City & Country Pest Control (www.cityandcountrypestcontrol.com), the leader in residential, industrial, and commercial pest eradication and humane wildlife and bird removal, cautions residents of the Greater Toronto Area about handling raccoons and other wildlife.
“While there is no official count, the Ministry of Natural Resources estimates there are as many as 100 raccoons per square kilometre in Toronto. At roughly 641 square kilometres, that translates into 641,000 raccoons,” says Horacio Parreira, owner of City & Country Pest Control. “It should be no surprise to learn that Toronto has also been dubbed the unofficial raccoon capital of the world. And summertime is their active season.” (Sources: thegridto.com, “Midnight Marauders,” June 12, 2013; http://www.thegridto.com/city/local-news/midnight-marauders/; cbc.ca, “Raccoon Nation,” April 21, 2013; http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/2011/raccoonnation/.)
While many residents in the Greater Toronto Area may see raccoons as pests and want to get rid of them, due to Ministry of Natural Resource guidelines and the fact they can be quite unpredictable, aggressive, and carry rabies, removal should be left to trained pest control professionals.
Raccoons may have adapted well to city life in Toronto, but that doesn’t mean people can take matters into their own hands, says Horacio. In fact, doing so could lead to fines and charges: earlier this spring, a Toronto man pled guilty to a charge of cruelty to animals for hitting several raccoons with a shovel. After 19 court appearances before the Crown, he was given a conditional discharge that included 100 hours of community service at a humane society shelter. He also had to pay $1,365 to a local wildlife centre, where one of the raccoons he hit was treated for a broken leg. (Source: thestar.com, article, “Man who attacked raccoons with a shovel pleads guilty,” March 12, 2013;
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2013/03/12/man_who_attacked_raccoons_with_shovel_pleads_guilty_to_animal_cruelty.html.)
“When it comes to animals we consider pests, it’s important to remember that it’s illegal to fire a gun in Toronto. And any form of lethal force must be humane,” Horacio adds. Ministry of Natural Resources guidelines state that using body gripping traps can result in provincial charges with fines up to $5,000, and placing poison out to kill animals can result in criminal charges.” (Toronto, “Wildlife in the city: Raccoons,” http://www.toronto.ca/animal_services/raccoon.htm, last accessed July 31, 2013.)
The experts at City & Country Pest Control recommend proactive measures, including not feeding raccoons, trimming back trees located close to houses, using metal or durable plastic trash contains, and manicuring property to eliminate debris and shelter. But while these methods can help keep raccoons at bay, they might not keep them away entirely.
“When it comes to raccoons, the two most important components are removal and keeping them from returning,” Horacio concludes. “At City & Country Pest Control, we humanely solve raccoon and wildlife problems in the Greater Toronto Area and animal-proof your home or business.”
Fully licensed by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and fully insured, City & Country Pest Control has been successfully providing pest eradication and humane animal and bird removal for residential, commercial, and industrial clients since 1989. Serving clients in the GTA, Golden Horseshoe, Southwestern Ontario, and all of Durham region, City & Country Pest Control prides itself on its quality work, personalized customer care, effective and proactive pest control programs, and exceeding its customers’ highest expectations. For more information on City & Country Pest Control
, visit the company’s web site at www.CityandCountryPestControl.com, contact them by e-mail at sales@cityandcountrypestcontrol.com, or call (905) 455-1102.
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