The Facts about Raccoons

With their dark mask and mischievous curiosity, raccoons always seem to be up to no good.  The raccoon is a nocturnal mammal, which means that it spends majority of its night scavenging for food.  As a result of this, many individuals wake up the next morning to find their trash scattered across their front yard.  Raccoons prefer wooded areas near a water source as this is their natural habit, however, they have adapted extremely well to the urban environment.  Instead of making their home in a tree, they often nestle in accessible areas in your home such as an attic or chimney, or underneath a deck, house or shed.  Because raccoons are nocturnal, it may take a long time to even know that you have a raccoon problem.  However, if a raccoon has made it into your home, it will not take long to hear them scurrying about over your head.  At this point it's a good idea to call a professional pest control company that handles raccoon removal.

Damage Caused by Raccoons

It may be hard to imagine how a raccoon can get into your attic but low hanging or adjacent branches to your house provide easy access.  Raccoons are relentless pests, so anything exposed or that can be detached, such as shingles, roof vents, chimneys, or fascia boards offer a potential entrance into your home.  Raccoons find attics to be a great environment to raise their young because of the warmth they provide and the abundance of materials that can be used to build a nest.  They will rip insulation off the attic walls and chew through electrical wires, as well as destroy air ducts. They will use your attic as a restroom; feces will begin to pile up and urine will seep down to your ceiling.  If given the opportunity raccoons will raise multiple litters in your attic, so early detection and raccoon removal is crucial. 

Raccoons Carry Lethal Diseases and Parasites

Raccoon removal is necessary because of the diseases that they carry.  The most common disease is rabies.  Rabies is a deadly disease caused by the neurotropic rabies virus carried in saliva and transmitted by bites.  Raccoons also carry roundworms that can be found in their feces.  Roundworm eggs are resistant to disinfectants and can stick to all types of surfaces.  These eggs are extremely difficult to destroy, which is why hiring professional pest control is the best solution.  Humans can become infected by the accidental ingestion or inhalation of the microscopic roundworm eggs.  Children are most susceptible to the ingestion of roundworm eggs, as they have the propensity to eat soil or put contaminated objects in their mouth. Human exposure to diseases and parasites carried by raccoons needs proper medical attention.     

Professional Raccoon Removal    

The damage created by raccoons can be extensive, but the hiring of a raccoon removal professional as soon as raccoons are suspected can make all the difference.  Some companies will provide raccoon removal and remediation or clean up services and repair the damages created by the pests.  Not only will the damages be fixed, but professional pest control companies work to prevent raccoons and other wildlife from entering your home in the future. 

It is important to shop around to make sure you find the best pest control company to perform the raccoon removal as some provides services that others do not.  Some companies offer exclusion, remediation, trapping, damage repair and preventative techniques.  It's also important to find a company that handles pests humanely and responsibly. 

Humane Raccoon Removal

Humane raccoon removal involves the placement of specialized traps in key areas of infestation that are monitored over a period of time. Once captured, strict state guidelines are followed to ensure the least amount of stress on the animal. After all of the pests are safely and humanely removed from the home, the pest control company can then perform the necessary clean up, damage repair and preventative measures involved with proper raccoon removal.

Raccoons are destructive animals, but all is not lost if you find one taking up residence in your home.  One call to the right pest control company can make the raccoon removal process quick and easy for both the homeowner and pest.