Skunks are typically nocturnal animals, preferring to be active most during the evening and night, using this time to search for food. One of the reasons people acquire skunk pest control services is because they become fond of urban areas is their appetite for trash. Though they are omnivorous creatures, generally relying on insects and seasonal fruits to make up their diet, they have become great scavengers and food waste which has been thrown away and left in bins is a perfect feast for a hungry skunk. Bearing this in mind, keeping garbage bins clean and minimizing the amount of food which is thrown out is incredibly beneficial in terms of preventing unwanted skunk visitors.
Skunks in Brampton and the Surrounding Areas
Found frequently throughout the Greater Toronto Area, including Brampton and its surrounding cities and towns, skunks can occupy a variety of habitats. Though they may often stick to fields and woodlands, it is not uncommon for them to frequent more urban locations, making nests under decks, porches, and sheds. If possible, a skunk may even choose to enter homes through small holes in foundations, using a basement to make its nest, particularly during winter months.
Know the Signs
But what can you do if you suspect you may already have skunks living on your Brampton property? First, it’s important to ensure that a skunk is what you are dealing with. As mentioned earlier, skunks are most active at night, and more often than not, home or businesses owners will not necessarily recognize that they have nesting skunks for quite some time. There are, however, a few signs to watch out for.
The most obvious would be the quite pungent odour emitted by the skunk’s spray. Most may mistake it as a one-time occurrence – a result of a skunk simply being in the area. However, when the smell becomes persistent, it may be something to be concerned about. This is because the skunk’s spray is an oil and easily coats your lawn or anything else in its path. (This, of course, is why the smell is so difficult to wash off.) If a skunk has taken up residence in your home, it’s likely that the smell will be sticking around, too. Additionally, another sign of skunks nesting is small holes throughout your lawn. A staple of the skunk diet is insects and they will dig to find their meals.
Should you be experiencing both of these things, in all probability, you’re dealing with a nesting skunk. In regards, you should have to work on skunk pest control.
Damage and Dangers
In addition to small holes in your yard and the constant caustic odour that hangs heavy in the presence of skunks, you can be sure that there are a number of other damages which come with a skunk infestation. By nature, skunks love to dig. When in more rural areas, they will burrow to build nests for their young rather than relying on man-made structures as shelter. Tunnelling deeper into their nests is simply second-nature to them. Meanwhile, for home and business owners, it’s simply stressful, causing an abundance of property damage.
Unknown to many, skunks can also pose dangers to the health of both people and their pets. Not only are they carriers of fleas, lice, ticks, and rabies, skunks may infect dogs with canine distemper. In these cases, skunk removal & control becomes essential.
Control and Removal Facts
The skunk and other pest control services can be a tricky business for a number of reasons. Ensuring you remove the entire skunk family from the nest can be difficult due to the fact that the young will forage for food with the mother as early as six weeks after birth. Extracting only the parents and leaving the young behind will have them continuing to call your yard home. Not to mention the fact that their defenses are formidable – startling a skunk can have malodorous repercussions.
Our expert technicians at North Star Pest Control utilize the most humane control methods for skunk control and removal from your property. This method is known as live trapping via a one-way door. This allows the skunk to exit the space calmly, while preventing them from re-entry. The one-way door, however, is only the first step in our removal process.
The main aspect to not only ensuring successful removal, but hindering their return is preventative reinforcement. In our skunk removal and control services, technicians determine the skunks’ main entry point – and all other possible access sites – and sealing them using heavily reinforced materials. These areas are secured professionally by our adept team, assuring the best in protection against future wildlife nesting.
Efficient Control and Prevention Services
Our wildlife removal/management team is particularly qualified to provide skunk removal and control service while preventing undue stress or injury to the animals. Our focus on client education, using the most recent humane removal and prevention methods makes us a front-runner in urban wildlife management. Additionally, we provide specialist repairs to keep animals out of the attic and house.
Our trained technicians have the essential information and experience to resolve your pest control and wildlife removal/management very quickly. We offer full roof and siding repairs and can install or repair deterrents like chimney caps and vent covers which provide excellent skunk pest control prevention. Contact North Star Pest Control in Brampton by phone, 416-540-2694 or by filling out our online quick contact form below.