IDENTIFICATION:

shiny black, glossy purple or green with white specks. Often seen roosting in large numbers on hydro poles and wires

SOCIAL HABITS:

monogamous. Male and female share building the nests, incubating the eggs and feeding the young.

BIRTHING PERIOD:

Early spring and a second clutch during the summer.

CLUTCH SIZE:

3-7. Eggs are small, light blue, and glossy. Young hatch in 11-13 days.

FLEDGING DATES:

young begin leaving the nest after 3 weeks. They will not remain with the parents beyond fledging date Signs of starlings: The birds themselves are the obvious signs especially during mating season when the couple is busy building their nest. Starlings are very industrious birds and can build nest quickly. Other signs include bird droppings and stains on the exterior of homes below their nest. In some cases nesting material can be seen sticking out from cracks in buildings and wall vents.

SOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH STARLINGS:

Starlings are an extremely noisy bird. Their cries and songs range from a mixture of clicks, wheezes, chattering, whistles and mimicry of other song birds in the area. They also may be heard running in the soffit of your home and pecking inside ventilation ducts.

NESTING SITES:

Most common on your home would be in wall vents, exhaust vents, cracks in brickwork, rotted out fascias and gaps in soffit panels. The nest is usually within 1 ft. of the opening.

DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME:

Nesting material can easily block ventilation ducts from your stove, dryer and bathroom fans. This can lead to appliances overheating, foul odours and dryer malfunction. Birds also tend to damage ductwork from pecking causing humidity and moisture problems. If the hole becomes large enough young birds may become lost and fall inside wall cavities. In this situation a hole will need to be cut to locate the lost bird(s) and the ductwork will need to replaced.

IDENTIFICATION:

A bushy-tailed predator with a pointed muzzle. Grayish brown with a black mask and alternating black and white bands on its' tail. One of North America's most versatile and adaptable animals, raccoons are expert climbers and swimmers whose fingers can take lids off garbage cans and even turn doorknobs. They are also strong enough to rip off gutters, soffit vents, roof vents and most commercial chimney caps allowing them access to your home.

SOCIAL HABITS:

Polygamous, usually a solitary animal except when females are with their young. Females raise their young alone. If an adult comes across the young, he may kill them.

NORMAL ACTIVITY:

Nocturnal, but may be active during the day, especially during the spring and summer when the female is nursing her babies.

GESTATION :

Approx. 62-75 days

BIRTHING PERIOD:

Most common in May through June although late breeding females may give birth in July/August

LITTER SIZE:

4-7 average

WEANING DATES:

2-3 months. At 7 weeks old kits will start to adventure out with their mother. They are independent at 3 months. Young females may remain with their mother during their first winter

SIGNS OF SKUNK PRESENCE:

Although you may visually spot them, the first time you may take notice is when you smell the skunk. Their odour is a strong, nauseating, penetrating, musky smell that can linger for days. Skunks tend to dig for grubs and holes on your lawn are quite noticeable. They can also leave footprints and feces around your property.

SOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH SKUNKS:

Very little as adults are generally quiet. Younger skunks can be more vocal especially while playing. You may hear grunts , hissing, growls, purrs, squeals and teeth clicking.

DEN SITES:

Underneath sheds , decks and concrete slabs, also in crawl spaces. Safe places to raise their young. Females may den together but males den by themselves. We've seen as many as 12 skunks in one den during the winter.

TIME OF YEAR:

Skunks are most active in spring and early summer during mating and baby season. Females are seeking a safe place to raise their young. During the summer they are known for digging up your lawns in search of grubs. Come fall they will looking for a safe place to den over the winter. Skunks are not true hibernators but they can sleep for long periods of time and never have to leave their den site. They may lose up to 38% of their body weight during the winter. As our winters seemingly become milder, skunks are venturing out more often.

DAMAGE TO YOUR PROPERTY:

Besides digging up your lawn and garden, the biggest problem you will have when dealing with skunks having a den around your home , is the smell. Skunks tend to have many confrontations during the spring and summer and the smell of their spray can last up to 10 days. In and around den sites you can expect to find urine, feces, sometimes garbage that has been dragged inside and in some cases, carcasses. A skunk that may have perished a long time ago may have its sack still intact, and when it finally breaks open, it can be a huge undertaking trying to reach and remove the carcass and all the surrounding soil.

IDENTIFICATION:

Little brown bat and big brown bat are the two species of bats that roost inside building in Quebec. Little brown bats ( myotis lucifigus) have a wingspan of 9 inches and a body 3-4 inches long. Big brown bats ( eptisicus fuscus) have a wingspan of 12 inches and a body 4-5 inches long. Both live in colonies and these can be anywhere from a few to a few hundred. They are excellent flyers and although they can see, they use echolocation to locate insects and guide their way in the dark

SOCIAL HABITS:

Polygamous, females are colonial and will roost together to raise their young. Males are usually solitary.

NORMAL ACTIVITY:

Nocturnal, at dawn or dusk , bats may be seen entering or exiting the building Females return often to nurse their young. A colony of 100 bats can eat hundreds of thousands of insects during the summer.

GESTATION:

50-60 days.

BIRTHING PERIOD:

May through mid July

LITTER SIZE:

Little brown 1 , Big brown 2

WEANING DATES:

Juvenile bats will begin leaving the roost with their mothers in late July.

SIGNS OF BAT PRESENCE:

At dusk and dawn you may observe them leaving their roost. You may also notice smudge marks around their entry points, this a combination of dirt and body oils. On the walls and on the ground around these entry points is where you may find guano, bat droppings, the size of a grain of rice. In attic spaces evidence of bats will include droppings under their roosting area and foul odours.

SOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH BATS:

Scratching, fluttering, squeaking and slight clicking are the most common noises associated with bats.

DEN SITES:

Attics, walls, beneath exterior siding and inside chimneys. Little brown and big brown bats both hibernate. Little brown bats will migrate to their winter roosts while Big brown bats are more likely to hibernate in homes and buildings.

TIME OF YEAR:

The most active time of year with bats would be mid summer when the young have started leaving their roost. Maternal colonies begin disbanding and bats will start showing up in different locations. A bat inside your living space usually happens when a juvenile bat is learning to fly or has become lost in a wall cavity and is looking for a way out. This also happens during extreme heat or cold periods when the bat is searching a more suitable climate.

Bats cannot chew a hole to enter a new location, they will only use existing cracks and entry points.

DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME:

On the exterior the only damage may be cosmetic, as in staining and bat dropping sticking to the walls. On the interior, their urine and droppings can spoil insulation and lead to stains. Clean up costs can be high due to the health risk involved and the extensive work required.

IDENTIFICATION:

Squirrels vary in colour , although most are grey, they can also be black, brown and even white. Squirrels become active early in the morning and spend most of their day gathering, storing or retrieving nuts and seeds. Major concern when dealing with squirrels is their need to constantly chew and the damage they can do to your home in short period of time.

SOCIAL HABITS:

Polygamous, females raise their young alone. Grey squirrels are also quite sociable and during mating they tend to chase each other.

NORMAL ACTIVITY:

Diurnal, from early morning until sundown squirrels are extremely active even in winter.

GESTATION:

40-45 days

BIRTHING PERIOD:

March until May with a possible second litter around the middle of July into August.

LITTER SIZE:

2-4 average

WEANING DATES :

Young squirrels will start leaving the nest at 10 weeks. Young females may stay with their mother for several months, not necessarily in the same den.

SIGNS OF SQUIRREL PRESENCE:

You may see them running on your roof or notice smudge marks on your siding. You may also find wood shavings below an entry hole on your home or damaged soffits and roof vents. In your attic you will find chewed wood and wires along with tunnels in the insulation

SOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH SQUIRRELS:

Chewing, scampering, scratching sounds in your attic, soffit and walls. During mating season you may hear chattering and slight bark as they chase each other.

DEN SITES:

Can be in many spots around your home including chimney, wall vents, attic and in the soffit. In some cases their nest in a chimney will not support their weight causing them to fall into the fireplace. An attic den could be home to 8-10 squirrels. All it takes is an opening no larger than 3 inches for a squirrel to gain access to your home.

TIME OF YEAR:

Active throughout the year. From March until May they will be seeking a safe place to raise their young. Squirrels are extremely active and once the babies have become mobile they may cause major damage to your home in a short period of time. They may leave their den site inside your home during the warm summer but will return when winter approachs. During the fall and winter the most common conflict relating to squirrels has to do with den activity.

DAMAGE TO YOUR PROPERTY:

Squirrels have a habit of constantly chewing, this is fine while sitting up in a tree but inside your home it can be a disaster. They will chew whatever material is nearby including electrical wires , structural wood, ventilation ducts, roof vents, wall vents. They can scratch their way through vapour barriers and gypsum board. This may lead to moisture problems from rain and snow and from holes in duct work that allow warm or cold air to enter the attic. This can also lead to fire hazards. They can chew through plastic, wood and aluminum. We cannot stress enough how important it is to address your squirrel conflict as soon as possible.

IDENTIFICATION:

A bushy-tailed predator with a pointed muzzle. Grayish brown with a black mask and alternating black and white bands on its' tail. One of North America's most versatile and adaptable animals, raccoons are expert climbers and swimmers whose fingers can take lids off garbage cans and even turn doorknobs. They are also strong enough to rip off gutters, soffit vents, roof vents and most commercial chimney caps allowing them access to your home.

SOCIAL HABITS:

Polygamous, usually a solitary animal except when females are with their young. Females raise their young alone. If an adult male comes across the young, he may kill them.

NORMAL ACTIVITY:

Nocturnal, but may be active during the day, especially during the spring and summer when the female is nursing her babies

GESTATION :

Approx. 63 days

BIRTHING PERIOD :

Most common from March through May although late breeding females may give birth in June, July and August.

LITTER SIZE :

3-5 average. We have seen litters as large as 8

WEANING DATES:

2-4 months of age. Young males will leave in the fall but young females may remain with their mother during their first winter.

SIGNS OF RACCOON PRESENCE:

Besides the obvious visual sighting, raccoon leave many hints that they may be in your area. This includes footprints, scratch marks, tufts of hairs and scat on your deck and on your roof. Other signs may include black smudges on walls and downspouts, bent gutters, damaged soffits and roof vents, even holes in your siding.

SOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH RACCOONS:

Grunts, hisses, growls. When confronted raccoons will let out a cascade of snarling screams. The young are quite vocal and their chitter chatter can often be heard in the house whether they are living in your chimney or your attic. They also tend to purr while nursing. Young raccoons are extremely curious and when they start exploring expect the noise level to go up.

DEN SITES:

Den sites can be in tree cavities, but given the opportunity , they will live in attics, chimneys, crawl spaces, under decks, and beneath sheds. For a female looking for a safe place to have here young, nothing beats an attic or unused chimney. They usually have a main den site and secondary sites nearby. Females may den together but males den by themselves.

TIME OF YEAR:

raccoons can be active year around. They are most noticeable during spring and early summer when females are looking for a safe place to raise their young. They are also quite active in the fall when the young start becoming more independent and when they start looking for a safe place to spend the winter. Winters in Quebec are not what they used to be so it's becoming more and more common to have active raccoons during the cold months. It's during the coldest days that raccoons can sleep for days on end and live off stored fat, never having to leave their warm and cozy attic.

DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME:

raccoon damage2fire hazards include chewed wires and blocked ventilation from nesting material. Moisture problems arise when raccoons enter through the roof area, either by a roof vent, soffit vent or by tearing up shingles. This allows rain and snow to enter your home causing even more damage. Insulation replacement is often required when raccoons have been living in your attic due to the presence of feces and urine. So not only is it a potential costly problem, it can become a health issue too.