Raccoons can be very frustrating and scary to deal with. They are usually classified as a pest species due to their habits of living in human dwellings. Raccoons have adapted to live alongside humans because they have learned that garbage cans and pet food can be excellent and steady food sources. However, while a raccoon may be happy living with and around humans, the feeling is not always mutual!
Raccoons are intelligent and inquisitive animals, but unfortunately also very destructive, which is why raccoon removal is our most popular service.
Raccoons Outside Your Home
Even outside of your home, on your property, raccoons can cause problems. Raccoons will dig into flowerbeds and lawns to get grubs and worms to eat, leaving your yard a disaster. They also have a tendency to ‘play’ with objects such as lawn ornaments or patio furniture, destroying it in the process.
The feces they leave in your yard can also present a danger. Most raccoons are host to the parasite Baylisascaris procyonis, more commonly known as the raccoon roundworm. These parasites live in raccoons stomach and shed eggs that are expelled in the raccoons waste. Pets and children that come into contact with raccoon feces in your yard can contract the parasite themselves and become very ill.
Raccoons Inside Your Home
If that isn’t enough to warrant raccoon removal from your property, once a raccoon begins to frequent your property, it could try to make its den in your home. Raccoons are excellent climbers and incredibly strong for their size. This allows them to easily access and get through defects in vent screens, roof intersections, sub-access doors, and other vulnerable areas.
It is very common to have raccoon removals from the attic, as this is a comfortable place for a raccoon to live. While raccoons love to climb, it is also possible that you might find one living in a basement or crawl space. One sign that you may need a raccoon exclusion is that you hear excessive scratching noises in the attic area.
Usually raccoons looking to get into your home will be pregnant mother raccoons looking for a safe place to give birth and raise her kits. An average litter is 3-5 kits, and a mother raccoon will remain in one spot with them for 3 months before they are old enough to travel with her.
One of the most prevalent issues this creates is that they will defecate in a designated area called a ‘latrine’, which can cause contamination, and if the raccoons are in your attic, seep through and cause stains on ceilings.
Mother raccoons are extremely protective, and urban raccoons in general are extremely bold around humans. Because of this, they can present a danger, and therefore should only be dealt with by a professional trained in raccoon removal.
Raccoon removals in the attic are quite complicated, as it is most likely a mother raising her young, and it takes a lot more to be rid of them than to just set down a trap. Since these animals can be quite aggressive, raccoon exclusions need to be handled by an experienced professional, who will not only remove all the animals, but prevent others from gaining entry. At Lowell’s Wildlife Removal, we are very experienced with raccoons, and their behavioral tendencies. Because of this we have mastered the most efficient and effective ways to rid your home or business of all raccoon activity.
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