Raccoons are pests and can cause some serious property damage to that home sweet home of yours. While they may seem cute and clever, they are creatures you want to keep at bay. Raccoons can transmit bacteria and diseases including rabies. Just a week ago, a dog belonging to a resident in Houston fought and killed a raccoon which tested positive for rabies. To avoid raccoons in your home, it is important to be aware of what you’re looking for. This will allow you to catch the problem before it gets worse. A-Tex Pest Management is here to tell you how to identify, prevent, and get rid of raccoon infestations.
Raccoon Behavior with Humans
Raccoons are nocturnal, meaning they are mostly active at night. Despite this, they sometimes forage during the day. They are not picky eaters and have a diverse diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, insects, rats, birds and even your leftovers. Even though raccoons usually live in wooded areas, they have gotten used to urban life. They can easily nest in attics and crawl spaces as well as tree hollows and abandoned animal dens. While they may look harmless, raccoons can be dangerous, as they can bite when threatened. They also carry diseases and parasites such as rabies, distemper, fleas, and roundworm. These can be contracted by humans if they clean up raccoon waste without a mask or are bitten.
How to Tell if Raccoons are in Your Attic & Yard etc
Signs of a raccoon infestation include raccoon footprints. These are similar to human footprints but are just four inches in length. Scratch marks, as well as droppings at the bases of trees and woodpiles, are also signs of a raccoon presence. Knocked over garbage cans, trash is strewn about, low growls and shuffling noises are also good indicators of raccoons.
How to Prevent a Raccoon Infestation
There are many things you can do to prevent raccoons from infesting your home. Following are some of the most helpful tips:
• Use metal flashing and metal mesh to cover any of the possible places raccoons could enter your home.
• Keep lids on your trashcans and secure them with bungee cords or cinder blocks.
• A good idea is to double bag meat products. This will help prevent raccoons from smelling them and coming near them.
• Keep pet food inside, bring bird feeders in at night, and rake up fallen tree fruit.
• Clean up yard debris like brush, woodpiles, and old logs. This can be used as housing and cover for raccoons.
Getting Rid of Raccoon Infestations
If you are having a raccoon problem, make sure you act quickly. If left unchecked, raccoons can destroy your screens and insulation, eat holes in your floors, ceilings, and walls, and leave waste in your attic. You can flush out raccoons by blasting them with music and lights after dark. Once they are all out, you can trim any tree branches they might have climbed to get into your house and patch up any holes they might have used to enter the house.
Mosquito Control & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
Using live traps with food in them is an effective way to catch raccoons. However, because it is illegal in most states to trap raccoons and relocate them without a proper license, it is not wise to try to get rid of them on your own. A-Tex Pest Management will help you get rid of the problem as soon as possible. Call us today.