Raccoons are the most common wild animal in many parts of North America, so it’s important to be prepared for them when they come.
With Raccoons, Prevention is better
Raccoons can get into your home through any kind of unsecured opening, including open doors or windows that they can pull open with their claws. You’ll want to check around your home for any possible way that a raccoon could get in before the springtime when they’re most likely to visit.
It is also important to make sure all of your garbage bins are securely closed at night because raccoons love easy access to food. If you have pets, don’t leave pet food outside since this will attract raccoons who will eat it, and while some might move on quickly, others will linger around and go looking for more.
Raccoons are also known to break into bird feeders, so it’s best if these are kept away from the house and put up high, where climbing raccoons cannot reach them. Also, it is common for raccoons to enter chimneys in search of nesting material. Make sure your chimney flue closes securely at night; however, it should be open during the day to allow smoke out of your home.
You should never try to get rid of raccoons yourself or approach one because they will bite you if they feel threatened. It might even be possible that a mother raccoon with babies nearby could become very defensive and dangerous; she may see you as a danger to her litter.
Raccoons are cute animals, but they can be dangerous, so it’s best to have all of the necessary precautions taken to keep them out of your home. If you live near woodland or if there are any known raccoon territories nearby, always remember that they look for food sources and may follow their noses right into your yard. And once they’re in, they can cause some serious damage. If you have pets, make sure you know where their outdoor food supply is because this will also attract raccoons who love the easy access to food just as much as homeowners do.
Telltale signs
Now that we’ve talked about the steps needed before the spring when raccoons are most likely to visit, let’s look at ways that you can tell if a raccoon is already in your home.
If you have pets, it might be a good idea to keep them inside at night because an unseen intruder may be out there as well, and they could become prey or get hurt. Raccoons often feed on small animals, so if your pet goes missing without any signs of forced entry into your home, then you should probably suspect a raccoon.
Raccoons will also leave their feces behind, which look like black disks with pointy ends, but these smell very bad and should be cleaned up immediately using gloves or a mask. Other evidence includes claw marks on the windowsills or any other place where the animal climbed up to get in.
In Closing
If you do find evidence of a raccoon, you should start blocking off possible entrances they might be using to get through your property and make sure any food sources are well out of their reach.
If you do find a raccoon in your home, contact Pest Detective. You can read more about other indications at our website for all your pest control needs.
