When someone thinks of animal proofing, capping the chimney comes to mind and not much else.  Yet the reality is much different. To thoroughly understand what must be done to keep the animals out, one must first of all think like an animal, which requires years of experience.

Gates Wildlife Control, with over 35 years in the wildlife business, has witnessed countless and continuous efforts of animals wanting to gain entry into structures. Having experienced this, again and again, enables us to explore the exterior of a building like an animal would, looking for penetrable weaknesses.

Raccoons and squirrels prefer to den at lofty heights, which first requires getting onto the roof. Trimming back climbing vines and overhanging tree branches back from the roof edge will deter them from climbing onto the roof. While trimming is a good frontline defense, opportunistic wildlife may still find ways and means to end up on the roof. 

The need to manage water caused by snow and rain, to control the adverse affects on the roof structure, is often overlooked. Failing to replace aging roof shingles and to clean eavestroughs causes wood to rot through water damage. In turn, rotting wood offers little resistance against the chewing and clawing of a animal seeking a den site. 

Building components such as roof vents, plumbing pipes/mats, overlapping roof sections and bathroom/stove exhaust vents are also targeted by persistent wildlife. Since by design, they are not manufactured to resist being tampered by intruding animals. Consequently, these are in need of being reinforced and securely fastened with heavy galvanized screen mesh.

Implementing animal-proofing measures before an intrusion occurs will ultimately save on wildlife removal costs, roof repairs, insulation replacement and rewiring. The cost savings will be significant indeed.

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. 

Imagine You Are A Raccoon: Week 1

Welcome to “Imagine You Are A Raccoon”, which is a 14-part weekly series by Brad Gates, B.Sc. Stay tuned each Wednesday for the continuation of this story!

Just imagine you are a one year old adult female raccoon living in Toronto. Being a nocturnal animal, you travel your neighbourhood under the cover of darkness in search of food and shelter. While foraging for food each night, you frequently have to fight with other male and female raccoons to get a bite to eat. Since you are an omnivore your diet consists of insects, fruits, vegetables, meat including small animals and most enticing, the contents of the green garbage bins left at the curb once a week.  

During your travels you keep a sharp eye for flaws in houses and other buildings. Your mother taught you that if your snout can fit into a gap on a building, with some chewing and clawing, it could become the entrance to a den site. While checking out many homes from top to bottom you often do battle with other raccoons, aggressively staking their claim to both den sites and food.

A distraught homeowner calls Gates Wildlife after having a terrible experience with an inhumane company.

Watch what happens after we arrived!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEsA-f9mlQY&t=23s

Countdown To Baby Season: Acrobatic Squirrel 

This young acrobat has a lot to learn. This is the first time outside of his safe attic den and with someone watching, he is frozen with fear.

With the recent onset of male squirrels chasing females throughout the tree tops, baby squirrels will emerge from their dens in just 3 short months. Juvenile squirrels are not born with the fearless ability of performing high wire acts. They need to slowly develop the necessary skills over a few weeks. Baby squirrels clinging to the side of houses and hiding behind chairs result in countless calls to our office by concerned homeowners. 

It may be hard to resist but they really don’t need our help. Without our interference they will carry on to become spectacular gymnasts.

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. 

Our job takes us to some pretty interesting places due to the curiosity and adventurousness of raccoons. The latest location we were called out to was a Crosslinx tunnel that is under-construction. The workers could not continue with their work until the raccoon was removed because he was up amongst the rebar where the cement had to be filled in (Upper Right Corner of the Arc).

Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS) is currently building the largest transit expansion in Canada. CTS is a design and construction association established to deliver and maintain the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The Eglinton Crosstown will change how you get around Toronto with over 19km of new light rail (10 underground) that starts in the West end and travels right through the city to the East end. The main goal is to provide shorter commutes, reliable and convenient transit, and cleaner air.

Gates Wildlife Technician Blake responded to the call and was lifted up to where the raccoon was, with the use of the worker’s boom. Once he got closer to the raccoon he quickly realized that much of the rebar protruded too far from the concrete, prohibiting Blake from reaching the raccoon with his catch pole. To avoid Blake, the raccoon quickly began to travel across a single strand of rebar. While on the boom, Blake was concerned that he might startle the raccoon causing him to loose his grip and fall.

Blake decided to resort to the safest option for the raccoon, which was to set a trap in the tunnel at ground level. Whenever we set a trap, we require the occupants (in this case the workers) to check on the trap at least twice a day to see if the raccoon was caught. As soon as the raccoon is in the trap, they will call us and we will return to release the raccoon within 1km away from the tunnel.

We have been called out to Crosslinx to remove raccoons on a few occasions. It is likely the raccoons are venturing into the tunnel for shelter and food left by the construction crew.

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.

With rain on its way to the GTA this weekend and continued snow in weeks to come, this homeowner made the right call to deal with their wildlife intrusion now rather than pushing the problem off and waiting until Spring. It is our experience that all wildlife problems should be dealt with quickly to prevent the animals and the elements from doing further damage to your home

Animals often will tear through shingles and plywood to gain access into the attic. This often results in snow and water making its way into the attic space, potentially causing water damage and mold issues to the insulation and drywall. As you can see in this photo, there is a pile of snow inside the attic already, which will end up melting and could lead to problems for this homeowner if left unsolved.

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 make smart decisions!

Prior to giving birth in an attic of a home, most pregnant female raccoons will choose to push back the fibreglass insulation and tear the plastic vapour barrier away from the drywall ceiling. The mother will then give birth directly on the flat drywall surface. Alternatively, very few females will choose to give birth directly on the fibreglass insulation. The choice to do one or the other does not seem to be a result of trying to avoid the itchiness of the fibreglass insulation. It does not have any noticeable effect on the animals skin as it has on human skin.

As a wildlife biologist I am immensely intrigued by wildlife behaviour and I often ponder whether specific actions are conscious decisions made by the animal or are they acting on instinct. For instance, do the majority of urban raccoons make the decision to have their babies on a flat surface over an irregular shaped surface? In the wild, their den of choice would be in a hollow tree which would be anything but flat. Why does this behaviour change once they are in an urban environment?

Raccoons are a highly intelligent species that are instinctually curious. It is believed that raccoons are capable of having ideas that result from thinking things through. As possible proof of this I would like to suggest that the majority of pregnant female raccoons have curiously pulled back the fibreglass insulation away from the drywall ceiling to see what might be under it. In the process of doing so their extremely sensitive front paws discovered that the surface of the drywall was much warmer than the surface of the insulation above. Therefore they make a conscious decision to have their babies on the warmer surface. Largely beneficial, especially when we consider that the attic temperatures can be anywhere from 0 to -30 degrees Celsius during their birthing season.

This behaviour speaks to why raccoons are so successful in an urban environment. Of course the abundance of city food plays a huge part in their success but placing their newborn babies on a warm surface does as well. Extreme cold outside temperatures would not prevent a city mother raccoon from leaving her den to forage for food when her wild counter part might not take the risk and having her babies freeze to death. Therefore, the city mother and her babies could directly benefit from her being able to forage during extended cold periods, ultimately being both stronger and healthier.

In conclusion, the conscious decision of the mother raccoon to place her babies on a warm drywall ceiling could possibly result in an improved survival rate for herself and her offspring.

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. 

Going To Great Lengths!

Our Vancouver Franchise, AAA Wildlife Control, was called out to investigate a bird nesting on top of a fire sprinkler head on the back porch of a townhouse complex. Exterior fire sprinklers have been proven to work - wet houses don’t burn! - but with a nest sitting on top, the owner was concerned that the sprinkler had been compromised. Another concern the owner had was that there were feather mites entering his apartment through the window below the nest, which are very common within a bird nest.

AAA Wildlife Control President Randy had to get innovative with this job! Our main goal was to ensure that the mother bird could continue to feed her babies until they were old enough to leave the nest. He proceeded to cut the very well built mud nest off of the top of the sprinkler head and created a temporary holder for the nest. At first, he tried moving the nest about a foot away from the sprinkler head but the mother bird was confused as she couldn’t find her babies. After noticing this wasn’t going to work, he decided to place our temporary holder with the nest directly beside the sprinkler head.

It was a success! Within minutes the mother bird was back feeding her babies. Day after day, Randy had to train this mother bird by moving her nest ever so slightly away from the sprinkler. The reason he had to keep moving the nest further away from the original nesting site was due to the feather mites that were falling down into the window below. As per the homeowners request, he continues to move the nest each day. This process continued on for about 10 days until the nest was far away from the sprinkler head (and no longer on top of the window). He placed a screen box around the sprinkler so that it could still function but will also prevent the mother bird from nesting on top of it next season.

Upon his final visit, he discovered an empty nest! All the baby birds had fledged and had permanently left the nest.

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.

Screams of Love?

Have you heard the sounds of blood curdling screams emanating from your backyard or attic lately? Thoughts of an animal being aggressively attacked might come to mind. 

The recent mild spell we have been experiencing in the GTA will signal to some raccoons that now is the time to mate. Generally, the annual January thaw occurs in mid to late January but this unusually warm weather has arrived early.

When male raccoons become amorous their primary focus is to locate a female and follow her until she is willing to accept his advances. In some cases he may have to invest a few weeks of his time to get her in the mood. During the time leading up to the act of mating she can become quite agitated by his relentless efforts, often lashing out with bared teeth and sharp claws. Her brief attacks on the male raccoon are combined with extremely loud and unsettling screams of disapproval. Our customers have recounted being startled awake by what they initially thought was someone being murdered.

In the name of love, the male raccoon often sustains considerable injuries while trying to get close to the female. Over the years we have witnessed torn bloodied ears, serious bite marks on all parts of the body, missing fur and even injured eyes. As far as I can tell, the male raccoons drive to procreate cannot be deterred, even in the face of sustaining life altering injuries. And if mating with one female wasn’t hard enough, male raccoons are polygamous, meaning they will not hesitate to mate with multiple females during the breeding season. It is possible that the phrase “tough love” originated as a result of the male raccoons mating behaviour.

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.

Wile E Coyote... Not!

The modern day coyote is nothing like how Looney Tunes portrayed the Wile E Coyote as an unsuccessful predator!

While walking my dogs in the ravine over the holidays I looked down into the valley below and saw a beautiful healthy coyote travelling on a well established walking path about 50 meters away. Upon quietly announcing the coyote sighting to my wife, it stopped in its tracks and looked directly at us. The coyote quickly ascertained that we were not a threat and simply carried on its way. When on the prowl for food, coyotes are constantly using their highly developed hearing and sense of smell to detect either danger or prey. 

Having had the opportunity to witness this dominant predator in its natural habitat I began to ponder what its life would be like. I have a hard time understanding that an animal the size of a large dog can catch enough prey on a regular basis to sustain itself, especially at night and in the winter. They would have to be hugely successful at locating and apprehending prey. I do believe that they benefit from their light brown and grayish camouflage, how else could they possibly get close enough to catch a fleeing meal. If you think about it, we provide our domestic dogs 1 or 2 cans of highly nutritious food every day, how is it possible that a coyote can find and chase down that amount of food through a forest full of obstacles. Personally I am in awe.

Hoping to catch another glimpse of this amazing creature I tracked the coyote for about one kilometre. As the coyote tracks approached the creeks edge they doubled back on themselves and then simply disappeared. Perhaps the coyote knew I was in pursuit and managed to throw me off the trail. This maybe a sign of how it outsmarts its prey.

I love how intriguing and mysterious wildlife can be. Go for a hike in the woods, especially after a fresh snow fall, and follow an animals tracks. Simply getting outdoors is good for the mind and the soul.

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.

“Why Don’t You Leave The Animals Alone?”

The following post is in response to concerns raised about why we don’t just leave the animals alone. While I fully understand the concerns surrounding why we choose to remove the animals, I would like to take this opportunity to present our position.

In the province Ontario, the wildlife removal industry is not licensed and therefore anyone can start a wildlife control company with little or no training. We currently have approximately 90 competitors in our service area that have varying degrees of practical experience. Unfortunately most companies gain their training through trial and error. As result, the animals being controlled are either intentionally or unintentionally being exposed to inhumane practices. To name just a few examples, wildlife are locked into attics to starve to death, mother animals are relocated away from their dependent babies and barbaric methods and devices are being used.

It is for these reasons that each time we are presented with the opportunity to be hired to remove wildlife, we are motivated to get that job because we know we will do everything within our power to ensure that the animals are treated humanely and the family unit will stay intact. Very few of our competitors hold the lives of the animals to this high standard.

There are certain situations when we will attempt to convince our customers to delay the removal process until conditions are more ideal. While most homeowners are concerned about continued damage, sleep deprivation and family safety there are some that are willing to wait.

Wildlife control is a profession and a field of study. It requires a great breadth of knowledge and extensive experience to truly master and understand. If you need convincing of this consider the variety of species, their unique biology / behaviours and the complexity of situations in which wildlife comes in conflict with human interests. 

As a socially responsible company I welcome all comments and concerns regarding our company’s policies and procedures. We consider ourselves a progressive organization that is continuously learning and all input from our followers is a valuable resource that we are extremely fortunate to have.  

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. 

“Act Natural!!”

Wow! Much to this homeowners surprise, 11 raccoons were found inside their closed-in front porch this week. That’s right 11! 

Gates Wildlife Technician Joel arrived on site to discover this group of very large raccoons relaxing inside the front porch. He was able to use his catch pole to carefully persuade each raccoon, one by one, outdoors.

Raccoons Basking in the Sun

Our office received a call regarding a homeowner hearing noise inside her attic. Once Gates Wildlife Technician Nick arrived on site, he immediately spotted these two raccoons lying at the peak of the roof in the sun. When a raccoon is found lying on the roof at this time of year it usually means they do not have an access into the attic. If they did they would much prefer to be sleeping inside where it would be warmer for them.

It is likely that these two raccoons are brothers as it is a little early for mating. Immature brothers tend to stick together until they are two years of age. They could possibly be on the move, trying to find a den site for the winter, or maybe they had ventured too far from their den the night before, leaving them with no choice but to sleep on this homeowners roof for the day.

As you can see these two are quite large in size, which is typical for this time of year. Raccoons have already packed on their winter weight and have grown a much needed thick winter coat. Their ability to store body fat allows them to live off of their fat reserves and stay in their den longer when food is scarce. Typically a raccoon will lose up to half their body weight during the winter months.

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. 

Our Vancouver office responded to an emergency call regarding an owl found inside a warehouse in Vancouver, British Columbia. They immediately dispatched one of their technicians to the call and found the owl sitting on a ceiling pipe inside the building. They were able to catch the owl and bring her outside to be let free.

Once placed on the ground, the owl was displaying some unusual behaviour. She was not interested in taking in her surroundings or looking to fly away but instead was looking down and swaying her head back and forth. Vancouver technician immediately saw this as a sign that the owl was not well and decided to pick her back up to bring to OWL Rehab, which is a facility dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of raptors (eagles, falcons, hawks, osprey, owls, and vultures). The next day, our Vancouver office received word that the Owl had sadly passed in her sleep. When the staff at OWL had a look at the video that was taken of the Barn Owl displaying her odd behaviour, they said it is possible she had the West Nile Virus. In 2002 it was discovered that West Nile was a serious new disease to Canada's more northern owls. There was quite a large outbreak in Canada in 2002. Thankfully, as of August 31st there had only been 4 recorded cases in Canada compared to 427 in 2018.

Below are some interested facts and characteristics about the amazing Barn Owl.

• A Barn Owl makes almost no noise when it flies. This allows them to hear the smallest noises made by their rodent prey hidden while they fly up to 3 metres overhead. They have broad and rounded wings with a high surface area, which allows Barn Owls glide for longer without flapping their wings as often.

• Barn Owls have heart-shaped face that collects sound the same way as human ears. Hidden beneath their feathers are their ears at slightly different heights, which helps calculate the small sounds made by their prey, such as a mouse. They have the most sensitive hearing of any creature tested.

• As mentioned above, Barn Owls prey mostly on wood mice, field voles, and common shrews

• Barn Owls don’t hoot, they screech and scream

• Barn Owls will often use the same nesting site year after year and are usually monogamous, meaning they stay faithful to one partner until one of them dies.

Picture taken by the staff at our Vancouver Office.

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. 

This mother and her babies were found living inside a garage wall this past Spring. The homeowner was hearing crying sounds coming from behind the drywall when he was working inside his garage and suspected he had an animal living in there. Sure enough, we discovered a mother and her young babies living inside this confined wall space, which is perfect for a mother and her young to live in. These babies in the photo would now be full grown and spending time in an attic, keeping warm with their mother.

During the cold winter months, raccoons will spend extended periods of time indoors surviving off their fat supplies. They are capable of staying in the attic for weeks at a time in order to conserve valuable energy. During this extended stay inside the attic, considerable damage can happen to both the insulation and wiring.

We are also only a month away from mating season for raccoons, therefore it is a good idea to have them humanely removed now. We could start seeing babies as early as March, last Spring we saw our first litter on March 1st!

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.

We strongly recommend having Gates Wildlife Control out to humanely remove your wildlife tenants before they begin staying indoors and causing damage to your home.

Call our office at (416) 750-9453 for a FREE no obligation on-site estimate today!