Raccoons: Is Your Home Their Home?

Raccoons are a growing concern in Vancouver. More homeowners are reporting these vicious, disease-carrying wildlife animals in their yards and homes and there are plenty more homeowners who do not realize they have raccoons hiding in their homes. While chimneys and attics are the usual den source, raccoons are intelligent and highly resourceful, meaning they can create a den just about anywhere.

Where Raccoons May Be Hiding—A Pest Control Inspection Will Tell You

If you have already checked your chimney and attic for wild animals, now is the time to inspect other areas where raccoons are known to nest. These include:

• Ceilings and walls. Racoons, especially young ones, can fall between wall voids.
• Ducts, sheds or stairs. Raccoons can burrow under a shed or move right into outdoor structures you seldom use. They can also dwell under any concrete stairs. All these spaces make great nesting sites!
• Crawl spaces. Crawl spaces, especially those that are dark and quiet, are the perfect den location for raccoons to raise their young.
• Attics. Raccoons can find their way into your attic through a gap in your roof. If a baby gets trapped in your attic, its mother might tear her way through your roof to rescue the young one.

How Do I Know if I Have Raccoons in My Home?
There are certain signs that you may have a raccoon den in your house. Some of the more common indicators include:

• Scurrying, chewing or hissing coming from your walls or attic
• Appearance of nesting materials in your attic, such as bundled up fabrics and insulation
• Sounds at night or closer to dawn (baby raccoons are often mistaken for chirping birds)
• Food scraps or bones in or outside the house
• Signs of damage, such as shredded roofing material, chewed insulation, attic ventilation damage, chewed wires, etc.
• Damage to items you store in your attic or crawl space
• Odors that include urine, feces or a dead animal

If you suspect raccoons or other wildlife are invading your home, contact a professional pest control company. An exterminator can identify where the raccoon dens are and inspect your home for any possible raccoon remains in the walls. With proper pest prevention techniques, the exterminator can also prevent future raccoon infestations.

Raccoons can carry diseases and should always be handled by a pest control expert. The team at Pest Detective has experience trapping and removing raccoons and their babies from homes throughout Vancouver. Contact us today for a raccoon or wildlife inspection.