Despite how adorable and cuddly they may appear, having raccoons in your lawn can bring you a variety of problems.
Not only do they carry diseases, such as rabies, but raccoons can also become aggressive, especially if they have young to protect. In addition, they may fight with your pets and occasionally bite humans.
To get rid of raccoons from your property permanently, contact a trusted company that offers professional raccoon removal in Toronto.
In this post, we will explore the factors that attract them to your home, the potential problems they may cause, and how to get rid of them.
What Attracts Raccoons to Your House
Raccoons are frequently depicted as clever, quirky, and sneaky. In addition, their masks and ringed tails make them look almost adorable.
However, if raccoons begin to regularly visit your property, those tiny masks begin to appear quite menacing. After all, one of the worst things that could happen is for these animals to decide they want to live with you.
Raccoons, like humans and the majority of other animals, require 3 fundamental things to survive: water, food, and shelter.
Raccoons are skilled climbers who have no trouble scaling fences or entering attics and crawlspaces.
They will consume water from the following sources:
- Decorative ponds and fountains
- Puddles
- Leaky pipes
- Pet water dishes
In terms of food, raccoons may believe that your property is an all-you-can-eat buffet if there are a lot of food sources.
In the wild, raccoons typically hunt and forage for their meal. They prefer living near water sources where they can eat crayfish, frogs, fish, snails, and clams, which are typical raccoon delicacies.
However, they are also content to consume eggs, insects, nuts, fruits, and even dead animals from time to time. Evidently, raccoons are not very picky eaters.
These animals are opportunistic feeders, so whenever they discover a food source that is easily accessible, it becomes their new favourite dish. It could be anything from the dog food you leave out at night, your summer vegetable garden, or the fruits and nuts that have fallen from your trees. If your garbage can has an unsecured cover, they’ll turn it into a buffet.
Dark, quiet places, like an attic, basement, crawl space, or chimney, are great venues for raccoons to build a nest.
Even though they are typically reserved and avoid people, they might still attempt to move into a less frequently used area of your home.
Raccoon Infestation: Signs You Need Raccoon Removal in Toronto
These semi-social animals, regarded as one of the world’s most adaptable creatures, have consistently moved from rural to urban areas over the past few decades. Despite the fact that a raccoon’s appearance and characteristics may pique our interest, they are considered pests due to the enormous damage they can inflict.
You might not even be aware that you have a raccoon until after the damage has been done. Here are 5 indications that it’s past time to contact a raccoon removal service in Toronto.
- Persistent Excrement Odour
The persistent smell of urine or feces is one sign of a raccoon-infested house. Raccoons only travel a short distance to relieve themselves when they are in hibernation during the winter. This indicates that they have made their own toilet in your home! You might have a problem with raccoons if you cannot get rid of a strong smell.
- Odd Pet Behaviour
Pets frequently know when something is wrong before their owners do. You should listen to your pets if they start acting strangely or keep going back to the same place in your house! If there is an infestation of raccoons, call for a raccoon removal service in Toronto right away.
- Unusual Sounds
Raccoons are nocturnal animals. You might start hearing them scratch, scuffle, and squeak as they begin their evening prowl just as you are trying to put your head on the pillow.
- Garbage Invasion
Constant invasion of your garbage bins may indicate a raccoon infestation. These animals have natural a talent for getting into trash cans. They will use any means necessary to reach trash items that are releasing strong odours because they are drawn to such scents.
The majority of the time, this trait is caused by their need to eat and forage for food. Raccoons will eat garbage even when their natural food sources are plentiful.
If you have trouble keeping your trash contained, there is probably a furry thief behind the invasion. This is a surefire indication that a raccoon removal service in Toronto is necessary.
What Problems Do Raccoons Cause?
Raccoons can be such a nuisance for a myriad of reasons, the most concerning of which are:
- Health Risk
Raccoons can threaten the health of the inhabitants in your home. Children and pets can put themselves at risk by merely playing outside.
Raccoons may be carriers of diseases, like rabies which can be lethal. Their urine and feces can also harbour salmonella, leptospirosis, and raccoon roundworm.
Additionally, since diseases can be contracted through touch or inhalation, you will need gloves, disposable clothing, and a respirator if you’re thinking of removing their droppings.
- Property Damage
Raccoons can also cause costly damage to your home.
To get into the attic, females looking for places to nest may tear off roof ventilators, fascia boards, or shingles. Wall insulation may be torn up and displaced as well, and the insulation that covers the ducts for heating and cooling can be ripped off and destroyed. There is a possibility that raccoons will begin using a section of the attic as a bathroom, causing the ceiling below to become stained with urine, which will then start emitting an unpleasant odour.
It is possible for ectoparasites to infest the attic and spread to other areas of the house.
Den sites include spaces beneath decks and porches as well as uncapped chimneys. In an effort to create a den beneath the house, raccoons may also damage doors covering crawl spaces.
When you suspect a raccoon infestation, hiring an expert in raccoon removal in Toronto is the best course of action. Call Pro-Pest today at (416) 487-4179 for professional and humane animal removal services.
