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What Are Common Complaints Associated With Raccoons And What Should People Look For?

Raccoons will eat pond fish.

  • Raccoons will frequent a yard to feed on coy fish in small lawn pond.
  • If the pond is shallow, a raccoon will enter the pond if he or she is certain they can get out. If the pond is build with a straight side wall - 3ft deep - a raccoon will not enter the pond. They enter ponds with sloped sides.

Raccoons frequent yards for food.

  • Raccoons and skunks will dig small cone shaped holes in lawn to eat grubs.
  • Bird feeders, pet food bowls and bird baths, etc. will attract raccoons into a yard.
    • Raccoons are also known to enter the house through a pet door and eat food in kitchen pet bowls, etc. Raccoons will also invade trash for food.

Raccoons will use attic spaces, crawl spaces and chimneys to live and have babies.

  • Raccoons need a tree or porch post, etc., to climb to access a roof. Raccoons are very strong and are known to make a hole to access an attic or crawl space.
    • Raccoons can cause thousands of dollars of damage to insulation.
    • A mother raccoon will look for a place in the spring to have babies and hide them from the male who will eat the babies if he finds them. The mother will seek shelter in a chimney flew and have the babies on the shelf above the damper. If the damper is open, the raccoon may enter the living areas of the home.

      The babies make a chattering noise.

Raccoons also will use the underskirting of mobile home sub-flooring to live or have their babies. This also causes damage to insulation.

You want to avoid raccoons living under your house, in attics and in chimneys.

  • Overwintering coons will urinate on ceilings and in crawl spaces.
    • Raccoons are capable of transferring a disease to humans [tape worm]. This disease is very painful and deadly, and is contracted through contact of raccoon urine and fesses

- Richard Swinney
Critter Control of Albuquerque
Critter Control of Santa Fe


The most common complaints in Ohio with raccoons is their ability to get into attics, chimneys and crawl spaces. Raccoons, which are nocturnal animals, can make loud noises at night when entering and exiting a structure. Raccoons living in attic spaces create damage to roof tops by tearing open holes in roofing materials, roof vent and eaves. Once in the attic they can destroy attic insulation, wiring and other components of the attic space. Contamination of attics is common due to the relative frequency of a raccoon to urinate and deficate in the attic area. Many times, large piles of raccoon droppings must be removed and attic insulation restored. Homeowners should look for any loose or torn vent screens, holes in roof tops or eaves, or loose boards behind gutters. These all lead to attic dwelling animals, like raccoons.

- Mike Faler
Critter Control of Columbus
Critter Control of Dayton
Critter Control of Toledo

 

 

What Are the Best Methods for Getting Rid of Raccoons? How Can People Prevent Future Raccoon Problems?

The best methods for getting rid of raccoons really begins with the second question "How can people prevent future raccoon problems?" so let's start there.

  1. Check out your structures and be sure that all potential access points that could be used by raccoons to enter the living space or the attics or chimneys are protected. The chimney should have good quality stainless steel chimney covers.
  2. All the roof tie-ins and roof dormer junctures should be tightly closed and preferably flashed in with good quality metal flashing.
  3. Louver vents should be screened from the outside with welded 1/4 or 1/2 inch metal mesh. 
  4. Roof/fascia junctions should be protected with good quality metal drip edge. Roof vents, including the large mechanical ones, should be protected with stainless steel roof vent guards.  These devices are contructed of expanded statinless steel and cannot be breached by a raccoos.These are just a couple of places that raccoons like to use to enter the home.

Prevention also extends to how we live our lives in the raccoons domain. If you self feed your cat or dog outside, you will eventually realized that you are feeding some freeloading raccoons and opossums as well as some local feral cats. Feed your pets a limited amount of food at a specific time each day and pick up any food not eaten. The birds love the bird seed you put out and it is a major  source of high energy food for raccoons and squirrels. Protect the feeders from these unwanted seed eaters. By the way they also love the suet block, especially when it is one containing peanut butter.

Other attractive food sources include poorly managed compost heaps, garbage containers that are not tightly covered.  Lastly, never get in the habit of feeding wild raccoons.  They are wild animals and they are dangerous if they bcome too familiar with human beings.

- Dr. Chris Christensen
Critter Control of Cincinnati
Critter Control of Lexington


How can homeowners identify if they have a raccoon problem? Why is Critter Control the best solution for raccoon control?

Hearing noises in the attic or crawl space at night? It could be a raccoon. Scratching, slow lumbering sounds, sometime chattering that is almost bird like, these are all signs of possible raccoon activity. Raccoons are nocturnal so most all activities are going to be associated at night. You may on occasion hear some scratching sounds in the day as the raccoon turns in their bedding, not much activity is usually heard during the day unless young are present. A quick inspection of your roof vents and foundation vents can yield entry points of the night time invaders. Missing screens from your foundation vents and louvers bowed with staining is a good indicator of animals present. 

Critter Control has been in the business of removing raccoons for over 25 years; it's our forte. We can successfully remove the raccoons and seal up entry's to give you a long term relief. We can also clean up your attic and replace damage insulation to return your attic back to normal and reduce the hazards left behind. Raccoons can carry parasites and diseases such as ring worm or round worm, which can be very harmful to you and your family. If you are hearing noises call your local Critter Control office and schedule a inspection. We can identify and control your animal invasion with quick and cost effective results.

- Mike Rossi
Critter Control of Greater Nashville

 

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