Something in Your Walls? Squirrel, Raccoon & Bird Removal in Toronto
Scratching inside a wall, a ceiling or a vent? Here's what's usually behind it, and why opening the wall is the last resort, not the first step.
Lifetime guarantee on every entry point we seal.
$5 million liability insurance
Calls answered 24/7.
What's making the noise in your wall
Where the sound is, and whether it moves, says more than how loud it is.
- The sound
Frantic scratching in one spot, at one height, going on for hours
WhenAny time, often non-stop
Most likelyUrgent: it has days, not weeks.
- The sound
Scratching or footsteps that move along a wall or across a ceiling
WhenMostly at night
- The sound
Chirping, flapping or rustling at a bathroom, kitchen or dryer vent; cheeping in spring
WhenDaytime
Most likely - The sound
Buzzing inside a wall
WhenSummer
Most likelyInsects, not something we handle
- The sound
Light, constant skittering and gnawing
WhenAt night
Most likelyMice or rats: a pest-control job, not us
Squirrel in the wall
A squirrel in the wall usually got there from the attic: along the top of the wall framing and down into a cavity, straight down from a gap at the soffit, or in from the top of a chimney. Inside a finished wall there is nothing to grip, so a squirrel that goes down often can't climb back out.
That is why one spot, one height and hours of scratching is urgent: a stuck squirrel has days, not weeks. While you wait for us, keep pets away from the wall, don't bang on it (that panics the animal), and note which wall and roughly how high up. That helps our technician find it quickly. More on squirrel removal.
Raccoon in the wall or ceiling
Raccoons are too big for most wall cavities, but they fit between floors, inside chimney chases and above dropped ceilings, and the sound is hard to mistake: heavy, slow, mostly at night. In spring a mother picks exactly these quiet, enclosed spots for her kits.
The damage adds up: torn drywall, soiled insulation, one spot used as a latrine. See raccoon removal for the signs outside.
Birds in vents
Starlings and sparrows nest in uncovered dryer, bathroom and kitchen vents; the first sign is chirping or flapping behind the wall, loudest in spring. Nesting material in a dryer duct is a fire hazard, so don't ignore it.
We check for eggs and young first. Once the birds are out, the vent gets a proper cover so it can't happen again. See bird removal.
Why we don't cut the wall open first
An animal inside a wall almost always got there from outside, through a gap at the roofline, a soffit, a vent or the siding. So wall situations start with a careful exterior inspection to find the likely entry point, since accessing a wall cavity directly is a last resort, not a first step.
Most wall jobs are solved from outside: find the entry, get the animal out, seal the way in. Opening a wall is only for an animal that is stuck and can't get out. If that's needed, we explain it before any work begins and repair the drywall afterwards.
What happens if you wait
A stuck animal dies in the wall. Then comes a smell for weeks, flies, and a wall that has to be opened anyway, in a spot you didn't choose.
An animal that isn't stuck keeps chewing: squirrels chew wiring, raccoons tear through drywall and insulation, birds pack more material into the vent. The sooner the entry point is sealed, the less there is to repair.
Sealing & repair
Sealing the way in and repairing the wall
An animal inside a wall almost always got there from outside, through a gap at the roofline, a soffit, a vent or the siding. Once it's out, we seal that spot and repair the damage on the outside.
If a wall or ceiling inside was damaged, or had to be opened to reach the animal, we repair the drywall too, so there's no separate contractor to call.
Questions about noises in the walls
What animal is in my wall?
Usually a squirrel, a raccoon or birds. Frantic scratching in one spot is most often a young squirrel that fell in. Heavy, slow movement at night is a raccoon between floors or in a chimney chase. Chirping at a vent is birds. You don't need to know before you call.
Can it get into the house?
Occasionally, through a vent, a gap around a pipe or an open ceiling. Keep interior doors closed, keep pets away, and call us.
Will the scratching stop on its own?
If it's a stuck animal, the scratching stops when the animal dies, which is worse: the smell lasts weeks and the wall has to be opened anyway. If it's coming and going from the attic, it stops once the entry point is sealed.
Do you repair the wall?
Yes. If a wall or ceiling was damaged, or had to be opened to reach the animal, we repair the drywall, along with the damage outside where the animal got in.
How much does it cost?
It depends where the animal is and how it got in. We explain the price before any work begins.
Will it come back?
Not through the opening we sealed. Every entry point we seal comes with a lifetime guarantee, for as long as you own your home. If an animal gets back in through it, we come back and take care of it at no charge. Full terms are written on your invoice.
Do you handle mice or rats?
No. Light, constant skittering and gnawing at night, with tiny droppings, is a pest-control job.
Humane. Local. Same-Day Service.