Raccoons are among the most common and destructive animal pests in North America. In fact, the population of raccoons in Ontario is estimated to have grown from 1.8 million in 2015 to 3.9 million in 2022. That represents a more than 100% growth rate over the past 7 years!
The likelihood of you encountering a raccoon in your neighbourhood or on your property has increased exponentially. If raccoons manage to infiltrate your home, which is a common occurrence, you will have a big problem on your hands.
Raccoons can cause serious damage to property and even harm humans if not properly managed. If you hear noises in the attic or come across a raccoon on your property, you’ll need to know what to do. Icon Pest can provide professional raccoon removal services for your peace of mind.
Whether you have a single raccoon or an entire family living in your yard, the risks posed by these animals should not be taken lightly. Raccoons are known for being extremely resourceful and can gain access to buildings through small openings like chimneys, vents, and attics. Not only can they cause extensive damage as they search for food, but they can also spread disease and parasites that threaten human health.
Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of these pesky critters without risking injury or illness. Let’s take a look at the best methods for removing raccoons from your home or property, along with tips on preventing them from returning. Whether you’re dealing with an unwelcome visitor or an infestation of multiple animals, here is the information you will need.
Common Signs of Raccoon Infestation
Have you noticed some strange occurrences in your home or yard? Have some items gone missing? Are there signs that someone has been rummaging through your trash cans? If so, it’s possible that a raccoon has taken up residence in your home or on your property. Raccoon infestations can be a serious animal pest problem and can cause severe damage to both you and your property.
The most obvious sign of a raccoon infestation is when the animal itself is spotted. Raccoons are typically active at night, and they tend to be quite noisy while they scavenge. They also make their presence known by leaving behind droppings, tracks, and other debris. Additionally, if you notice any tiny footprints near entrances to your home or property, it could indicate that a raccoon is trying to gain access.
Raccoons also have an affinity for garbage cans, so if yours have recently been disturbed, it could be a sign that one or more of these animals are present nearby. Lastly, another way to tell if there is an infestation is by inspecting attic spaces and crawl spaces for signs of nesting materials such as leaves, twigs, and feathers. If you spot any of these signs on your property, then it’s time to call in professional help for raccoon removal.
Understanding Raccoon Behavior
Raccoons are nocturnal animals, so expect to hear noises at night when they are most active. They like to live in small spaces and often enter attics or crawl spaces for shelter. Understanding their behaviour can help you identify where they’re living on your property and how best to proceed with their removal.
Raccoons are highly intelligent animals and can be quite persistent when looking for food or shelter. It is important to keep your trash bins sealed tightly, as these omnivores will rummage through garbage cans if given the chance. Also, they are known to carry diseases like rabies and can be dangerous to your health if they get into your house.
To ensure the safe removal of raccoons from your property, it is best to contact a licensed pest control company that specializes in wildlife control services. A professional can assess the situation and use humane traps or exclusion techniques to safely relocate raccoons on your property. Taking this step will help protect your family from potential disease and property damage.
Best Practices for Prevention
Prevention is a key part of raccoon removal. Taking steps to stop an infestation before it starts is the best course of action. In order to successfully prevent a raccoon problem, you must identify potential entry points and take measures to block them off. Additionally, you should also eliminate any sources of food or water that may attract them.
The first step is to seal off potential access points for raccoons. This includes inspecting the exterior of your home, looking for any gaps in siding, loose shutters, or broken seals around windows and doors. Any openings larger than four inches should be sealed with heavy-duty materials such as metal flashing or wire mesh. Trim back tree branches near your home as well, as these can provide easy access for raccoons.
Additionally, make sure there are no sources of food or water around your property that could attract raccoons. Keep garbage bins securely closed and store pet food indoors when not in use. If you have bird feeders or fruit trees on your property, make sure they are not accessible to raccoons by either removing them or taking steps to secure them. By taking these precautions, you can help keep raccoons and other animal pests from coming into your home.
Professional Exclusion Services
Once you have identified all the entry points where raccoons are gaining access to your property, the next step is to contact a professional exclusion service. According to experts, up to 90% of removal cases can be solved with a one-time exclusion service. Professional exclusion services use humane methods such as traps and ladders to remove raccoons from your home or property. They also provide additional services like sealing off potential entry points and providing advice on how to prevent future infestations.
Professional exclusion services can help you get rid of raccoons quickly and effectively without causing undue damage. With their expertise and experience in dealing with animal pest removal, professional exclusion services can help ensure that your problem is solved for good.
Humane Live Trapping
Humane live trapping is one of the most effective methods for raccoon removal. It’s a process that involves setting traps, usually around the perimeter of a property where raccoons are present. The traps are designed specifically to capture the animal without harming it in any way.
Humane live trapping is an effective way to remove raccoons from your property while ensuring their safety and well-being. With patience and proper technique, these animal pests can be successfully removed from your home without causing them harm or distress.
Cleaning Tips After Removal
Once the removal process is complete, it is important to clean up any mess that may have been made during the removal. This may include wiping down any surfaces that were touched during the removal, vacuuming up any dust or debris, and disposing of any items that were removed. It is also important to sanitize any areas that were affected by the removal process, such as furniture, carpets, or walls. Additionally, it is important to thoroughly clean and disinfect any tools that were used during the removal process, such as saws, drills, hammers, or wrenches. Lastly, it is important to inspect the area to make sure that everything has been properly removed and that the area is safe to use. Icon Pest will take all these steps to sanitize the area as part of the removal process.
Health Concerns Related to Raccoon Infestations
Raccoons can cause serious health concerns due to their ability to carry and transmit disease. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, raccoons carry rabies and leptospirosis, and coming into contact with them should be avoided. They can also spread a variety of other illnesses, such as roundworm, salmonella, and canine distemper. In addition to these diseases, raccoon droppings may contain spores from Histoplasma capsulatum, a fungus that can cause respiratory symptoms in humans if inhaled.
The removal of raccoons should be done with caution because they pose a health risk to humans if handled improperly. To minimize contact with these animals and reduce your chances of exposure to any potential diseases or parasites they might carry, it is important to employ the services of a professional animal pest control company that will remove the raccoons and provide proper sanitization processes to complete the work.
You can also take steps yourself to prevent future infestations. Keeping trash cans secure and food sources inaccessible will help discourage raccoons from entering your property in the first place. Taking these precautions will help keep you and your family safe from potential health risks associated with an unwanted raccoon infestation.
Local Regulations for Raccoon Removal
In Ontario, it is illegal for a citizen to trap and relocate wild animals, including raccoons. If raccoons are causing damage to property or posing a threat to people, homeowners should contact a licensed wildlife control operator like Icon Pest. Wildlife control operators are permitted to humanely trap, remove, and relocate nuisance wildlife. They must follow provincial laws and regulations for humane trapping and relocation of wildlife.
Icon Pest, Pest Control and Wildlife Removal Service
The raccoon serves as a symbol, representing the wildness of nature and all its unpredictability. For homeowners, this can be both a blessing and a curse: it’s beautiful to witness, yet it can also cause chaos within our homes and yards. That’s where Icon Pest comes in.
Icon Pest has been providing raccoon removal solutions for over 20 years. Their approach is humane, utilizing various strategies like trapping and exclusion to ensure that no harm comes to the animals while still solving customers’ problems. They also understand the importance of preventative measures, so they’ll take steps to close off access points on your property that could attract raccoons in the future.
If you’re looking for quality service that keeps safety at the forefront—for both humans and animals—then Icon Pest is the right choice for you. Their experienced team will work quickly and efficiently to solve your problem without compromising any values or standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most effective way to keep raccoons away from my property?
Keeping raccoons away from your property can be a tricky task. There are several methods to discourage raccoons from entering an area, but some are more effective than others.
One of the best ways to deter raccoons is to make sure there is no access to food or shelter on your property. Keep pet food indoors and secure garbage cans tightly with lids that latch shut. If you have bird feeders, consider taking them down until the raccoon problem has been resolved, as they can attract these furry pests.
By following these steps and ensuring that your property is not an inviting habitat for raccoons, you should be able to effectively keep them away. It’s important to take preventive measures as soon as possible.
How can I tell if I have a raccoon infestation?
Have you ever wondered if your home is being overrun by sneaky, trash-stealing raccoons? We’ve all heard the horror stories about these masked marauders, but how can you tell for sure if a colony of them has decided to make your house their new home? Well, here are some tips to help you detect a potential raccoon infestation:
- Check for tracks: If you find any signs of small paw prints around your yard or on the roof, chances are you’ve got yourself a family of raccoons.
- Listen for noises: As they are nocturnal animals, raccoons will make noise in the evening hours as they search for food and explore. If you hear any rustling or chattering coming from your attic or walls, it could be a sign of an unwanted guest.
- Inspect your garbage: It goes without saying that these critters love to dig through our garbage cans and feast on the leftovers we throw away. So if you see any overturned bins or ripped-open bags, it’s probably best to check inside for evidence of a raccoon raid.
- Look out for droppings: Raccoon faecal matter is often dark and cylindrical in shape with tapered ends—so if there’s an abundance of this type of “calling card” around your property, then it’s likely that these furry bandits have taken up residence nearby.
Suffice it to say, there are many ways in which one can identify a potential raccoon infestation—but the most important thing to remember is that prevention is sometimes better than a cure. Make sure to take steps now in order to keep animal pests from invading your home and wreaking havoc on your property.
Are there any health risks associated with raccoon removal?
When dealing with any kind of wildlife, it’s important to consider the potential health risks associated with its removal. Raccoons may carry a variety of diseases and parasites that can be dangerous to both humans and pets. Here are some things to keep in mind when dealing with raccoon removal:
- Raccoons can carry rabies, which is a serious viral disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.
- Raccoons may also carry roundworms, which can cause serious neurological damage if contracted by humans or pets.
- Additionally, raccoons can spread distemper, a contagious virus that affects animals, including cats, dogs, and ferrets.
- Finally, they may also carry fleas and ticks, which can cause skin irritation or even transmit other illnesses such as Lyme disease.
It’s important to take precautions when dealing with raccoon infestations, such as hiring a professional company like Icon Pest that has experience handling these types of situations safely and properly. Make sure you understand the risks involved and take all necessary safety measures to protect yourself and your family from contamination or injury. With proper care and caution, like that taken by professionals, removing raccoons from your property can be done safely and efficiently.
How much does it cost to hire a professional raccoon removal service?
Hiring a professional raccoon removal service can be a smart decision for dealing with unwanted pests. The cost is worth it when considering the expertise, safety, and peace of mind that a professional can provide. Here are some key points to consider when deciding if a professional raccoon removal service is right for you:
- Professional services are typically highly specialized and have extensive knowledge of raccoon behaviour and local regulations.
- They come equipped with the proper tools, like humane traps and deterrents, which will give you better results than any DIY methods.
- The best professional services guarantee their work, so if the problem persists, they will come back and take care of it at no additional cost.
When it comes to cost, you can expect to pay $150 and up, depending on the size of your property and the severity of the infestation. It is important to remember that when evaluating a professional service, you should also factor in the money saved by avoiding potential damage or injury due to DIY methods. Ultimately, hiring a professional raccoon removal service is worth the investment due to their expertise, safety precautions, and guarantees.
Icon Pest Can Help!
If you have questions about our raccoon removal services in the GTA, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Give us a call at 647-325-9060, send an email to info@iconpest.ca, or chat with us right on the website. There is also emergency service available. We can give you a free quote, and you can book an appointment with Icon Pest at a time that suits you best. All inquiries are welcome.
