There are few pests more damaging to your home than raccoons. They can get into your yard, your pool, your garbage, or your garden—not to mention your basement, attic, or even your living space. If you already have a raccoon problem, a University Park, TX raccoon control company is your best option. However, there are a few steps you can take now to prevent raccoons from getting onto your property and into your home.
Make Your Yard and Roof Less Attractive to Raccoons
Raccoons will eat almost anything, so getting rid of all potential food sources is a must when you want to keep raccoons away. Bird feeders are a common source of food for suburban raccoons, so you might have to ditch the bird feed. They also love fishing in your fish pond and swimming in your swimming pool, so you should cover your pond with a net for the fish to hide under and keep your swimming pool covered whenever possible. Make sure all garbage cans are tightly covered, and keep your roof free from nuts, leaves, and moss that could become food.
Seal Any Access Points
There are hundreds of ways a raccoon can get inside your attic, basement, crawlspace, walls, or ceilings. A thorough investigation of the outside of your home can help you identify the places that raccoons could get in—and raccoons can fit in some surprisingly small places. Make sure that any holes or gaps in your foundation are sealed up, there are no tears in your roofing, and the area around any vents can't be ripped up by a raccoon. These pests are capable of ripping up many different types of building materials to get in, often turning a relatively inexpensive repair into a few hundred dollars of damage. Another common entrance point is the area where the wall meets the roof. Since most builders are more concerned with keeping out weather than wildlife, it is often relatively easy for raccoons to climb up your wall and rip right through the soffits or flimsy siding that is usually used at these joints.
Get a Professional University Park, TX Raccoon Control Company to Inspect Your Property
While a certain amount of DIY prevention can be useful for keeping a raccoon invasion at bay, some areas and homes are more susceptible to raccoon attacks than others, despite your best efforts to keep them away. In a city like University Park, TX, raccoon control is probably something you will have to utilize at some point. A professional wildlife control companycan inspect your property and give you a detailed prevention plan that will make your home more raccoon-resistant. If you have a raccoon and need it removed, make sure you hire a company that makes prevention just as important as removal.