A row of townhouses built in the mid-2000s in Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu, a Montérégie village on the west bank of the Richelieu River, required a coordinated response after several co-owners simultaneously noticed intrusions into their respective attics. This type of building, characterized by party walls and continuous roofs, facilitates the spread of squirrels from one unit to another, a problem that the owners had not anticipated. This rural and heritage environment adjacent to Beloeil, with its woods and banks along the river, offered rodents a vast travel network. Our team was mandated to treat the entire row in a global manner rather than unit by unit.
Coordinated inspection of a row of condominiums
The inspection covered all six units in the row in a single day, providing an overview of the building’s vulnerabilities. The main accesses identified were concentrated at the junctions between the individual roofs and the soffits of the front façade, areas where the finishes were the most degraded after several winters. Three units had active signs of occupancy (nests, feces, resident-confirmed noises), while the other three showed potential pathways of entry with no confirmed occupancy at the time of inspection.
This global mapping made it possible to prioritize interventions and optimize the deployment of traps. The technician also assessed the general condition of each unit’s envelope and gave each co-owner a personalized note on the vulnerabilities specific to their home, beyond the only active access points identified. This preventive approach has been very well received by the residents. In townhouses, it is common for squirrels to exploit the junctions between units as preferential routes of movement, moving from one attic to another when access is blocked. Treating only the affected units without plugging the adjoining accesses often means moving the problem rather than solving it.
Progressive trapping and communication management
Our squirrel capture service was deployed by prioritizing the three units with confirmed occupancy. Live capture traps were installed at the outdoor entry points and in the attics concerned, with the written agreement of each co-owner. An information meeting was held with the residents present to explain the process and expectations. Our active team in Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu provided daily checks and regular updates to the condominium syndicate representative, fostering the confidence of all residents in the process.
In eight days, seven squirrels were captured in the three active units and relocated to the wild. No signs of occupancy were detected in the other three units during the operation. After confirmation of the absence of residual animals, cleaning and disinfection work was carried out in the occupied attics, with the removal of nests and enzymatic treatment of soiled surfaces to eliminate residual pheromones.
Global closure and long-term maintenance plan
The closure of the accesses was dealt with in a comprehensive manner for the entire row, in order to prevent partial clogging from causing the animals to exploit the untreated units. All inter-unit roof joints were inspected and sealed, degraded soffits were replaced, and metal grilles were installed on each ventilation duct. These solid materials offer long-lasting resistance to gnawing attempts and are adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of Quebec.
A complete intervention report was submitted to the syndicate of co-ownership, with a recommendation for an annual inspection of the entire roof and soffits before the winter season. This holistic approach, treating the row as a single building, proved to be much more efficient and cost-effective than successive individual interventions. For achievements in similar contexts, see our page on capturing squirrels in dense residential areas and on bat management in residential areas. Entrust the protection of your building to our extermination experts in Quebec, known for their rigor and respect for local wildlife.