In this case study, we will look at the removal of a dead squirrel from a home in Etobicoke. Our team was able to locate the dead squirrel behind a wall in the basement and after proofing the house against squirrels, removed the dead animal.
Etobicoke encompasses the western area of the City of Toronto. Settled in the 1790’s by Europeans, the borough of Etobicoke became its own municipality in 1984. In 1998 it was amalgamated into what is now the City of Toronto.
Etobicoke is bordered by two main waterways- the Etobicoke Creek to the west and the Humber River to the east. It is home to some of the GTA’s largest parks including Humber Bay Park and Centennial Park.
Most of the residential areas are single-family homes. Quiet streets and cul-de-sacs line these quiet neighbourhoods.
Inspection for dead animal behind the wall
The homeowner contacted us after noticing a strange noise from behind a wall. A bad smell was also present in the basement area of the home.
Our certified wildlife technician performed a thorough inspection of the inside and outside of the home. We concluded that the smell was that of a decomposing animal stuck behind a wall in the basement.
During the outside inspection, our technician identified several points of entry on the roof including a damaged roof vent.
First steps to prevent squirrels from entering home
In a situation where an animal has made its way into the structure of the house, it is imperative to identify and block all potential points of entry.
At this home, we blocked all seven roof vents and two plumbing vents on the roof. This will prevent any animals from entering the attic space. A one-way-door was also installed at the one vent that had been compromised. This structure is installed in order to allow any animals remaining inside to vacate in a safe and humane way. We provide a 2-year warranty on all exclusion work.
At this point we also disinfected the basement area to help with the strong odour coming from the walls.
Dead squirrel removal
Our technician returned soon after the first visit to conduct the removal of the dead animal.
After pinpointing where the strongest odour was coming from in the basement, the technician carved a small hole in the wall to try and locate the animal. This is always a bit of a guessing game and we always try to minimize the damage to any walls. In this case, the technician was able to locate the animal after making two holes.
Because of the advance decaying of the animal, the insulation was quite damp, and maggots were present.
After removal of the carcass, we cleaned and disinfected the area and ensured there were no traces of maggots. We proceeded to deodorize the entire area with a special biological deodorant to completely eliminate the odours.
Conclusion
Having wildlife break into your home is always a problem. If steps are not taken immediately to remove the animals and prevent them from re-entering, you risk having them find constrained spaces within the walls, ceilings, and floors.
In this case, one of the squirrels that enter the home through the roof found itself stuck behind the basement drywall. The strong odour was used to identify the exact location and through a hole on the wall, we were able to remove the carcass. The installation of galvanized steel mesh covers on all the roof vents gives the homeowner the peace of mind that no other animals will breach into the home.
Our 2-year warranty will cover any damage caused to any of the installed covers. If any of our installations is destroyed by wildlife, we will return and replace or repair.