Suburban Raccoons

Anyone who has had raccoons in the attic of their home,  already knows what a problem they have and the damage they and the parents are doing to their attic.  They have messed up your insulation, torn a hole somewhere to get in and even leave feces in the attic and also on the roof. It is a mess that no one ever wants to have. What many people may not know is that adult raccoons raising baby raccoons are very protective of their young. Baby Raccoons in your Attic can be a bigger problem than most people realize.

Blocking the entrance point with chicken wire or boards may have disastrous consequences. If you try to block the adults from getting into the den inside your attic, they will literally tear your roof apart. This damage then allows the rain in, birds, insects, etc. and you have many more problems.

Wait Until Baby Raccoons in your Attic are Mobile

Unfortunately, the practical thing to do is to wait until the adults are finished raising the young baby raccoons. They will then be able to get out of the den on their own. Once they are out of the den or can at least travel on their own, it is recommended that you install a one-way door at the entrance to the den. This will prevent them from re-entering. This allows them to leave and the young babies can just follow their parents.

This is the safest way to deal with raising baby raccoons and also protect your home from further damage. Raising baby raccoons can also be rewarding if you forget about the potential damage.  They are cute as a button and they have their place in nature.

It is also important to deal with the problem as soon as they leave for the following reason.

Raccoons in the Area

There are about 20 families of raccoons per square mile in cities and towns. They each have about 4 to 5 dens that they frequent. Once your raccoon family leaves, another group will move right in and begin raising baby raccoons all over again. They can smell when a den is vacant and will be able to move in if you have not securely plugged the entrance to the den.

Once they are gone, use strong heavy gauge wire mesh and cover all possible entrances, screw nailing all of the wire mesh down. Take care to properly seal any holes you need to put into your roof to avoid water leakage. Even if there are areas where they have not entered, cover these with wire mesh as well. Next, you will have to deal with any damage they have caused inside and arrange for these repairs caused by the raccoons to be completed.

Be very careful with repairing damage and entering attic space after baby raccoons have grown and left the den. Breathing the feces which turn to dust that floats in the air when disturbed, can cause organ damage and death. In the dry air of your attic, these feces break down, become dust-like and when disturbed will float in the air for you to breathe.

Hire Professionals

Hire professionals to clean up the attic if they have been there for some time. You may have to replace the insulation and the air vents over the soffits if there is a lot of damage. The old insulation needs to be removed and disposed of properly. This is an environmental hazard and should be dealt with properly. For more information on repair for raccoons and other associated topics visit other posts on this blog. If they have not been in the attic for very long, you might be able to get away with not removing the insulation. However, the professionals can advise regarding the best course of action.

If you have comments or have dealt with this problem yourself feel free to leave your comments on our blog! Our readers will appreciate hearing about any solutions you might have come up with.

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