a squirrel a mouse and a rat in old toronto case study

A Squirrel, a Mouse And a Rat In Old Toronto

The initial call to the property was for a customer who believed there were squirrels, rats, or mice in her home and on the outside. There was a severe smell in the basement of dead animals and activity was heard constantly in the walls and the attic. This situation can be frightening when it turns out your property has multiple infestations and wild animal occupations at once. Mice generally only occupy houses starting at the ground floor, they then breed and move their way up. The rat starts on the outside looking for a source of water. They then try to enter the house looking for food but do not stay long as they return outside to their burrows every night. This is why mice are treated with poison inside and rats are treated with poison outside. A dead mouse in the wall is no issue when you have Rodenticide bait and a dead rat outside, underground in its burrow is no issue when you have rodenticide on the exterior. Squirrels are also rodents, they can enter through similar holes as mice and rats but not only on the ground floor. They can climb and enter through the roof. Plastic roof vents are a common entryway as well as wall vents. Removing a squirrel is a human process as they are protected wildlife.

Call The Exterminators for a quote!

Exterior Inspection 

The exterior inspection found that previous work from another company had been done on-site. There was exclusion and a one-way door still up on the house. However, the issue had not abated yet and we were called in to resolve it permanently. The squirrel had entered through a wall vent which would need to be excluded with a one-way door that allows the animal to safely and humanely vacate while preventing it from getting back in. Rats were also present on the exterior in quantity and needed to be treated. The prices involve several large weighted tamper-proof bait stations containing single-use commercial-grade rodenticide that is also an anti-coagulant poison but take effect in one consumption as rats are not as careful with what they eat. Mice will test food to see if it makes them sick.

mouse entry way under deck
This entryway is significant and can allow rodents and animals to enter the house. Sealing it is necessary to prevent further infestation.
insulation on the ground under deck
Insulation was pulled out of the hole revealing its use as an entryway. Animals and rodents must clear away some insulation in order to enter the inside of a wall.
second opening under deck
Insulation was pulled out of the hole revealing its use as an entryway. Animals and rodents must clear away some insulation in order to enter the inside of a wall.

Interior inspection

The initial inspection of the interior found active inside the home of both rats and mice. He caught one and found a dead rat on a glue trap. The activity was high and treatment was necessary. The technician laid down multiple tamper-proof bait stations containing an anti-coagulant poison called commercial grade rodenticide that causes the mice who eat it to desiccate entirely, making it safe for them to die in the walls. The rats are too large to enter these bate stations and will be treated with snap traps on the interior. The attic inspection proved to find no signs of a squirrel.

open drain behind insulation
This is an opening behind insulation that was not properly sealed when it was covered. It can allow rodents and wild animals to enter the attic.
attic inspection in old toronto
The attic inspection found no signs that a wild animal had infested it. There was a great deal of spray foam insulation, however.
rat on glue trap
Glue traps are one of the most destructive and inhumane ways of catching rats. Rats do not die right away like they do in a snap trap and will slowly starve to death. multiple rats on a glue trap will begin to cannibalize each other making a mess no one wants to clean.

Initial Measures

The initial measures taken by the technician included laying down snap traps in the area of high activity as well as tamper-proof bait stations containing multi-use commercial-grade rodenticide to desiccate the mice and stop the rats from dying inside the walls. Single-use commercial-grade rodenticide was placed on the exterior in large weighted tamper-proof bait stations to deal with the rat infestation on the exterior. A one-way door was attached to the main entryway the rats were using to get inside and disinfection was recommended for when it would be taken down. The squirrel was not found but the wall vent in question was excluded with black rubber coated galvanized waterproof steel vent. A second and third opening was later found under the deck. One of the holes had insulation pulled out of it which is a clear sign of an entryway as the animal has to make room for itself to get inside. An old water drain was found as well to be an entryway for rats and was sealed off to prevent further entry.

rat snap trap
Commercial grade snap traps are the only way to deal with rats that are inside of a house. Rats have very high water content and when they die they rot. the smell is something out of a nightmare and will make your home unlivable. This is why poison should never be used inside the house for rats.
exterior tamperproof bait stations
Exterior Tamperproof Bait Stations containing commercial-grade rodenticide are used to treat rats on the exterior of the home. It is safe because they will feel sick, return to their burrows and die.

Proposed exclusion

The proposed exclusion involved attaching a one-way door to the main entryway the rats were using to get into and out of the house. This device acts as a thorough fair out of the house but then blocks through a door held up only by the exiting rat, any possible entrance by closing the door and creating a ramp the rats cannot penetrate easily. This is made from black rubber-coated galvanized steel mesh that is waterproof as well and can force the rat population out of your house. The opening under the deck had a one-way door attached to it and the other one-way door was removed and sealed off. The drain that was found open was sealed off with galvanized waterproof steel mesh and the rat activity subsided.

one way rat door designed to allow rats to vacate
This is a one-way rat door designed to allow rats to vacate the interior of the home and be locked out on the exterior. It is highly effective in making the rat treatment faster and easier.
entry way sealed with mesh
This was an entryway located under the deck and allowed Rats to enter the house. By sealing it with the waterproof galvanized steel mesh blocked the rodents from entering that opening.
wall vent sealed in old toronto
This is a black rubber-coated galvanized steel cage that is waterproof. The black rubber is intended to keep the mesh strong, allowing animals to first chew off the rubber before damaging the steel mesh. This prevents animals from getting into your home.
second entry sealed way under porch
This entryway was the second found under the porch. It was sealed using waterproof galvanized steel mesh and acts as a preventative measure to stop rodents from entering the home.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the extensive exclusion found is a reminder of the easy ways a rodent could use to access your home from the outside. Every home has an opening that needs to be sealed all over the house. The customers were finally free of rodents and were pleased with the results of the treatment.

GET A FREE QUOTE