Services we offer:

• Animal removal

• Eviction, exclusion

• Behavior modification

• Feces removal and decontaminating

• Humane repellents and deterrents

• Raccoon-proof barriers (yards, fish ponds)

 

Raccoons are extremely smart and agile mammals. They are omnivores, meaning they consume both plants and animals. Raccoons are generally nocturnal but it's not uncommon to see one at dawn or dusk, especially in breeding season. Family groups usually consist of a matriarch and her offspring, where adult males are more solitary and typically travel alone.

In urban environments, a raccoon's home range can be as small as a square mile if food is abundant. Where they find a reliable food source, they will look for a nearby spot to call home - a warm and dry place, like underneath a building or inside an attic.

The key to controlling the presence of raccoons is controlling their access to the food they depend upon for survival.

Even though raccoon 'baby season' peaks in late-spring-early-summer, where winters are mild, raccoons have litters throughout the year.

The kits are born helpless, like puppies - deaf and blind. At about 8-10 weeks of age, they start to explore beyond their den and eventually go foraging with their mother at night. They will stay with her until they are about a year old, unless she allows them to stay longer.

A mother raccoon usually has multiple den locations picked out just in case one becomes unsafe. This is why it's fairly easy to get a raccoon to move her babies from, for example, under a house.

Please see our recommendations on specific problems, below, like  getting a raccoon to move out. And if you'd like to learn more about raccoons, we highly recommend watching Raccoon Nation.

 

RACCOONS IN ATTIC OR SUBFLOOR

If a raccoon has accessed your attic or has broken into the crawlspace underneath your home, don't panic! It's fairly easy to get a raccoon to move out. Sometimes within 24 hours. A few tips:

• Assume there are baby raccoons.
• Do not close off any entry points.
• Do not apply cayenne or hot pepper products.
• Do not use mothballs.

If you know how the raccoon is entering, and you feel safe in doing so, place balled-up newspaper in the entry. Block the hole entirely with newspaper. Check the next morning to see if it's been disturbed to confirm activity.

Contact us for further instructions or access to our Do It Yourself video.

 

RACCOONS DIGGING UP LAWN

If your lawn is being torn up, it's likely the work of raccoons looking for grubs. This usually occurs in late-summer-early-fall when food is scarce.

The long-term answer is to get rid of the grubs. They're not good for the lawn and attract meso-predators like the raccoon, skunk and opossum.

We recommend treating the lawn with beneficial nematodes, specifically NemaSeek, and if you want extra protection, NemAttack. Both of these products can be purchased online at Arbico Organics.

The quick fix might require some aversive conditioning to get the raccoons to stay away from the lawn while you take care of the grubs.

We can help with both, the application of nematodes and keeping the raccoons off the lawn. Give us a call to discuss the options or for access to our Do It Yourself video.

 

RACCOON LATRINES AND THE RACCOON ROUNDWORM

A latrine is a communal site where raccoons defecate. Latrines are usually found on flat, elevated surfaces, like rooftops, or at the base of a structure, like a large tree, or a fence. A raccoon latrine is likely to contain raccoon roundworm eggs.

The raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis, lives in the intestine of the raccoon. The roundworm's microscopic eggs, or oocytes, are passed in the feces of infected raccoons.

It takes about two to four weeks for the oocytes to become ‘infective’. If a human or other animal ingests infective eggs, the larvae can hatch and begin moving thorough the host’s viscera. Infections are rare, but can be extremely serious. Find out more through the CDC, HERE.

Raccoon roundworms can survive in the environment for at least three years, according to research. Most chemicals will not destroy the oocytes, but heat will. Boiling water or fire is often used to sterilize contaminated surfaces. Please see the CDC’s guidelines, HERE.

Something else to consider if you have found a latrine on your property, is runoff - where rainwater would travel and carry the raccoon roundworm eggs. If this area cannot be easily decontaminated, consider making it off limits for a few years.

Please give us a call for a quote on latrine cleanup and decontamination.