Raccoon feces are not only unsightly, but they also contain disease spores that may become airborne. Humans and pets can then inhale these spores.
It is important to know that an adult raccoon in your attic, wall, or chimney is almost always a mother with her babies. If left alone, these babies will starve, eventually rot and cause a terrible odor problem. Contact Raccoon Removal Texas now!
Raccoons are a common nuisance but don’t have to live in your house. A few simple steps can discourage them from entering, and you may even be able to keep them out entirely. The first step is to cut off their food supply. This includes making sure pet food is kept inside, that trash cans are sealed and raccoon-resistant (or put them out only at night), and that rotting logs or debris are not blocking any vents or openings. In addition, you should remove any shelter spots raccoons might use to nest or den (including tree branches overhanging the roof).
Next, you can try trapping them. There are several different types of traps, including snap-clamp traps and snare traps. Snap-clamp traps work by snapping down on an animal’s paw, and can be used with bait such as fish, chicken parts or entrails, corn, sardines or fruit. These are usually more effective than snare traps, which are often more sensitive to noise and vibration. If you decide to use a snare trap, make sure it is set up in a quiet location and checked frequently.
If you are unsuccessful in eliminating a raccoon problem, a local humane wildlife removal company may be able to help. These professionals will inspect the property and determine the best trapping and prevention methods. They will also repair any damage and re-inspect your home to prevent more raccoons from returning.
They can also install an exclusion door or tunnel over the remaining access point into your home. They can also re-seal gaps and cracks around your soffits, eaves and chimney. You can also prevent access to your roof by fastening a commercial spark arrestor chimney cap of sheet metal and hardware cloth over the chimney.
If you are successful in capturing a raccoon, be careful not to handle it with your bare hands. These wild animals can carry rabies and other diseases. If you must, be sure to wear rubber gloves and check with your state game and wildlife department about the correct way to relocate it.
Removal
Raccoons are cute, but they’re also destructive critters that can cause structural damage to homes and businesses. Whether it’s tearing up insulation or chewing through wires in your attic, a raccoon infestation is a serious issue that requires prompt action to prevent the spread of disease and parasites. An experienced wildlife removal specialist is the best choice to safely and humanely deal with a raccoon problem. This animal removal expert is likely to have a number of tricks up his or her sleeve that will keep the raccoons away from your property.
If you suspect raccoons are making their way into your house, search for signs that they’re nesting or living in a sheltered spot like the crawl space of an attic, walls, or chimney. Look for tiny hand prints on the ground or around the house, a chimney full of raccoon poop and nesting material, scat and droppings near potential entry points, and damaged or destroyed landscaping. A professional will be able to find the point of entry and stop the animals from entering. This may include repairing roof vents and soffits, reinforcing the chimney with a steel cage, removing food sources from your yard by locking garbage bins, hanging bird feeders on narrow poles high off the ground, and cleaning up fallen leaves or wood piles.
After a raccoon has been trapped, sanitizing the area to remove feces, urine, and other debris is necessary to prevent the spread of diseases and parasites. Cleaning and sanitizing the attic is especially important. This process will often require scrubbing, spraying, and steaming to completely remove all traces of the raccoon.
Raccoons will stay where they’re happy, so the best thing you can do to discourage raccoons from returning is to make your yard and home unpleasant. This can be done by removing easy food sources, such as grubs in the lawn; by keeping chicken coops locked; and by making sure trash cans are secured. Installing motion-activated security lighting, which raccoons dislike, is another excellent deterrent. Adding scents that raccoons hate, such as peppermint oil and citrus peels, to your plants is another good way to make your home unappealing to these critters.
Cleanup
After raccoons have been evicted from your attic or crawl space, it is important to do cleanup. Raccoons leave a lot of waste behind, including urine, feces, contaminated and decomposed food, nesting material, soiled insulation and much more. This waste can cause serious health and safety issues if not dealt with properly.
One of the biggest problems is that raccoon droppings are a major source of roundworms, which can infect people and pets who touch them. Raccoons also carry other diseases and infections, such as rabies and canine distemper, that are potentially passed to humans who come into contact with their feces.
Another issue is that raccoon feces are very acidic, which can damage your roof and stain the surface of your home. It is important to have a professional clean up the area and treat it with an odor enzyme and sanitizer.
When it comes to raccoons, the longer they are allowed on your property, the more damage they will do. These bold scavengers are known to tear up air ducts, rip through insulation and do significant structural damage. They also leave piles of feces in and around your attic, which can be a fire hazard and lead to mold and bacteria.
It is very important to seal all access points to your attic or crawl space once the raccoons are gone. It only takes about 4 inches for a raccoon to squeeze into your home, so it is crucial that all entry points are sealed properly to prevent them from coming back. Homeowner’s insurance often covers the cost of repairing damage done by raccoons, so it is a good idea to call your insurer to determine what you are covered for.
There are many ways to deter raccoons from your home, but it is essential to be proactive. You can put up a fence or box to keep them away from your house, remove their food sources (like bird feeders) and make sure that your garbage can is secured. You can also try making your yard less attractive by pruning trees and shrubs and keeping the area around your home tidy.
Prevention
Raccoons aren’t inherently dangerous or destructive, but if you have a problem with them, it’s best to call a wildlife removal specialist rather than try to handle it yourself. This will ensure the job is done correctly and prevents any future issues. In addition, raccoon feces and urine carry bacteria that can lead to diseases in humans.
Most raccoon removal calls come from homeowners with an unwelcome visitor living in their attic or back yard. They’re opportunistic creatures that look for food and shelter wherever they can find it. You can help discourage them from coming on your property by bringing your garbage indoors and securing outdoor trash cans. This may also mean not leaving pet food outside and cleaning up bird seed spillage in the backyard.
In the wild, raccoons gravitate toward water sources like lakes, marshes and rivers and favor dense brush, logs and rock formations in which to build dens. In urban areas, they’re drawn to homes and other buildings where they can take shelter from the elements. Look for tracks or smudge marks on walls and woodpiles to identify possible entry points into your home.
If you suspect a problem, block any possible entrance points with loose wadded newspaper. Leave it in place for two to three days. If you don’t see any more raccoon activity, seal the area with 16-gauge wire mesh and metal flashing. You can also use motion-activated lights or sprinklers to scare them away.
Raccoons can cause a lot of damage to a home, mainly due to their digging and scratching behaviors. They can also carry bacteria that can cause disease in humans and pets. They’re known to carry rabies, leptospirosis and salmonella. If you suspect you have a raccoon problem, contact your local wildlife control company immediately.
Many raccoon control services include an inspection of your property and a quote for manual removal. Some companies charge an inspection fee, typically between $75 and $125. This fee is to determine the extent of the infestation and the cost for removal and cleanup. However, you can save yourself money by following these simple raccoon prevention tips.