Suburban Raccoons


How to Get Rid of Raccoons

How to Get Rid of RaccoonsIf you have ever had raccoons in your attic or other parts of your home then you will know just how hard it is to get rid of them. How to Get Rid of Raccoons and keep them out for good. They are pesky little creatures, intelligent and nosy, and will get into just about anywhere. They are also very loyal to their mates and especially their children or raccoon babies. This is probably the most important thing to remember if you are trying to get rid of raccoons from your home.

How to Get Rid of Raccoons – Get Rid of all food Sources

If you have garbage pails like the one in the picture, you have to get rid of them. Or place them in a location that is locked up and the raccoons cannot get into. The more food sources that are available, the more they will hang around and the healthier they will be. We only put out our garbage on the morning of garbage day to avoid providing dinner for the raccoons. If we put out the garbage the night before, there is garbage scattered all over the place since the raccoons have got into it looking for food.

Use Heavy Gauge Wire Mesh

The best way to get rid of raccoons is to either poison them or turn your house into an impenetrable fortress from a raccoon perspective. Most municipalities will prevent you from poisoning raccoons and you also risk poisoning the neighbor’s cat or dog which will not make for great relations. Municipalities have enacted bylaws against poisoning animals due to the danger of also poisoning neighborhood pets or worse local children

Placing heavy gauge wire mesh over all possible entrances will effectively deter the raccoons from entering your attic, however, there are a few steps to take to make sure you do not make the problem worse.

The wire mesh needs to be screw nailed into the roof and the joists. It must be of sufficient strong gauge that the raccoons cannot remove it.  Use a sealant that will withstand the elements to avoid any water damage from water leaking inside from around the screws.

Install a trap door

The most important part if you want to avoid serious problems is to use a one-way trap door. Place it over the entrance to the den so the raccoons can leave but not return. If they have babies you may have to wait until they are old enough to travel. This is an effective way to get rid of raccoons. However, you want to make sure that any young they have can also get out as well on their own.

The parents will literally take your roof apart trying to get back into their young if they are trapped inside. You also do not want the young to die inside. This will cause a very bad smell through out your home. In addition, it is not humane and many animal rights enthusiasts could cause you a lot of grief if they were to find out about the situation.

Replace the Trap Door

Once you are sure they are out, remove the trap door. Cover the entrance with heavy gauge wire mesh after you have repaired the entrance. This will avoid any further damage from wind, rain, or snow. Seal any other entrances or possible entrances in this manner as well.

This step will prevent the current family from returning. It will also prevent other families of raccoons from coming for a visit as well. Since raccoons can tell if a den is occupied or is vacant. You will find in the long run that this is the best way to get rid of raccoons.

Hire a Company

There are companies that provide the services discussed in this post for a nominal fee. They are professional and will do a great job. If someone is proposing to trap the raccoons, don’t waste your money, they are another family that will just come back and occupy the same den.

 


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