Raccoons are nocturnal animals that are mainly located in urban areas. They can weigh as much as 50 pounds, so they can become pretty large in size and are extremely strong. In case you didn’t know, raccoons are great climbers and can swivel their hind feet 180 degrees to climb a tree. Most importantly, they are keen and talented animals that can live just about anywhere, including your home. Raccoon removal is about removing the food source because raccoons invade your home for an ample supply of food and water. Read below to understand the behavior of raccoons and how to get rid of them if they are intruding into your home or commercial building.
Raccoon Behavior
Raccoons want food. They’ll eat from garbage cans, dumpsters, and will even steal pet food from your family pet. Since they are very smart creatures, they will enter through pet doors and even destroy a screen door in order to get the food and/or pet food located in your home. If you leave food outside, then it’s an open invitation for these visitors to feast and find shelter. Raccoons will explore your home to see what food sources they can find. Most times, as nocturnal animals, they’ll enter at night. This is when they take full advantage of your home.
Raccoon Removal and Trapping
First, check the laws in your state. As a homeowner, it is probably illegal for you to trap raccoons and relocate them on your own. Most states require that a professional who is licensed, trained, and vaccinated against rabies is responsible for trapping and relocating raccoons.
Additionally, removing raccoons from your attic is a bit tricky. Most likely, if there are adult raccoons in the attic, there are babies too. You don’t want to make the mistake of removing the mother because it will lead to more serious disruption and damage to your home. When you remove the mother raccoon, its young will go through your house, knock over objects, and damage your home. In the end, they will also die and decompose without having the mother raccoon around to care for them. This leads to a nasty odor in the home.
Some homeowners opt to try raccoon repellents. There are certainly options on the market, however, they rarely solve the problem when it comes to raccoons in your home or building. Raccoon repellents and sprays do not impact a raccoon's behavior for the most part and aren’t effective raccoon removal tactics.
If you have a raccoon problem in your home, the best method is to call a licensed professional skilled at raccoon removal to make sure you and your home are safe.