At first glance, raccoons simply come off as hungry little rascals just looking for a bite to eat out of your trash cans. Unfortunately, there is a much greater threat hidden beneath the surface. Raccoons can find their way into your home undetected, and when that happens, the damage and dangers are substantial. Raccoons can cause physical damage to your home as they seek food and shelter, but they also run the risk of infecting you with diseases.
Where Do Raccoons Live in Sarasota?
The natural habitat for raccoons is usually heavily wooded areas, but due to rampant urbanization, they tend to show up wherever food and water are plentiful. Regrettably, this is typically where humans reside as well. Raccoons breed in the fall, which is when you have a higher likelihood of running into them as they seek a safe place to birth their young. One of the more fascinating aspects of these creatures is their hands, which have phenomenal dexterity. They have such impressive control in their hands that they can easily open doors and latches.
Signs of Raccoons
If the following signs are turning up around your house, you probably have a raccoon infestation.
- Holes dug around your property
- Uprooted or eaten plants in your garden
- Droppings or a strong urine smell in or around your home
- Trash strewn all over your property
- Changes in the demeanor of your pets
- Damage to the structure of your house, especially your garage, as the scavenge for food
Why Do Raccoons Enter Homes & Businesses?
Raccoons are looking for food, warmth, and shelter. Common reasons they invade properties include:
Unsecured trash & pet food
Easy food sources attract raccoons.
Attic & chimney shelter
Raccoons prefer warm, safe nesting sites, especially in winter.
Gaps & weak entry points
Raccoons squeeze through vents, crawl spaces, softs, and roofing gaps.
Nearby water sources
Birdbaths, pet bowls, and leaky pipes invite raccoons.
Why Are Raccoons Dangerous?
Most homeowners complain about raccoons getting into garbage bins and tearing up their trash. Like many other household pests, raccoons are foragers and will seek out human food, whether other items are available or not.
Raccoons also like to eat fish, so protect your property if you have a pond, lake, or similar water source. If you have a chicken coop or henhouse, ask a hardware expert about raccoon-resistant latches or knobs, and consider fencing the area as well.
If a raccoon gains access to your home and builds a nest for their young, their rummaging for food and searching for materials to build their nest may damage wiring, attic insulation, and other structural items. Moreover, as they make your house their home, their feces and urine can damage your attic insulation.
How Critter Control of Sarasota Gets Rid of Raccoons
Critter Control specializes in raccoon removal. In order to remove a raccoon or family of raccoon 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 and an estimate for preventive services.
Sarasota Raccoon Removal Services
Trapping any animal may seem like an easy task – just put out the trap with some bait and the pest will go in, right? If only trapping nuisance animals were this easy! And in the case of raccoons, capturing these sly critters is a special challenge.
When our wildlife removal experts work to trap these unwanted critters, we evaluate:
- Location – Is the raccoon outside messing up your yard and property, or has it made its way into your attic? This will help determine the trapping strategy.
- Number of Raccoons – A mother raccoon who birthed young inside your home calls for much more attention to detail and care than would a solitary raccoon.
- Trap Size – Since raccoons are the largest common nuisance mammal, they require large traps. Generally, the trap will need to be at least 32”x 12” for a raccoon to fit inside and engage the trap door.
- Bait – Outdoor traps baited with meat can attract a variety of other animals, including a curious cat or small dog. Since raccoons are so crafty, a less careful animal is far more likely to be trapped. Each situation must be judged carefully to determine if bait should be used, and what kind.
- Health of the animal – Traps must be checked often so that any animal inside does not suffer or die. As you can imagine, being stuck in the cage will put stress on an animal. So, it must not remain trapped for too long, especially if it is exposed to the elements.
- Legal Regulations – Raccoon control must abide by Florida Fish and Wildlife regulations, which entail that the animal must be treated humanely. It is not legal to inflict harm on the trapped raccoon, nor is it legal to drive the animal to a nearby forest to release it.
Raccoon Exclusion & Prevention
Home exclusion is the most effective method for preventing raccoons and other nuisance wildlife from entering your home. It is essential to seal all current and potential entry points to prevent future raccoon infestations. After the raccoon have been removed, it is essential to prevent future raccoon problems. Whole home exclusions identify any potential entry point such as gaps around siding, vents, chimneys, and windows, to keep raccoon out of homes. We close the holes with materials raccoon cannot gnaw through.
Raccoon Exterminator and Florida Wildlife Regulations
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is the governing body which oversees the treatment of all wildlife, including nuisance animals like raccoons. According to Florida Rule 68A-0.010, any raccoons which are considered a nuisance must be dealt with humanely. Because raccoon extermination is highly regulated, effective raccoon control is more complicated than it is for some other critters.
Professional Services for Raccoon Control in Sarasota
Raccoon trapping is best left to professionals, for all the reasons listed above. There are so many variables that affect the success of raccoon trapping, and the inexperienced will only be frustrated by either catching the wrong animal or not catching anything at all. In addition, improperly handling the animal after it is caught can lead to legal consequences.
As a fully licensed and certified animal control service, Critter Control® of Sarasota has years of experience with trapping and handling raccoons. We always use the most humane methods possible while still getting the job done. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
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