When homeowners in Mississauga think about areas on their property that may be at risk for an animal invasion, many think of the chimney, roof vents and attic.

Others may be aware that sheds, decks and even concrete steps can be potential wildlife nesting areas as well.

One area most homeowners don’t expect to have a problem is under a hot tub, however that was exactly the case for a homeowner in Mississauga last week!

Raccoons are incredibly smart animals that look for dry shelter and warmth, so the spaces under a hot tub, inside the enclosure are a raccoon’s dream! Once inside the enclosure that surrounds the tub the raccoon burrowed itself through the insulation toward the heat source.

This homeowner’s hot tub was encased in wood siding. The wood had begun to rot and warp slightly, making it vulnerable to raccoons who were able to pull at the loose wood to find a home.

In this case, the mother raccoon ended up giving birth to seven babies under the hot tub.

The hot tub owners were faced with the difficult challenge of having the babies and mother removed, cleaning up and repairing the damage and resecuring the enclosure so no other animals could make a home.

The Mississauga homeowners wanted the raccoon family humanely removed, so they called Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, knowing that we place great importance on performing a hands on removal of the babies, and use a heated baby box to keep the babies warm until the mother returns to collect them and move them to one of her other 5-10 den sites she has in the area.

Once the raccoons had been removed, then the cleanup began. The raccoon family had made quite a mess, tearing up and contaminating the insulation with urine and feces and destroying the plumbing, electrical wires and hoses.

The final step involved securing the enclosure to prevent any other neighbourhood raccoons from having similar ideas. The rotted wood siding of the hot tub enclosure was replaced, and Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control’s industry grade 16 gauge screening was secured against the wood siding so that no animals could tear through the wood.

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control urges all Mississauga homeowners to do regular checks of the structures on their property, including decks, sheds and porches.

Homeowners should be on the lookout for rotting wood, gaps in siding and soffits, and any holes along the roof line.

We also strongly advise homeowners to have prevention work done on their home and property to keep wildlife out. We recommend screening chimneys, roof vents and dryer vents against wildlife intrusion.

Having the prevention work done before an animal makes a home is much easier and more cost effective than dealing with it after a full blown animal invasion. Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control’s exclusion work is guaranteed for life.

If you are a homeowner in Mississauga, have your home and property protected from wildlife today. Call Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control today: 416-417-2939