Raccoons are definitely a nuisance that must instantly be targeted if it manages to enter your house. After all, they are known to be destructive and will remove any barriers that may block them from their sources of food or shelters. This may include electric wires, wooden barriers, and the likes. They can cause damage to structural integrity and design for houses.
Signs of a raccoon entering your house
First of all, you may notice that dog or cat food is disappearing. Raccoons are known to be attracted to exposed food sources no matter if it is dirty or clean. They are opportunistic omnivores and are capable of hunting for food in gardens and inside houses.
Another sign is the sound of scuttling feet in your attic which may be because of these pests taking refuge in the hidden parts of your house. Generally, you will be able to distinguish between rats by the thumping and walking sounds coming from your ceiling. This must be addressed as soon as possible as they may start reproducing if left on their own. With a whole family of raccoons in your house, control may be harder. This is because when a parent raccoon is taken away from their nest, dead babies may follow afterwards. With them being small, the clean-up for this is much harder and difficult in comparison to having large ones.
Raccoons are also known to be vocal creatures. Because of this, you may sometimes hear their chattering through your walls.
A dead giveaway is being seeing their droppings in your attic. What makes their feces unique is the presence of a sour smell. Aside from being in your attic, they may also sometimes roam around your roof while spreading their droppings there.
How do you get rid of them?
1. Raccoon bait and traps
After seeing that raccoons have been coming into your house, you may now try to trap them. Metal traps are usually recommended for raccoons because of their durability and are known to be stronger than other traps. Raccoon are also smart and strong, which means that may be able to get out of those traps that are flimsy.
The use of traps is usually best left for professionals as amateur attempts to trap these pests using metal traps may result to further physical contact with the animal. This contact may cause their diseases and bacteria to be transferred.
2. Raccoon repellents
Raccoons are not fazed by most smells and odors as they are known to hunt through garbage without second thought just to look for food.
There are some, however, that can be found from inside your house. One of these is the peppermint oil. Other repellents include pepper and cloves. The abundance of these in your kitchen makes it a simpler alternative to other repellents.
The use of predator urine is also done by some in order to scare the raccoons away from your yard. This is because these urines can be bought commercially and then applied to cotton balls that can diffuse the smell and cause the raccoons to be driven away.
Gadgets that use sonic-waves are also available for those who may want to experiment on them. They claim to repel animals because of the high-pitch it emits. This can be effective in its first days but does not last long as raccoons can easily adapt to the sound if they visit the place frequently.
Behavior
Raccoons are known to be one of the smartest pests. This is because they can remember the places where the food is stored. They can memorize passageways and small holes from which they can fit through. Although they may look nice, they can actually be aggressive in case it is necessary.
With them being nocturnal creatures, you may only expect them to move around during the night. This makes it harder for humans to be able to catch a glimpse of them, often mistaking their movement to be that of a rat or a mice. A big giveaway is flimsy wood and wires that are ripped off instead of chewed on. This is because raccoons are larger and more capable of doing this compared to rodents.
Dog activity can also tell you if a raccoon is in your property. They are the ones to see them during the night. This is why human owners are usually bothered during the midnight because of barks that are targeted towards these pests.
How much is to remove raccoons?
The price for removing them will depend on your chosen method. If you will use metal traps, an estimate of $150 and above is recommended. This will depend upon the number of raccoons inside your house. The use of motion-activated sprinklers or light can also be expensive.
The best way to remove raccoons
Ultimately, if you don’t have experience trapping animals on your property, it will be better for you to call for removal services. They are experts in catching pests, repelling them, and making sure that they don’t come back to your property.
