basics of life; territory, shelter, food and water.  Unfortunately, in pursuing these necessities they are interfering with our way of life by causing, structural damage, health concerns, noises, odours and anxiety.

To maintain a positive relationship with our urban wildlife we need to appropriately control their access to shelter and food opportunities within our communities. Even when animals already occupy a den site, they are constantly creating entry holes in other roofs as backup nesting areas. To reduce conflicts a property and building inspection should be conducted to identify what wildlife attractions exist and what prevention measures should be implemented. 

Effective Community Organized Wildlife Management (COWM) has to address the following:

• Is food easily accessible?

When wildlife is drawn to continuously available food sources, there are noticeable repercussions to contend with. Increasing numbers of wildlife will migrate into the immediate area to live off the available food.  Wanting to stay in close proximity to food they look to establish den sites nearby. With an increase in animal populations in the immediate area, more intrusions into buildings can be expected.

Occupants should be advised not to feed wildlife since it attracts raccoons, squirrels, skunks, birds, rats and mice. Of even greater concern are the documented cases where the feeding of one species has attracted another species, such as coyotes. Not to be neglected, green bins, garbage cans and dumpsters containing food refuse must be locked shut or kept indoors until the morning of garbage pickup.

• Will trees or vines allow animals to climb onto the roof?

When surveying buildings and their immediate surroundings we need to think like an animal. Raccoons and squirrels will use their remarkable climbing capabilities to scale trees or vines in an attempt to investigate a roof for potential entry points. To prevent these animals from gaining easy access to the roof, all tree limbs should be cut back 3 meters from the roof edge. While raccoons cannot jump, squirrels are acrobats and are able to leap a horizontal distance of approximately 2 meters. As to vines, they need to be trimmed to 1.5 meters below the overhang. Implementing this approach will eliminate the most common access. Occasionally, determined animals may use the more difficult route of climbing up outside walls and downspouts to get onto the roof.

• Can animals get underneath porches, decks and sheds? 

Skunks, incapable of climbing, dig under structures that sit directly on the ground.  While raccoons prefer to live in attics from the fall to early summer, they may move to ground level structures when the attic spaces over heat. 

To prevent wildlife from getting under a structure requires digging a trench around the entire perimeter, fastening galvanized screen in an “L” shape configuration and then back-filling the trench.  

• Are the stove and bathroom exhaust vents protected?

Mostly birds and the occasional squirrel will use wall vents as ready-made nesting boxes. The existing plastic vent cover presents no obstacle whatsoever against animals seeking entry. Once inside the vent pipe starlings will construct large nests, sometimes 1 meter in length, often blocking the air flow. With up to 6 fledglings defecating in this confined space, breeding insects and obnoxious odours are a most undesirable consequence.  An easy solution to prevent these intrusions is to fasten galvanized screen on top of the plastic vent cover. The screen installation must, however, not interfere with the normal functioning of the vent flaps. Warning: Dryer vents should not be screened, as this would cause the accumulation of lint against the screen and inside the pipe, thus presenting a fire hazard.

• How often are roof-tops inspected?

In our Canadian climate roofs are exposed to a wide variety of weather conditions. Strong winds, freezing and hot temperatures, heavy rain and snow all take their toll. Furthermore, animals looking for den sites will break off shingles resulting in exposing roof boards to the elements. Conducting a minimum of two inspections per year will reveal areas where the roof repair is needed, thereby avoiding water damage and potential mold. Wildlife has the innate ability to locate and exploit areas where damage went undetected and water has caused the rotting of roof and fascia boards. In this context, eavestroughs need to be cleaned before winter sets in to assure unimpeded water flow away from the building. Twenty percent of all wildlife entry holes are created where water from clogged eavestroughs has caused the fascia board and overhang to deteriorate. 

• Are roof vents, plumbing mats and chimneys animal-proof?

These structural components were strictly developed from a functional perspective. Even today, animal prevention is not a vital part of their design. Therefore, to make them animal-proof they need to be reinforced with galvanized screen covers. The pressing need to secure these components cannot be over emphasized since nearly sixty percent of all animals identify them as an easy point of entry.

Checklist for effective Community Organized Wildlife Management (COWM):

• Make food waste inaccessible. 
• Refrain from feeding. 
• Cut back trees and vines that provide roof access.
• Inspect roofs often and repair weather or animal related damage. 
• Consider wildlife-proofing measures for porches, decks, sheds, exhaust vents, roof vents, plumbing mats and chimneys.
• Hire a professional humane wildlife removal company to solve existing wildlife intrusions and to implement wildlife-proofing measures. Contract experienced wildlife technicians to ensure the survival of the animals, especially during the baby season. 

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.

Have you ever looked up at birds perched on a wire and noticed how evenly spaced they are?

Most birds and even animals maintain a minimal distance between one another, better known as their personal space. Even humans have a specific space we try to keep between us and others and if someone gets too close we feel uncomfortable. The exception to this much needed perimeter is displayed by animals that are on good personal terms, mates, offspring, siblings and close friends. It is easy to recognize which birds on a wire are on good terms with the birds beside them, there will be a much smaller space between them than the average spacing of all the birds.

There are different theories around why there is a specific “measured” space for each species. In the case of birds, the size of the bird dictates the needed space between them. The exact spacing between individuals is a result of a number of variables including body size, available space and social interaction. Using body size as an example, starlings on a wire will be much closer to each other than a group of pigeons would be. 

The prevailing theory is that it is a self-governing system to prevent conflicts among the birds. If the birds cannot easily reach the bird perched beside them they are not likely to start a fight with them. Having your space violated can make you pretty grumpy. Another theory suggests that the distance between birds is dictated by the “wing space”, the space between birds needed to land from flight and to take off using outspread wings. This spacing prevents wing collisions when landing or taking off. It would also allow for a quick unimpeded take-off should a predator such as a hawk make an appearance.

The next time you see a flock of pigeons on a wire, be sure to take a moment to see how precise the spacing is and notice which ones might be related.

Have you ever noticed the need for personal space in other animals?

By Brad Gates, B.Sc.

Brad Gates is the owner and president of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. He has over 35 years experience in the humane wildlife removal and prevention industry.