Saturday, October 22, 2011

Raccoon Removal From Human-Occupied Buildings

By Adriana Noton


During the night, a woman notices a scratching noise, that sounds like it's coming from her attic. In the morning, when she wakes up, she finds that something has turned over her trash cans, and littered the ground with food. Most likely, this woman has a raccoon problem, and needs a quick raccoon removal solution.

Raccoons have a distinctive black mask, and ringed tail. The creatures are nocturnal omnivores, although people may sometimes see them awake during the day, searching for food. An adult may weigh anywhere from ten pounds to forty pounds, and most raccoons live between five and six years in the wild. Female raccoons typically mate in winter, and deliver litters in the spring. The female will be very protective of her three to five babies, and will also be on the lookout for a warm place to live, which may be an attic or a chimney.

Raccoons often den in trees. In urban areas, raccoons prosper, because their climbing ability and strength makes for easy adaptation. Raccoons may rip holes in buildings, when searching for shelter or food. Or, in other cases, raccoons eat pet food that has been left outside.

Raccoons are carriers of multiple diseases. Rabies is a potentially fatal disease carried by raccoons, as is canine distemper, which may kill dogs. Additionally, raccoons may leave droppings containing raccoon roundworm, a pest that causes serious infection when inhaled by humans. For the protection of all occupants of a house, raccoon infestations should be dealt with as soon as they are discovered.

Raccoons cause a great deal of damage to human habitats. When a mother raccoon dens in an attic, she often tears insulation off of pipes and off of floors, and rips open ducts. In order to access the attic, she may tear a hole in the roof, and once inside, she and her young will leave a copious amount of droppings.

Repellents are not highly effective. No organization recognizes a registered repellent, although some alternatives are on the market. Some repellents are scented like the urine of predators, and some repellents emit ultrasonic sounds. Unfortunately, these repellents often fail to work, and homeowners are left with a pest which continues to wreak havoc in their attics, causing serious damage.

Trapping and removal is the only surefire way to get rid of an infestation. Lethal traps are illegal in most states, and many states prohibit trapping and removal by ordinary homeowners. In all cases, the young must be found and removed, before the female is trapped and removed. Homeowners may try setting a large cage trap, but the trap must be monitored frequently, in case a stray or domestic animal becomes imprisoned inside.

To prevent disease, and serious damage to the home, homeowners should call a professional wildlife remover, as soon as they become aware of an infestation. Professional removers may be found online, or in the Yellow Pages. Reading online customer reviews will give homeowners some sense of the quality of listed removers in their area. With professionals on their side, homeowners will not have to wait an extended period of time for raccoon removal.




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