Ennismore, Ontario – 2024
This article will delve into a case of squirrel removal near Peterborough where the initial complaint was about squirrels. However, as is often the case, the inspection revealed that the squirrels were not the sole culprits entering the house. Technicians are frequently sent to inspect for squirrels, but instead, they discover mice in the attic. A raccoon removal can unexpectedly turn into a chipmunk removal, a gopher removal can morph into a raccoon removal, and a rat treatment can unexpectedly lead to a skunk removal. The inspection was particularly challenging because the house was an exceptionally old log cabin with numerous entryways all around its exterior.
This visit is located in Ennismore, Ontario
The technicians must first inspect and confer with the customer or customers on the issue before proceeding with the work. They then inspect the attic to find the source of the animal access. In this case, squirrels were found entering one entryway while bats were entering another. Two one-way doors were needed, and extensive exclusion of the houses exterior was required. The houses exterior had numerous openings and cracks between the wooden logs, so 7 feet of galvanized steel mesh was needed to seal off the other entryways. These tiny openings were difficult to access and seal off, so a second technician was needed for the work.
Ennismore, Ontario: Selwyn Township
The Township of Selwyn, once two separate counties, Smith and Ennismore, merged in January 1998 to form a single township. Part of the County of Peterborough, Selwyn is bordered by Pigeon, Buckhorn, and the Chemong Lakes. Known for its strong sense of community and traditional charm, Selwyn retains many of the establishments that made Ennismore famous, preserving its enduring heritage.
Interior inspection
The technician inspected the attic space and discovered a significant amount of bat guano, or feces. While the attic didn’t require complete remediation, it did necessitate an extensive disinfection process. This involved removing and cleaning the affected areas, including small amounts of insulation along with the feces. Subsequently, the attic needed to be sterilized using hospital-grade botanical sterilizers in an industrial fogger capable of filling deep harborages like behind walls and in deep crevices. This ensures that the attic is thoroughly sterilized, including the insulation itself.
Exterior Inspection
When the technician arrived on site they performed an exterior inspection of the property and found activity in the roof and other areas that included both squirrels and bats. Bats are under very special protection in Ontario. They cannot be removed during their lengthy baby season. Squirrel however are not so protected due to their plentiful population and can be removed at any time of year. When the discovery was made by the technician the situation changed. The entry ways the bats were using was different from the squirrels so two one way doors where needed to evict the animals from each of their chosen homes.
Initial Measures
The first step was to install two one-way doors: a squirrel door and a bat door. Bat doors often need to be fabricated on-site, but they can also be purchased. The choice depends on the bats’ ingress points and whether a purchased door will fit. If not, a custom-made door is necessary. Squirrel doors, on the other hand, are never fabricated because squirrels are very aggressive and constantly try to break back into the attic, often relentlessly. Therefore, further exclusion, especially of additional entry points, must be done on-site. Bats, however, are not as aggressive. They will vacate the property and find a new place to nest, often not returning. Once the doors are attached to the main entryways the animals have used to enter the attic or other spaces they occupy, and the full exclusion of other accessible areas has been completed, the animals have only one choice: leave or starve. Animals don’t want to starve, so they will leave, but they often aren’t happy about it.
Proposed exclusion
The exclusion required to ensure the animals vacated the cabin primarily involved soffit wall gaps and small openings in the logs that made up the structure. The exclusion involved installing 7 feet of galvanized steel mesh adhered using various methods such as bolts, screws, and silicone caulking to the different entryways. Once the exclusion was complete, the bats and squirrels vacated, and the customer was finally free from their dual wildlife infestation.
Conclusion
The technician excluded the necessary areas and used one-way doors to remove the wildlife. As with many jobs, the customer is unaware that bats were in the attic. Therefore, a thorough inspection is mandatory before work can commence. Simply installing one-way doors to expel the animals is ineffective. Every inch of the home, both inside and out, must be thoroughly explored to ensure that the animals, regardless of their species, vacate the premises, and that the home is safe for the occupants to reside in.
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Case Study: Squirrel Removal From First Floor Ceiling in Markham