Raccoons can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time. If you suspect that you have a raccoon in your attic or crawlspace, call a professional animal trapper right away. Critter Control of New Jersey was called to a Toms River, NJ home to inspect damage to a customer’s attic. What we found was a big smelly mess.

Raccoon Damage in Attic

The raccoon didn’t limit the damage to just one small area of the attic. There were two big areas, almost 800 square feet, of damage that needed to be addressed for decontamination. We discovered matted, torn, and rearranged insulation which greatly diminishes the insulating value. A strong odor from the urine and feces also needed to be dealt with.

Raccoon Damage on Roof

Raccoons are strong and tenacious. They can create their own entry points into your home. Most materials used during home construction are not strong enough to stop a raccoon. In this situation, the raccoon was able to destroy a roof vent to find its way inside an attic.

During our exclusion process, we sealed all the roof vents with steel vent covers. We also repaired the hole in the shingles. You need to seal all current and potential raccoon entry points. Your house has the requirements raccoons look for to den. Invest in a complete solution so you don’t have to pay for raccoon trapping again.

Raccoon Prevention in Toms River

We were able to identify raccoon entry points into the attic as well as potential weak points that may contribute to future raccoon entry. After setting the raccoon trap, we got to work with completing the animal exclusion work. Our Critter Control New Jersey team got to work repairing and reinforcing the soffit to roof line connecting points. We installed stainless roof vent guards and screened attic louver vents with steel hardware cloth.

A slithery snake is the last thing you want to see in your home. But as a couple pulled up to their home in Houston, their headlights illuminated a black serpent climbing its way up the side of their house.

From there, it disappeared into a woodpecker hole. 

That was definitely a shock! Instead of panicking, these savvy homeowners called Critter Control. 

Types of Snakes in Texas

After the technician arrived, their first order of business was to try to determine what kind of snake they had on their hands. In southeast Texas, there are 39 snake species that it could be. 

Importantly, the technician wanted to discover if it was a venomous snake or not. The seven possible venomous snakes include Southern Copperheads, Western Cottonmouths, Timber rattlesnakes, Western Diamondback rattlesnakes, Western Pygmy rattlesnakes, Dessert Massasauga, or the Texas Coral snake. 

The technician was fairly confident that it was not a venomous snake based on the homeowners’ description of a black snake. Most of the venomous snakes in Texas have relatively colorful patterns. Although the description of a black snake could point to a cottonmouth, the home was several miles away from any ponds or lakes. 

Why do snakes get in your home?

With the confidence that the snake was not venomous, the technician investigated the hole on the side of the house. He determined that the hole led into the attic. So, he climbed up into the attic to search for the snake.

Snake droppings greeted him to confirm that a snake was indeed using the attic regularly. 

The reasons why this particular snake was in the attic could vary. In many cases, snakes will wiggle into an attic on the hunt for a food source. If there are rodents in an attic, that is a sure attractant for snakes. Luckily for these homeowners, the technician did not find any evidence of rodents. 

But based on the sweltering heat of a Texas summer, it is possible that the snake was seeking shelter from the heat. 

How Snakes Get in Your Home

Snakes can worm their way into small spaces and squeeze into your home. Disconcertingly, snakes can climb. With that, they can scale the side of your house looking for an opening. 

How Can Snakes Be Controlled: Exclusion and Traps

Snakes are excellent at avoiding detection. In Houston, our technician searched the attic for signs of a present snake. After ensuring that the attic was snake-free, they sealed all of the openings on the side of the house. 
 
Exclusion is the most effective way to eliminate a snake presence in your home. But it can be more difficult to exclude snakes from your property. However, a specialized snake-proof fence or boundary of lava rocks could prevent snakes from becoming regular visitors. 
 
Since the snake was not deemed a threat, the homeowners decided that traps were not necessary. If the snake had been venomous, the homeowners may have pursued trapping methods that would ensure the snake was removed from their property permanently. 

Houston Texas Critter Control Testimonials

Skunks raid garbage cans and dig holes in lawns for worms, grubs, and insects. They often live under dwellings like porches, crawl spaces, and sheds. 

These homeowners were shocked one afternoon to find a skunk scurrying under their porch! They worried the skunk would spray either them or their dogs. They called Critter Control to get rid of the skunk from living under their porch. 

Skunk Control in New Mexico

The wildlife technician used cage traps covered with canvas for live skunk trapping, using cat food, fish, or chicken, for bait.

One of the most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification. We suggested to the homeowners to keep pet food inside and secure any trash bins. The wildlife technician installed a hardware cloth on the porch. The barrier is buried into the ground to prevent the skunk from burrowing under it. 

The most common skunk in New Mexico is the striped skunk. Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are nocturnal (active at night), approximately 2′ long, and weigh 6-8 lbs. They are slow, deliberate, and confident they can defend themselves. Skunks discharge musk from the anal gland, are capable of firing several shots, and can spray 10 – 15 feet with accuracy. Before spraying they usually give a warning by stomping their feet. 

Skunks are omnivorous – eating both plant and animal foods. They prefer insects in the summer, and mice in the winter. The main predator of the skunk is the Great Horned Owl, which obviously has a poor sense of smell!  They breed in February/March with a 7 – 10 week gestation and usually have one litter per year. There are 4 – 6 young that stay with the female until fall. Skunks nest in ground burrows and crawl spaces.

Raccoons are present throughout Alabama. Raccoon habitats include bottomland hardwoods, swamps, pine/hardwood forests, farmlands, wooded residential areas, and other areas that have a supply of den trees, food, and water.

Photos of Raccoon Problems in Mobile, AL

When they can’t find a den tree, your attic can make an adequate substitute. Raccoons will enter your home for a variety of reasons. A safe place to give birth is one of the most common. Raccoons begin to mate as early as December to as late as August, with a peak in the mating season around February and March. The gestation period is 63 days and most young are born between April and August. Females can have one to seven young per year with an average of three to four.

If you hear strange noises at night like loud thumping, mewing, whining, or screaming between April to August, you might have a family of raccoons in your attic.

Raccoon Inspection in Mobile

Raccoons are not discriminating when it comes to home choices. They’ll get into any type of house in Mobile.

We inspect the exterior and interior of the home looking for signs of raccoons. Raccoons are strong and their claws can tear through most materials on a home. We check on the roof for missing shingles and holes in the plywood. Soffits, gable vents, and roof returns are common entry points for a raccoon.

Once in the attic, raccoons leave plenty of evidence. They flatten and compress insulation simply by walking on it (they can weigh 10 to 30 pounds). Raccoons create separate latrine sites. They consistently return to these locations, which are commonly found on roofs, attics, woodpiles, haylofts, and on or under decks. Their accumulated feces and urine quickly destroy insulation and saturate woodwork.

Other signs of raccoons we look for include raccoon tracks, damage duct work, and frayed or shredded wire.

Critter Control Raccoon Removal in Mobile

Live trapping is the most effective and humane way to remove a raccoon. Direct capture is not commonly used because raccoons are a rabies vector species. If young are present, we remove them and attempt to reunite with the mother.

How Do Animals Get Inside Gulf Coast, FL Homes?

Raccoons in Gulf Coast, FL

Gulf Coast Animals in Attic Damage

Armadillo Trapping

Louisiana has the perfect weather for wildlife, with high humidity and more hot days than cold. Swamps, the Mississippi River, lakes, ponds, and creeks keep our wildlife thriving. The problem is that the more we develop New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and other cities, the fewer “wild” places animals have to live. So, they started searching for shelter in our neighborhoods. Louisiana considers wildlife a nuisance when they persistently annoy or threaten property owners or if they cause property damage.

Here are some photos I took from the field.

Raccoons Inside the Home

Raccoons on the Roof

Raccoons in Yard

Squirrels in New Orleans and Baton Rouge

Juvenile Wildlife Removal

Opposums and Armadillos

Stinging Insect Control & Beehive Removal

Critter Control in Louisiana Staff Photos

All photos were provided by Brett Vreeland, district manager in Louisiana.

A raccoon’s natural denning location is the hollow of a tree. Chimneys provide all the same benefits to a raccoon for denning.

As raccoons commonly break into chimneys to raise young, noises like squeaking, purring, rustling, and whining are often heard through the night when infestations are present.

Even with chimney caps, raccoons can get inside of a chimney. Noticing a cap out of place can indicate a raccoon or other critter in your chimney. Sightings of raccoons in chimneys or on rooftops should also incite concern. In this case, these homeowners in Portland heard chattering and scratching coming from the chimney.

How NOT to Get Rid of Raccoons in Chimney

Do not set a fire to smoke out the raccoons. It can hurt the raccoons, and it is a fire hazard. If there is a raccoon den in the chimney, a fire can ignite the materials.

Don’t open the flue or the fireplace in an attempt to get the raccoons out of the fireplace. Without proper precautions, you will have a loose raccoon in the living space of your house. That significantly increases the risk of bites and scratches.

Raccoon in Chimney from Critter Control

Raccoons will leave the chimney for food and water. But they are nocturnal so this happens at night. If there is a female with young, the raccoons are ready to stay for a few months.

At Critter Control we will use a trap at the top of the chimney or one-way valve. We can trap and remove the raccoon harmlessly. If young are present, we can remove them by hand from the fireplace and either reunite them with the mother or find a local wildlife rehabilitator.

Exclusion Work for Raccoons in Chimney

After we humanely removed the raccoon from the chimney, we need to protect it from future infestations. We repaired the chimney and installed a new chimney cap to stop raccoons, squirrels, birds, and other pests from getting inside the chimney.

All photos courtesy of Critter Control of Portland

Rodents are the most commonly encountered mammal in Texas. Some of the most common rodents you’ll find in your Houston area home are:

1. Norway Rats
2. Roof Rats
3. House Mice
4. Eastern Gray Squirrels

The deer mouse, White Footed Mouse and nutria are other rodents in Houston area that can be a nuisance but aren’t as prevalent.

Homeowners in the Houston area tend to notice rodent feces or strange sounds in their walls and attics first. Rodent problems extend beyond those nuisances. Feces can transmit diseases. Rodents gnawing on electrical wires can increase the risk of fires. The pests introduce parasites like fleas into your house.

Critter Control in Houston specializes in rodent removal and control. Rodent removal begins with a thorough inspection to determine how severe the problem is. The more established rodents are, the more involved the removal process will be. After inspecting, our wildlife specialist will build a custom solution to trap, remove, and seal all entry points.

Rodent Damage in Houston

Home Inspection for Rodents

During a rodent inspection, our inspector will thoroughly inspect your attic as well as provide a full exterior home inspection. The most common signs of rodent activity are chewing, droppings, rub marks, nesting material, and small entry points.

The most common areas to find a rodent infestation are in your attic, in the crawlspace, and inside the walls. You’re likely to find evidence of rats and mice in your kitchen as they scavenge for food.

Signs of Norway Rats in Attic

Rodent Removal & Trapping

Based on the inspection, our wildlife specialist creates a strategic trapping plan to remove the rodents found in your home. Types of traps, placement of traps, and bait used in traps determine the effectiveness of rodent trapping.

Our wildlife specialist will ensure to use of the most efficient and safe removal process for your home. Though the standard rat trapping/removal duration is normally between 5 to 14 days, the trapping process may be longer if the rodents are well-established.

Rodent Control in Your Attic

There are a few ways to rodent-proof your attic, and most of them start before the rodents reach the attic. Some rodents like mice can fit through openings as small as half an inch in diameter, which means that small holes, gaps in doorways, and wall vents often serve as common entry points.

Rats are also proficient swimmers capable of traveling through sewer lines and entering buildings by emerging from toilets and open drains.

Check your roof and soffits for any small holes. Any rodent can take a pre-existing hole and gnaw it to make it bigger. Another way rodents can get into your home is through your vents. There are a few ways you can keep rodents out of your vents.

Rodent Control for the Crawl Space

Rodents can easily find their way into your crawlspaces. Norway rats and mice are the most common rodents in crawl spaces. Norway rats tend to burrow along the foundations of homes.

Rodent Exclusion

Rodent exclusion is the best rodent control method. The rats and mice got into your home. During the Critter Control free inspection in Houston and surrounding areas, our technicians identified all current and potential animal entry points.

After rodent removal, it is essential to repair any entry points on your home. Rodents leave pheromone trails, and other rodents quickly utilize those scent trails.

Habitat Modification for Rodent Control

Food sources, water sources, and shelter attract rats, mice, and squirrels to your house. Our technicians can offer simple ways to make your property less appealing to rodents.

Keep pet food inside and stored it. Removing trees or branches close to your roof and keep your property clear of debris can help to keep your property rodent free. Rodents love clutter and will use debris for nesting material.

Keep your garage door closed as much as possible, especially at dark. Garages are often used as storage spaces, and rodents will take advantage of any food they can get to or any items that can be used for nesting.

When Will I See Rodents Most?

Rats and mice are nocturnal and active year-round in Texas. Squirrels are diurnal and most likely to enter your home during their breeding seasons.

Hurricane season is the most popular time of year for Houston rodents to venture outside of their homes. However, limiting their activity to hurricane season is not entirely true. Anytime there are large rainfalls and flooding, we should be extra cautious when it comes to rodent invasion. Flooding forces rodents to venture inside.

Pest Control vs Wildlife Removal Services

Critter Control specializes in whole-home exclusions. We identify the rodent entry points and install materials designed to keep rodents out. We offer a one year warranty on whole home exclusions and suggest recurring rodent control services to keep your home protected.

Chicago has consistently been named one of the rattiest cities in America, and the most common pest rat in Chicago is the Norway rat (also known as the brown rat, sewer rat, common rat, wharf rat, street rat). These pests prefer to burrow in the ground, but they are excellent swimmers and climbers. Norway rats can establish a colony in your basement, crawlspace, walls, and attics. 

Homeowners in the Chicago area tend to notice rodent feces or strange sounds in their walls and attics first. Rodent problems extend beyond those nuisances. Feces can transmit diseases. Rodents gnawing on electrical wires can increase the risk of fires. The pests introduce parasites like fleas into your house.

Critter Control in Chicago specializes in rat control. Rodent removal begins with a thorough inspection to determine how severe the problem is. The more established rodents are, the more involved the removal process will be. After inspecting, our wildlife specialist will build a custom solution to trap, remove, and seal all entry points.

Home Inspection for Rodents

During a rodent inspection, our inspector will thoroughly inspect your attic as well as provide a full exterior home inspection. The most common signs of rodent activity are chewing, droppings, rub marks, nesting material, and small entry points.

The most common areas to find a rodent infestation is in your attic, in the crawlspace, and inside the walls. You’re likely to find evidence of rats and mice in your kitchen as they scavenge for food.

Rodent Removal & Trapping

Based on the inspection, our wildlife specialist creates a strategic trapping plan to remove the rodents found in your home. Types of traps, placement of traps, and bait used in traps determine the effectiveness of rodent trapping.

Our wildlife specialist will ensure to use of the most efficient and safe removal process for your home. Though the standard rat trapping duration is normally between 5 to 14 days, the trapping process may be longer if the rodents are well-established.

Rodent Control in Your Attic

The most effective rodent control method is exclusion. Blocking rodent entry points so the pests cannot gain access to your attic. Rodents can squeeze through small holes. Some rodents like mice can fit through openings as small as half an inch in diameter, which means that small holes, gaps in doorways, and wall vents often serve as common entry points.

Rats are also proficient swimmers capable of traveling through sewer lines and entering buildings by emerging from toilets and open drains.

Check your roof and soffits for any small holes. Any rodent can take a pre-existing hole and gnaw it to make it bigger. Another way rodents can get into your home is through your vents. There are a few ways you can keep rodents out of your vents.

Rodent Control for the Crawl Space

Rodents can easily find their way into your crawlspaces. Norway rats and mice are the most common rodents in crawl spaces. Norway rats tend to burrow along the foundations of homes.

Rodent Exclusion

Rodent exclusion is the best rodent control method. Exclusions are naturally chemical and rodenticide-free. Exclusions work immediately once properly installed and offer a long-term solution. During the Critter Control free inspection throughout Chicagoland, our technicians identified all current and potential animal entry points.

Rodents leave pheromone trails, and other rodents quickly utilize those scent trails so it is essential to block all entry points. Our exclusion services can help avoid rat stoppage tickets in Chicago. 

Habitat Modification to Prevent Rodents

Food sources, water sources, and shelter attract rats to your property. The city of Chicago offers free heavy-duty plastic 96-gallon garbage cans with tight fitted lids to single-family residences to help curb the rat population.

Our technicians can offer other simple ways to make your property less appealing to rodents. Keep pet food inside and stored it. Keeping your property clear of debris can help to keep your property rodent-free. Trimming  Rodents love clutter and will use debris for nesting material.

Keep your garage door closed as much as possible, especially in dark. Garages are often used as storage spaces, and rodents will take advantage of any food they can get to or any items that can be used for nesting.

When Will I See Rodents Most?

Squirrels are diurnal and most likely to enter your home during their breeding seasons.

Rats and mice are nocturnal and active year round. You might notice more rat activity during the summer and fall as the rats are preparing for winter. 

Pest Control vs Wildlife Removal Services

Some pest control companies will exterminate your rodent problem. A rodent exterminator is a short term solution, and not every company can offer a long term solution.

Critter Control specializes in whole home exclusions. We identify the rodent entry points and install materials designed to keep rodents out. We offer a one year warranty on whole home exclusions and suggest recurring rodent control services to keep your home protected.

There are thirteen species of bats in Florida. The big brown bat and little brown bat are two of the most common bat species to roost in your attic. 

Bats are found in nearly every geographic region in Florida. Favorite environments include tropical forests, woodlands, open fields, both suburban and urban communities, and even deserts. Roosting requirements usually depend on the species, but caves, trees, hollowed logs, rock crevices, and human dwellings serve as excellent habitats.

Should I Call an Exterminator for Bat Control?

You should call a wildlife control operator like the professionals at Critter Control. Exterminators are trained to handle pests using chemicals. At Critter Control, we have decades of experience and training to safely remove bats from your attic, repair the damage, and seal your house to prevent future infestations.

Florida Administrative Code rule 68A-4.001 on General Prohibitions and 68A-9.010 on Taking Nuisance Wildlife says it is illegal to kill any bat. In addition, you can’t take, transport, store, buy, sell, or possess a bat at any time. Bats have additional protections during the maternity season. They cannot be harassed or encouraged to leave their roost in any way. In Florida, bats cannot be taken as nuisance wildlife, even if they are causing a nuisance.

Some small bats can consume up to 1000 small insects in a single hour. A nursing female bat can consume more than 4000 insects a night. It is estimated bats save U.S. farmers roughly $23 billion each year by reducing crop damage and limiting the need for pesticides.

Bat Populations in Florida Threatened

Despite the benefits bats provide, the bat populations are threatened. 

• White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that spreads through bat colonies and has almost eliminated the Northern long-eared, little brown, and tri-colored bats.
• Bats do not reproduce as quickly as other wildlife. The females typically give birth to one or two pups a year. Slow reproduction puts the species at risk for population decline.
• Pesticides used by farmers reduce the number of bugs available for bats to eat.
• Wind turbines kill hundreds of thousands of migrating bats around the world.

Roosting Bat Concerns in Tallahassee

Bats provide tremendous value; however, you do not want bats roosting in your house. Bats pose very little direct danger to people, but they can spread diseases and damage your property.

Bats defecate where they roost. Bat droppings, or guano, can accumulate within walls and attics as well as on the ground and roof tiles. The nutrient-rich droppings cultivate the growth of histoplasmosis fungus, which causes severe respiratory problems in humans.

Bats are indeed capable of contracting and transmitting the rabies virus. Rabies is transmitted via scratch, bite, or when infected saliva comes into contact with human eyes, mouths, or open wounds. So if you find bats in your house, avoid contact!

Bats also harbor ticks and fleas. Those parasites can find new hosts like your family and pets.

Bat Removal in Tallahassee, Florida

To get rid of bats in Tallahassee, you need to use exclusion, not an exterminator. 

Bat Exclusion Restrictions in Florida

Bat maternity colonies begin to form in early April. These roosts are frequently near areas prone to insect swarms such as fields, ponds, or neighborhoods. In the late spring or summer, homeowners who see bats leaving an attic or overhang at twilight may need to check for an infestation.

If you need bat removal between April 15 and August 15, you need a special permit to install bat exclusions.

Spring is ideal for bat removal as it coincides with their return from hibernation or migration but before maternity season starts. After maternity season, the bat colony disperses. Some bats return to the same roost year after year.  If you want to prevent bats from entering your home, preventative exclusion is the best precaution you can take.

How to Get Rid of Bats

The most effective and humane way to remove bats is by utilizing a bat valve in conjunction with a full home exclusion. A bat valve allows for bats to exit your home but not re-enter. Since every bat removal service in Tallahassee is unique, our specialist will use or create a bat valve specifically for your home. 

Once the bat valve is installed, all other entry points will be sealed, allowing for bats to exit only through the valve. The removal process typically takes 3-7 days. Our specialist will perform a final attic inspection before removing the valve. After removing the valve, the final entry point will be sealed, leaving your home bat-free.

In New Orleans, raccoons are most likely to be a problem for homeowners during the spring and early summer months. During this time, raccoons are particularly active as they search for food and suitable nesting sites for raising their young. Additionally, raccoons may be more noticeable in the fall as they seek out warm and secure places to shelter during the cooler months. Therefore, increased raccoon activity and potential issues for homeowners typically occur from late spring through early fall.

Where Do Raccoons Live?

Raccoons are highly adaptable and can thrive in a variety of environments as long as they have access to food, water, and shelter. You can find raccoons living in urban and suburban environments and natural habitats like the swamps and forested areas around New Orleans.

The most common areas you may find a raccoon living in your house are in the attic, inside walls, on the roof, under porches or decks, and in crawlspaces. Raccoons like to live in woodland areas near water sources such as streams, marshes, and rivers. Urban areas, farms, and suburbs also make good homes for raccoons, who have adapted to city life by learning to scavenge from garbage cans, gardens, and crop fields.

Critter Control technicians are comprehensive during the inspection to avoid missing any signs of raccoon activity. What they find will help establish their steps in removing and excluding raccoons. Specific raccoon signs include the following:

• Paw tracks that resemble human hands, with four fingers and a thumb.
• Feces are typically found in piles since raccoons like to create a latrine in their dens.
• Holes and cracks that are the right size for raccoons to enter your home.
• Smudge marks on siding, walls, floors, and anywhere a raccoon was active.

Our technicians allow their expertise to guide the inspection process.

Raccoon Trapping

Raccoon trapping is the most effective, safe, and humane way to remove a raccoon. Direct capture, which involves catching a raccoon without traps, is not commonly used because raccoons carry rabies and other diseases. There are legal regulations about raccoon removal and relocation. Depending on your local and state laws, you may be required to obtain a permit for trapping. Also, you may need written permission from a property owner to relocate a raccoon to someone else’s property.

When removing raccoon babies from an attic, our wildlife specialists seek help from a local wildlife rehabilitation center. At Critter Control, we understand all the laws and regulations regarding raccoon removal and ensure you remain compliant. Our trapping process ensures everyone’s safety, as it is a reliable, effective, and humane way of capturing the animal.

Exclusion for Immediate Raccoon Control

Exclusion means changing your home and property, making it unlikely a raccoon will move in. Exclusion services are the most effective and immediate means of raccoon pest control. While do-it-yourself (DIY) methods are available, such as devices that use noises, lights, or predator scents, they are not long-term solutions.

Raccoons are smart and adapt quickly to new things introduced into their environment. They can quickly get used to DIY tactics. Exclusion services by professionals get rid of your raccoon problem for good.

Critter Control identifies all potential and current raccoon entry points. We permanently seal or repair cracks or holes using materials that raccoons cannot break. Exclusion services also involve making your property less attractive to raccoons. We modify your surroundings in the following ways:

• Create proper storage for trash in secure cans or bins.
• Properly store pet or livestock feed.
• Remove bird feeders and bird baths.
• Install fencing around gardens and small ponds.
• Remove any clutter from your yard, like piles of logs, rocks, tires, etc.

Raccoons search for food, water, and shelter. Therefore, removing these resources from your property will reduce raccoon activity.

Photos of Raccoons in New Orleans

All photos were provided by Brett Vreeland, district manager in Louisiana.

Raccoons tend to seek shelter in attics during certain times of the year, typically in late winter to early spring when they are looking for safe and warm places to nest and raise their young. Raccoons give birth from March through June, and litters average two to four pups.

In Chicago, this could mean anywhere from late January through April. However, it’s worth noting that raccoon behavior can vary depending on factors like weather conditions, food availability, and urban development. If you suspect raccoons have entered your attic, it’s essential to address the situation promptly to prevent damage and ensure your safety. Consider contacting a local wildlife removal expert for assistance.

Juvenile Raccoons in Attic

Baby raccoons, also known as kits, can produce various noises in an attic that range from high-pitched whimpers to soft chirps and muffled cries. Their vocalizations can be quite distinct, often resembling a combination of whining and chittering sounds. These noises may increase in intensity and frequency when the kits are hungry, distressed, or communicating with their mother. Additionally, the scratching and scampering of their tiny feet against the attic floor or walls may accompany their vocalizations, indicating their presence and activity within the space.

Baby raccoons look very similar to adults, the only difference being their size. Newborns do not open their eyes until their third week of life, so they are dependent on their mothers. Even after baby raccoons have grown large enough to run, climb, and forage for food on their own, they stay with their mothers for about a year.

Raccoon Trap in Attic

Live traps are the most effective and humane way to remove a raccoon from a property. We set and baited the traps to capture a raccoon but limited the possibilities of catching a non-target species.

Raccoon Removal from Attic

Exclusion repairs are the most effective raccoon control. Some of the most common damage repairs include chimney caps, roof vents, and shingles. After raccoon removal, we seal all entry points with material to block all potential raccoon entry points. Once the house is protected from raccoon infestations, we apply sanitization and ectoparasite agents to mitigate the raccoon damage in your house.

How Raccoons Get into Your Attic

Raccoons are excellent climbers. They use tree limbs, downspouts, or even siding to gain access to your roof. Once on your roof, entry points include shingles, loose soffits, eaves, vents, or roof returns. Raccoons can take a small entry hole and create a bigger one. Once raccoons are trapped and removed, you need to seal all current and potential entry points for long-lasting raccoon control.

Raccoon Removal from Attic

Even though baby raccoons look cute and cuddly, they will still bite and scratch. Raccoons are not born with rabies but instead exposed to the disease at birth by the mother as she grooms the newborn. Do not keep raccoons as pets! Critter Control of Chicago provides humane raccoon removal that focuses on keeping people and animals safe.

Squirrels are attracted to rather specific areas of the home, making them relatively easy to locate. Inside the house itself, squirrels prefer areas that are elevated and not frequented by humans, such as roofs and attics.

How Critter Control Gets Rid of Squirrels in Attic 

Getting rid of squirrels on your own can be tricky and dangerous. Squirrels are smart, aggressive, and can transmit disease. If you suspect squirrels in your attic, the best defense is to call a Critter Control wildlife specialist.
 

Step 1: Identify Squirrel Entry Points

Look for entry points eaves, soffits, vents, or chimneys. Small openings with gnaw marks are a sign of squirrels. 

Step 2: Squirrel Trapping in Atlanta

A one-way door is the safest method of squirrel removal. It will allow squirrels to exit your home, but not re-enter. To use a one-way door, you must first locate all the entry points that the squirrels are using. Live traps with bait are another effective method to remove squirrels from your attic.

Note: If babies are present, you will need to retrieve the babies with proper animal handling gloves.

Step 3: Exclusion Repairs

The most effective squirrel control is home exclusions. The exclusion repairs block all current and potential squirrel entry points.

Step 4: Attic Clean-up and Sanitization 

Depending how long a squirrel lived in your house will determine how much damage it caused. After squirrel removal, Critter Control will clean up droppings, remove squirrel nests, apply sanitization agents, and in extreme cases install new insulation.
 

What are the Signs of Squirrels in the Attic?

Squirrel noises. There’s a good chance you’ll hear a squirrel before you see any visual evidence, especially during winter months, when you’re less likely to notice exterior damage. The sounds squirrels make are often described as scurrying, scampering noises. You might also hear chewing or gnawing sounds. Squirrels like building their nests in attics, so sound will often emanate from there. Squirrel sounds are often mistaken for rat sounds, but there’s one key difference: squirrels are diurnal, so you’ll hear them during the day, whereas rats are nocturnal, and will make more sound at night.

Squirrel nests. Squirrels are well known for nesting in attics, as they provide a safe hideaway for squirrels to raise their young. The inside of an attic is also full of things for them to nibble and sharpen their ever-growing teeth on, like wood and insulation. When a squirrel chews the insulation on electrical wiring, the possibility of a house fire arises. Squirrels enter attics through crevices, gaps, and cracks in soffits, fascia boards, and eaves, or open vents or broken shingles in the roof. Once squirrels reach the attic, they have free reign of the house.

Damage to roof. Another popular nesting site for squirrels is in the roof. Typically, they build these nests with roofing insulation. Take some time to carefully analyze your home’s exterior. Squirrels commonly damage roofs by:

• Chewing holes in soffits. This can allow other small pests to invade your home.
• Biting through shingles. This can lead to water damage.
• Gnawing through joists and siding. This can weaken your home’s structure.

Squirrel Droppings Inside Your Home. Squirrel droppings are often confused for rat droppings, and vice versa. While rat and squirrel droppings do look similar—dark brown to black in color with blunted ends, around 3/8 of an inch long—they are found in different places around the home. Squirrel droppings are often found in attics or around tree trunks, while rat droppings are more common along baseboards, in cupboards, and behind large appliances like washing machines.

What Damage Can Squirrels Cause in Attics? 

Squirrels often cause damage to attic insulation or electrical wiring in the attic. But the most damage is done over time as multiple litters of squirrels are born in or near the home. As these squirrels grow and leave the nest, they often will set up their own nests within the same attic. If the initial intrusion is not addressed in time, the damage to your home will increase quickly. Not only will they continue to chew through wiring and damage insulation, but in doing so, they will create more entry points for other squirrels.  

Should I Call an Exterminator to Get Rid of Squirrels in the Attic?

Using an exterminator for squirrel control in Atlanta is not a good pest control strategy. Exterminators are state-licensed technicians trained to control pests using chemicals. They apply solutions to interior and exterior spaces of homes, offices, restaurants, warehouses, and other structures.

Chemical and natural repellents will occasionally work but provide a short-term solution. Most mammals will grow accustomed to the repellent or deterrent. There are no toxicants registered for squirrel exterminators. It is inhumane. Also, killing a squirrel in your house creates another problem for you.

Who Should I Call for Squirrel Removal?

The professional wildlife control operators at Critter Control understand everything about squirrels, especially those that become a nuisance to property owners. They are certified and trained in methods to prevent, remove, and exclude wildlife from your home or office. Wildlife control operators avoid using chemicals and toxic products that kill, as they are unethical, inhumane, and rarely provide long-term squirrel control solutions.

Critter Control in Atlanta specializes in squirrel removal. To remove a squirrel or family of squirrels on your property, our wildlife specialist will perform a thorough inspection to determine the severity of the problem. After the inspection, they will build a custom solution to trap, remove, and seal all entry points. They will also provide warranty options as well as an estimate for preventative services.

Raccoons are omnivores so they have adapted to live in the urban and suburban environments in Greenville-Spartanburg. Raccoons, like most nuisance wildlife, are attracted to homes and yards that provide water sources, food sources, or shelter. Raccoons will drink water out of puddles, bird baths, buckets, or water bowls.

Why is a Raccoon in the House?

Homeowners are most likely to experience raccoon infestations during the spring and summer months. This period coincides with the breeding season for raccoons, which typically occurs from January to June, peaking around March and April in many regions, including Greenville, South Carolina. During this time, raccoons may seek out sheltered spaces to nest and raise their young, leading them to enter residential properties in search of suitable den sites.

Some of the most common areas for raccoon dens are the attic, the roof, inside the walls, sheds, and under porches or decks.

Juvenile Raccoons in Greenville, SC

Juvenile raccoons rely on their mothers to find safe shelters, and female raccoons frequently choose chimneys as denning sites. Raccoons are typically weaned between 8-12 weeks. This homeowner had a litter of raccoons in their attic and heard soft whining and crying. Raccoon pups make a variety of noises like mewing, crying, whining, purring, whimpering, and screeching.

How to Get Rid of Raccoons in Your Attic

The professionals at Critter Control have been trained with the most effective methods of removing raccoons from attics or from other areas of any home, as it can sometimes be a lengthy process to remove raccoons from the attic.

The best way to get rid of a raccoon is a trap. At Critter Control, we secure raccoon traps and set them away from anything you do not want to be destroyed. We place traps in an area where raccoons frequent. Because the raccoon trap needs to be checked, we do place it in a somewhat accessible location.

Critter Control uses only humane raccoon trapping techniques that are environmentally friendly and ecologically safe to remove raccoons from attics. Once the raccoons in the attic have been removed, our professionals can then identify the point of entry for the raccoons in the attic and repair this area to ensure you will never have raccoons in your attic again.

Photos and video provided by Critter Control of Greenville

Raccoon populations are rising across the United States, creating problems for homeowners. Raccoons are attracted to properties with plentiful food sources, like citrus and other fruit trees, gardens, and access to garbage. They also love water, like swimming pools, ponds, and fountains.

You will notice specific signs of raccoons on or near your property. When you see signs of a raccoon, contact a wildlife control expert to help safely remove them and minimize costly damages.

Raccoon Sounds

Raccoons are active after dark, searching for food and water and socializing. Signs of a raccoon include hearing various noises in your attic, chimney, basement, crawlspace, ceilings, or walls. Examples include purring, chittering, growling, hissing, snarling, screeching, snorting, and screaming.

You may hear non-vocal raccoon sounds, too, like opening your outdoor trashcan and scattering the contents to find food. If you hear movement in your attic, ceilings, or walls, the raccoon is likely destroying drywall, shredding insulation, or clogging vents and pipes. You will also hear the scurrying or pitter-pattering of their feet when they run from one spot to another.

Strange Smells

Raccoons are filthy and have a foul odor. Their fur is greasy and filled with bacteria, germs, parasites, and other remnants from their travels.

If you notice a strange smell coming from your ceiling, walls, crawlspace, or basement, it could signal a raccoon is living with you. Many compare the scent of a raccoon to that of a musky smell, like a wet dog. Contributing factors of a raccoon’s smell include scent glands in its tail that activate during mating season and a combination of the natural oils and filth in their fur.

Raccoons have a unique habit of creating latrines, an area specifically for feces and urine. They use the same one repeatedly. Therefore, they make large waste piles in your attic, walls, or ceilings, and the odors will linger in your living space.

Pawprints/Tracks

A raccoon’s paws have five long toes resembling tiny handprints. The back paws have five toes and a heel. You may find prints and tracks around garbage cans, swimming pools, on the lawn, around water sources, attic floors, and outside your home.

Raccoons have an unusual way of moving, making their tracks easy to identify. When they walk or run, their right hind paw lands next to their left front paw, and their left hind paw lands next to their right front paw. Raccoon tracks appear in two sets, each containing a front and hind paw.

Exterior Home Damage

Raccoons are excellent climbers and can climb on every part of your home’s exterior. Raccoon attempts to find entry points that will create holes and gaps in your home.

Typical raccoon damage includes:

• Cause shingles to slide
• Gnaw on electrical wires
• Break vent and chimney caps
• Make small cracks or holes bigger in attic vents and eaves
• Break and bend gutters and pipe joints
• Peel apart siding and soffits
• Leave smudge marks on the siding
• Tear insulation off pipes and ducts

Raccoons also damage your lawn by digging holes to search for insects, raiding bird feeders, scraping bark from trees, stealing garden crops, and devouring fruits from citrus and other trees.

Raccoon Damage to the Interior

Raccoon scratch marks typically appear as a series of shallow, parallel lines on surfaces such as wood, drywall, or insulation. These marks are often around 2-3 inches apart and can vary in length depending on the size and strength of the raccoon.

Raccoons will damage attic insulation. Raccoons will tear and shred insulation materials like fiberglass or cellulose to create nesting sites. Raccoons can trample and compact insulation as they move around in search of food or shelter. Compacted insulation loses its effectiveness in providing thermal resistance, leading to increased energy costs for heating and cooling. Raccoons may defecate and urinate in the attic, causing contamination of the insulation material. This not only damages the insulation but also creates foul odors and health hazards due to the presence of feces and urine.

Garbage Distribution

If you do not securely lock your garbage in a can, a raccoon will rummage through it. Raccoons can lift lids off trash bins, slide doors of dumpsters, undo bungee cords and even turn doorknobs to enter a storage room. Once they access your trash, they scatter it in your yard or along your street.

When other animals see a raccoon messing with your trash, they join in on the fun. Some raccoons climb into cans or dumpsters but can’t climb out, so be careful when checking a trash bin. You may encounter a scared raccoon. Dumpster diving for raccoons means they pick up many different types of bacteria. If you encounter a raccoon, do not try to handle it.

Nesting Materials

Raccoons build nests for two primary reasons: to stay warm and to give birth to pups. If they nest in your attic, expect them to use nesting materials they find nearby. For example, they will rip and tear insulation, drywall, wood shavings, and anything else lying around. They will open storage containers holding your sentimental items and steal them to build a nest. If they can’t find enough materials in your attic, they will drag in leaves, twigs, branches, garbage, and other items from outside.

Strange Smells

Raccoons are filthy and have a foul odor. Their fur is greasy and filled with bacteria, germs, parasites, and other remnants from their travels.

If you notice a strange smell coming from your ceiling, walls, crawlspace, or basement, it could signal a raccoon is living with you. Many compare the scent of a raccoon to that of a musky smell, like a wet dog. Contributing factors of a raccoon’s smell include scent glands in its tail that activate during mating season and a combination of the natural oils and filth in their fur.

If you smell strange odors in your attic, ceilings, or walls, this is a sign of a raccoon and is likely caused by feces and urine. Some describe it as smelling like dog poop, cat urine, rotten fruits, or ammonia.

Raccoons designate latrines, an area specifically for droppings and urine. They use the same one repeatedly. Therefore, they make large scat piles in your attic, walls, or ceilings, and the odors will linger in your living space.

It is imperative to avoid contact with raccoon feces and urine. While their feces is hard and can be picked up and removed, it harbors mold spores that can be dangerous for humans. It may also contain parasites, like roundworm and giardia, that can infect humans when inhaled or accidentally ingested. You risk acquiring bacterial infections, like leptospirosis. It leads to flu-like symptoms and digestive problems. Hantavirus, another disease, can lead to severe respiratory issues.

Seeing Raccoon Droppings

Raccoon feces looks a lot like dog poop. Common sites of raccoon feces and urine piles include dark corners in your attic, hidden spots on your roof, under trees, crawlspaces, and basements. Suppose a raccoon makes a latrine in a hard-to-reach area, like inside your ducts or insulation or between walls. Your and your family’s health is at higher risk for disease exposure. Odors and spores can travel through ductwork to every other area of your home.

Changes in Pet Behavior

Pets, especially dogs, will likely notice you have a raccoon problem before you do. Their enhanced sense of smell and sight alerts them to other creatures living in their space. Dogs will seem obsessed with the area in which they sense a raccoon. They may bark, whimper, growl, or snarl at the location where they sense raccoon activity. They may also pace back and forth or try to get your attention, persuading you to inspect the area.

Your and your family’s safety should be a priority, and so should your pet’s. A dog’s first instinct may be to aggressively approach a raccoon to protect its territory. However, raccoons carry diseases that can be transmitted to pets, putting them in grave danger. Raccoons engage in fights by scratching at the eyes of other animals. They then bite the chest and abdomen area.

If you have signs of a raccoon infestation, hiring a wildlife control expert ensures safe, efficient, and effective raccoon removal.