As much as we’d like to believe the contrary, we share our towns, cities, and planet with an innumerable amount of other species and organisms. It’s due to this shared environment, which was once a single natural space, that it is becoming increasingly common for homeowners to notice the presence of unwanted wildlife, such as skunks, opossums, bats, and raccoons, in their neighborhoods and homes.

The truth, however, is far removed from the assumptions we carry as humans. What we call our land has always been home to many species of animals. Therefore, we have a responsibility to keep our planet safe for other species – our ecological family and friends – just as much as we have a responsibility to our own families and homes.

I Live Far Away from Forests and Woods, Why Do I Still Have Pests?

Before we built our cities, before even a single brick was lain down, every part of our world was shared with nature and wildlife. While we, as humans, recognize the borders created by maps and geography, animals do not. To the many animal species that populate our planet, things like doors, garbage cans, and cities don’t mean much more than the trees, rivers, and forests they see every day.
To understand why pests are becoming increasingly present in our lives, we must consider life from the perspective of an animal. To creatures like skunks, raccoons and squirrels, for whom surviving is a day-to-day struggle, human communities are a haven of ease and luxury.
Our garbage cans are full of discarded and completely edible foods. Our homes are warm and inviting during colder months, and cool and welcoming during hotter months. For animals looking to raise their families, there’s no safer place than a human community. Most importantly, due to the effects of land development and increased civil expansion, many wildlife species have been pushed out of their homes, and forced to find refuge in human settlements.

The Animal Side of Wild Animals

In spite of the fact that humans have quite a bit to offer to a hungry raccoon looking for a warm place to sleep, or a scared skunk looking to avoid predators, it is imperative that we recognize that humans and wild animals are often incompatible.
Wild animals carry disease. Wild animals are sometimes defensive. Wild animals are often scared. Disregarding the day-to-day nuisances of wild animals – like garbage cans invaded by hungry mouths – homeowners are not accustomed to dealing with wild animals on their own.
If you have a wildlife problem in the Toronto area that needs to be controlled in a humane way, contact us at ICE Pest Control. Whether it is birds, skunks, squirrels, or raccoons, we take care of wildlife in a safe, environmentally friendly way. Visit our website for more information on how we deal with raccoons and other wildlife and pests.