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Raccoon Removal and Control
Raccoons are usually classified as a pest species due to their habits of living in human dwellings. The most common complaints include the following:
- Raccoons living in the attic
- Raccoons living in the chimney
- Tipping over garbage cans
- Stealing pet food or bird seed
- Sick, potentially rabid raccoon
- Presence is alarming dogs/pets
For these reasons, many people wish to have this nuisance animal trapped and removed.
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Since it's a very common problem, I have here an advice article with photos on how to get raccoons out of the attic.
RACCOON BIOLOGY: (Procyon lotor) Raccoons are easy to recognize with their distinctive black mask and ringed tail. Adults range from 10 lbs on up, with some reaching over 40lbs. They can live up to
12 years in the wild, though average life spans average closer to 5-6 years. Raccoons mate in the winter, around December, and the females give birth to an average of 3-5 young. A mother raccoon is very protective
of its litter of 3-5 young, usually born in the spring time. Like many mammals, they are primarily nocturnal, though some people spot them during the day, often when
in search of food. They are omnivores, and will eat almost anything they can get those crafty hands on.
RACCOON BEHAVIOR: They are very common animals, particularly in urban areas. They are well adapted for survival in cities. They are excellent climbers, and they have
very nimble hands. They are also strong, and they often explore, tearing new areas open in search of food and shelter. They like to den in trees, but they love to den in attics.
NUISANCE CONCERNS:
Raccoons are one of the most commonly dealt with nuisance animals. They have adapted to living with humans.
They have learned that garbage cans and dumpsters are excellent sources of food, and that houses are excellent habitat. A mother
raccoon will often tear a hole in a roof to access an attic, where they will make quite a mess and a lot of noise. If you have a
raccoon in the attic, it's going to make a big mess. They will search hard for food, and are fond of tipping over trash cans, raiding dumpsters,
and stealing pet food. They will often break into a screened-in porch to get pet food. They carry a number of parasites and
diseases that can affect people or pets.
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RACCOON DISEASES:
They are a common carrier of rabies, a potentially fatal disease. They also carry canine distemper, which can kill your dog. Their feces may contain raccoon roundworm, the spores of which humans can breath in and
become seriously infected by, so it is important to capture raccoons using human habitat. Click the image to the left to visit Rabies Control Website for more
information on this disease.
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HOW DO I GET RID OF RACCOONS?
The only real means of getting rid of raccoons is through trapping and removal of the animals. If you've got raccoons in your attic, it's important that the wildlife operator search for a litter of baby raccoons, and
remove them by hand before trapping and removing the female raccoon. If it's just raccoons outside causing trouble, they can be trapped and removed, but beware, they'll often dig and grab anything within a few inches of
the cage trap. There are also some lethal raccoon traps, but they're not often used or even legal in all states. Here is some information about how to trap a raccoon and some more
information including raccoon trapping tips.
I also have some additional information and photos about how to get rid of raccoons in the attic, which is often a very difficult and complex wildlife control procedure.
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