Raccoons can wreak much damage, so, understandably, you don’t want them around. It’s not just a tipped-over garbage can now and then. To get access to your attic, female raccoons may pull off shingles, fascia boards, or rooftop ventilators in search of a nesting spot. Once inside, they’ll displace insulation, go to the potty, and carry a slew of parasites with them.
They are also among the brightest wild creatures, particularly urban wildlife, with exceptional intellect and memory. They are an annoyance because of their cleverness, which allows them to break into garbage cans, steal pet food, and do other nuisances.
Alternatively, they might avoid the attic entirely and settle in your chimney, crawl space, or beneath your deck or porch. They’ll also want a snack that they can get from a nearby garden, decorative fish pond, pet food bowl, or garbage can.
Many people consider raccoons to be nuisance creatures because they may sneak into trash and food storage and leave a mess. They may inflict substantial damage to siding, roofs, ducting, and wires if they penetrate a structure searching for food or a safe place to give birth. Raccoons can also dig up lawns, searching for grubs to consume, ripping up vast portions of turf.
Potential Threats of Raccoons
This animal poses substantial health hazards in addition to the nuisance of the mess. Raccoons can carry illnesses that they can pass on to humans or other animals via various sorts of interaction.
These are the most precarious diseases spread by raccoons:
- Rabies
- Roundworm
- Canine Distemper
How to get rid of raccoons?
Female raccoons are accustomed to nest by the closeness of food supplies to suitable den locations. One reason raccoon populations can increase quickly and become quite significant in urban and suburban settings is the abundance of food. The obvious step would be to cut their rations.
A few tweaks can help you control the raccoon population in your neighborhood.
Secure the garbage can: Raccoons are attracted to left-out and easily accessible rubbish. Ensure your waste is in a big trash can with a tight cover when you take it out.
Pet food: To discourage raccoons from locating, and eating out of your pet’s dish, bring it in before dusk.
Bird feeder: It’s a good idea to employ at least one strategy to prevent raccoons, whether it’s a specific feeder, a shepherd’s hook, or just bringing your feeders in at night. The birds will also appreciate it!
Gather any fallen fruits or nuts: Yes, raccoons will enter your yard searching for natural food that falls from the trees. Keeping things tidy may make your yard appear less appealing.
Don’t feed your problem: You should avoid feeding raccoons and discourage your neighbors from doing so as well. A plentiful food source will attract more raccoons, resulting in an even worse infestation.
How to prevent them from coming back?
After you successfully get rid of the crumbs of food from here and there, you will need to reduce access to potential den sites. Without a place to nest, raccoons won’t be interested in sticking around for very long.
Clean your garden: Simply tidying up your yard might help you eliminate den locations. To make access to your roof more difficult, remove wood heaps, clear up overgrown bushes, and cut tree limbs.
Clean your chimney: Raccoons prefer to nest in chimneys, which is why you should use a spark arrestor for chimney caps to protect yours. To prevent raccoons from pulling the cap free, during installation ensure it is securely fastened.
Seal off other entry points: Raccoons will nest in and around your house in a variety of places, including chimneys. The most straightforward approach to keeping raccoons away is to seal possible access spots before they are found.
Fastest Way: Professional help can catch and exclude these nuisance animals, the quickest and frequently safest approach to eliminating a raccoon problem. If you don’t want to have a raccoon invasion, you should contact a wildlife control business.
A wildlife management professional may remove raccoons from any of their usual nesting sites. Raccoons often establish dens in attics, garages, crawl spaces, and basements. However, they can also be found in outdoor places or on roofs. There are likely to be newborn raccoons present when this happens during spring.
Before removing raccoons, a wildlife specialist must examine to identify the best technique of removal based on the number of raccoons present and their location. Unless there is a health risk, a sound wildlife management business will utilize humane methods and avoid killing the raccoon. Instead, they’ll move it to a safe distance and comply with local laws.
