Know The Legal Status of Your Most Common Nuisance Wildlife

All across Canada, laws and regulations have been passed to ensure that wildlife is protected and treated humanely even when they cause nuisance to humans. The government has been promoting taking care of the balance of our ecosystem and enforcing these rules allows them to do so.

Many homeowners are not aware that these wildlife animals are legally protected by the government. But you know what they always say, “ignorance of the law is not an excuse.” So today, we help you to be more familiar with the legal status of the most common nuisance wildlife that you may encounter here in Oakville.

The city of Oakville has their own animal control by-laws seeking to regulate the keeping of animals and guiding citizens on what to do when they encounter wildlife. Let us go through them in detail.

1. Prohibited animals. Animals that are tagged as prohibited should not be kept, either on a temporary or permanent basis.
2. Restricted animals. Animals tagged under restricted can be kept in the household provided the following conditions: (a) no more than two animals per person within the town; (b) each restricted animal should be housed in a separate cage unless they are of the same gender and compatible; (c) the cage where they are kept is tamper-proof and escape-proof; (d) each cage is protected from the elements; and (e) each cage is clean and sanitary.

Knowing this will help you be aware of what to do when you encounter these nuisance wildlife in your property. Here are the most common household invaders and how they are classified based on Oakville’s laws:

• Raccoons. Tagged as PROHIBITED.
• Skunks. Tagged as PROHIBITED.
• Bats. Tagged as PROHIBITED.
• Mice. Tagged as RESTRICTED.
• Squirrels. Tagged as RESTRICTED.

When you encounter any of these wildlife creatures inside your home, the law explicitly says that you have to deal with them in the most humane way possible. If any animal is at-large trespassing on your property, you have to remove them safely and turn them over to animal control officers.

The problem with this is that many of us are not trained to handle these animals properly and this sometimes lead to more serious risks. For example, a homeowner may think that trapping a raccoon is the best way to remove it from the property. While this may be right, there are instances when these raccoons become aggressive as they may be protecting their young. When cornered, they might lunge and bite you and this is something that we should prevent.

When you do not know what to do and the thought of catching these wildlife invaders seem to be overwhelming, it is best to to contact humane wildlife control services like Skedaddle.

Skedaddle Oakville has been collaborating with Oakville’s Town Council in helping implement humane methods in handling wildlife for the whole city. At the same time, they also support the laws mentioned above promoted by Oakville and Milton Humane Society to ensure protection of wildlife in the neighborhood. Bring back these wildlife creatures to the wild where they belong and be an agent of change in preventing needless exterminations. Call Skedaddle Oakville today!

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How to Prevent a Squirrel Infestation in Your Garden

You may be a gardener and own a fair space of healthy vegetation. Owning your own garden can be very rewarding but there are some forces that you need to reckon with such as the weather and yes, those little wildlife creatures that see your garden as a buffet.

Whether it be flowering plants, fruit-bearing trees or vines, your neighborhood squirrel can be a very destructive force to deal with. Squirrels have been known for invading gardens as they forage for food. They also have the habit of burying their finds. A squirrel in your garden can destroy your flowerbeds, steal your garden's harvest and leave you with nothing.

Squirrels do not only steal your harvest and dig up your flowerbeds; they can also leave damaged plants due to their overactive chewing activities. They can chew on tree bark or plants, which could leave you dead plants after their visit. Once your garden has been discovered and has received a visit from these little critters, they will come back. Your garden has become a good source of food and they may already have buried some nuts on the ground. They will certainly dig them up in the future and all the damage that has been done will be repeated every time they come.

As a gardener, this can get very frustrating. You may think of pesticides and other squirrel repellents to prevent these critters from coming back. However, always remember that some of these products can give unwanted side effects to your plants, too. There are a few ways you can employ squirrel deterrents in your garden without resorting to these harsh chemical substances.

1. Protect your garden with a wire mesh. Make sure the mesh goes down in the ground about a foot so they can't dig through. Make sure it forms a mesh cage, and not just some perimeter fencing, since squirrels can climb them easily.
2. Squirrels can leap a far distance, so make sure to clear the surroundings of tree limbs at least 10 feet.
3. If you have bird feeders in your garden, make sure they are squirrel deterrent by coating the stand with oil or any slippery substance everyday. There are also bird feeders specially designed to prevent squirrels from climbing up to them.

These methods can only go so far. If you want to properly get rid of these nuisance wildlife, it is best to call for professional animal control services from Skedaddle Oakville.

Skedaddle Oakville has been collaborating with Oakville’s Town Council in helping implement humane methods in handling wildlife for the whole town. At the same time, they also support Oakville and Milton Humane Society to ensure protection of wildlife in the neighborhood. Skedaddle Wildlife Technicians will know exactly what to do and will give you tips on how to keep the squirrels away after the service. They promote humane animal control, so you don't have to worry about useless exterminations.

Protect your garden while protecting the legal status of these wildlife creatures in your area. Call the animal control experts of Skedaddle Oakville today!

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