Raccoons are nature’s bandits who quickly cause damage and wreak havoc on structures. They’re also notoriously elusive and difficult to catch without the help of a professional wildlife removal expert.

When a raccoon takes up residence in an attic, wall, or chimney, it’s almost always because the mother protects her litter of 3-5 babies. An inspection will reveal all the circumstances and ensure the best solution. Contact Rodent Retreat now!

Raccoons are a common problem for homeowners. They can damage your property, eat your crops and pets, and create unsafe areas around the home. If you are experiencing a raccoon problem, you should consider hiring a wildlife removal expert to help. These experts can also provide preventative measures to keep raccoons away from your property.

The first step in raccoon removal is trapping the animals. Most pest control companies use cage traps, which have a metal or plastic door that springs shut when the animal enters. The trap must be large enough for a raccoon, usually 32 inches long, 12 inches high, and 12 inches wide. This size will ensure that the raccoon fully enters the trap to set off the trip pan and close the door.

Place the raccoon trap along your property, in an area that is far from human activity and near physical boundaries such as fences or dense vegetation. The trap should be baited and secured, so the raccoon cannot knock it over or escape from it. Make sure to check the trap on a regular basis. It is wrong to leave any animal trapped for too long.

If you are using a cage trap, try to lure the raccoon with a piece of meat or fish. Other lures include fruit, vegetables, and bread. You should also cover the trap with a cloth or sheet to insulate it from rain and snow. You can even put down newspapers under the trap to clean up urine and feces.

Another trapping method is the paw hold trap, which clamps down on an animal’s paw and holds it in place. These are usually lethal traps, though some manufacturers make a version that is considered more humane (it has plastic grips instead of metal). These types of traps are typically used by fur trappers, who may perform nuisance wildlife removal services.

Relocating a mother raccoon and her babies is never a good idea. Not only will the relocation stress the animal, but it is very difficult for a wild animal to find food and shelter in an unfamiliar territory.

Exclusion

Raccoons are strong, intelligent animals that can easily rip open openings into homes and other structures. They can also chew through wires and cause fire hazards. Unlike repellents that use smell, raccoon exclusion methods use physical barriers to prevent access. This type of raccoon control is more effective and long-term than other techniques, such as trapping.

If you have a problem with raccoons, it’s best to contact a wildlife removal company instead of trying to handle the issue yourself. They can remove the raccoons safely and humanely. In addition, they can help you prevent future problems by securing entry points to your property.

A raccoon can squeeze through holes about four inches wide, so it’s important to close off these areas. You can do this by patching any cracks or holes in your home’s foundation, basement, garage, shed, attic, or crawlspace. You should also trim trees and shrubs so that raccoons cannot hide under them.

In addition to sealing entry points, you can also install a chimney cap and fence any open spaces underneath porches or decks. Raccoons like to build their dens in these places, and they can become a fire hazard if they get inside.

Another way to keep raccoons away is by blocking off their food sources. Keep garbage can lids tightly closed, and place bird feeders away from your house. In addition, you can use motion-activated lights or noise deterrents to frighten them away. This is especially effective if the raccoons are looking for food or shelter in your yard rather than in your house.

Raccoons are important members of our ecosystem. They recycle nutrients from fruits, berries, and vegetables and spread them throughout the environment when they defecate. They are also an important source of water for other wildlife. But if they start getting into your home or garden, you need to take action to stop them.

If you are seeing messes around your trash cans or noticing scratching and pitter-patter sounds at night, it’s time to call a raccoon removal service. The professionals at McCoy Wildlife Control can humanely remove the critters and prevent them from coming back.

Cleanup

Raccoons may appear cute and fluffy in pictures, but they are wild animals that can carry diseases. They also have very dexterous paws that can pick up and open things like jar lids and doorknobs, and their claws are strong enough to chew through the shingles of your roof or to make their way into your attic, crawl space, or other area of your home. If you think raccoons are living in your attic or other part of your house, you need to act quickly and call a professional for humane raccoon removal.

Once the raccoons are gone, you will need to deal with the mess they leave behind. The first thing to do is find their entry point so you can repair it and prevent raccoons from getting into your home again in the future. Then you will need to clean up the raccoon poop, which can contain dangerous roundworm cysts that are deadly to humans, cats, and dogs. You will need a mask and goggles, as well as a pair of rubber boots, gloves, and a disposable garbage bag to collect the poop. You will also need some high-strength cleaning products to kill germs and disinfect the area.

You should also be sure to store your trash and recycle bins inside a garage or shed, and you should put out bird feeders only during the day. This will help to deter raccoons from scavenging in your garbage or visiting your bird feeders for food. You should also take care not to leave any food scraps out in your yard or garden, and you should never feed raccoons, as they will likely try to enter your home to get the food.

If you have any questions about raccoons or the best ways to keep them out of your home, contact us at Wildlife Removal Pros for humane and effective help. We have locations throughout the United States, so we can assist you wherever you live. Contact us by phone or email, and we will send a local wildlife specialist to your location as soon as possible.

Prevention

Raccoons are known to cause a variety of problems for homeowners. These clever mischief-makers are opportunistic, inquisitive and destructive, creating costly messes and damaging outdoor structures like bird feeders and trash cans, as well as indoor areas such as attics and crawl spaces. Raccoons are also known to carry bacteria and parasites that can spread to humans when touched or inhaled.

In urban and suburban settings, where raccoons find few natural shelters, they often take up residence in attics and crawl spaces of homes. These invading critters are a nuisance, destroying insulation and drywall and creating unsafe conditions for families living in the attic or crawl space. In addition, contaminated droppings may pose health threats to pets and humans in the home.

Professional raccoon removal services provide a safe, humane approach to removing unwanted varmints and restoring damaged properties. They also use methods that promote long-term prevention. Live traps, for example, allow raccoons to be captured without harm and relocated to more suitable habitats. Wildlife control specialists can also identify and seal entry points into a property, making it more difficult for raccoons to access food and shelter.

The most effective raccoon prevention measures involve eliminating attracting foods, such as garbage, pet food and fruit. These measures also discourage raccoons from entering areas where people live, work and play. Raccoons are attracted to the odor of garbage and can damage outdoor trash containers, causing them to overturn or break. It is also important to properly secure garbage bins, using a wire or weight system that prevents raccoons from lifting the lid.

Another effective raccoon prevention measure is to block access to rooftops. A raccoon’s natural behavior is to climb and nest in dark, confined spaces with a warm, dry environment. Many attics, crawl spaces and basements meet these criteria, as do some sheds and garages. To prevent raccoons from accessing roofs, it is a good idea to remove overhanging trees and to cover roof vents and chimneys with wire-mesh screens.

Although some homeowners attempt raccoon trapping themselves, it is often ineffective and may pose a safety risk. In addition, raccoons may be legally protected by state and local laws that prohibit trapping or relocation. A full-service raccoon removal company is the best way to handle a raccoon problem and ensure that it does not return.