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.