Suburban Raccoons

Raccoon Lake Indiana has lots of camping facilities for vacationers who are looking for some time away from the stress of everyday life to camp and enjoy the great outdoors. This is a great place to take the family with the kids in tow to spend some quality time. The picture on the right depicts a beautiful lake in late summer. Or late fall with calm waters perfect for fishing. The trees have just started to turn and the scenery is spectacular at this time of year. Whether you are fishing, hiking or hunting this is a great place to spend some time.

The Campground at Raccoon Lake Indiana comes with many enjoyable things to do. Including archery, basketball courts, volleyball, boating, of course, camping, cultural arts programs, fishing, hiking, horseshoe pits, hunting, interpretive programs, picnicking, playground equipment, swimming, and even water skiing.

There are also cabins as well as Campgrounds at Raccoon Lake Indiana. With so many things to do , there has to be something for everyone in the family. In fact, you can camp there many times during the season and always have something different to do.

Cecil M. Harden Lake is located at 1588 S Raccoon Parkway, in Rockville IN. The Campground at Raccoon Lake Indiana has 235 campsites with electrical hookups and 40 campsites without electrical hookups. There are 35 primitive camping sites as well as youth tent areas.  We suggest that you get there early or book online to reserve your campsite. Better to go early or book online rather than be disappointed. The Campground at Raccoon Lake Indiana offers a camp store with lots of activities for the young and the old alike.

Raccoon Lake Indiana – Mammals

Common mammals at or near the Campground at Raccoon Lake Indiana include of course raccoons in your camp. Also muskrats, coyotes, red and gray foxes, mink, striped skunk, white-tailed deer, river otters, extirpated birds, and even bobcats.

Raccoons are quite common with several dens within close proximity of each other and feed on crayfish, frogs, insects, and fruits in the wild. They will also go through your garbage and any food left in the open at the Campground in Raccoon Lake Indiana. Seasoned campers know that they should never leave food and supplies that the raccoons might be interested in out in the open.

If you do there is a really good chance that you will have a visitor or two during the night and a mess to clean up as well in the morning. Raccoons have learned that there is usually something good to eat at campsites, so talk to the warden if you are unsure about what to do regarding how to protect your camp at night from these marauders.

Raccoon Lake Indiana – Raccoons

In urban areas, raccoons are known to make dens in attics and enjoy good meals from going through everyone’s garbage. Always ensure that your home is kept clean and all food is stored away properly out of harm’s way when you put your garbage out. Some people in our neighborhood have started using tamper-proof garbage cans so that the raccoons cannot get into them. We just wait until the morning to put our garbage out.

It is a hassle to get up early and place the garbage out on the street before the garbage trucks go around, but it is less hassle picking up all of the garbage that the raccoons have spread all over the street. Following this simple rule will help everyone enjoy their weekend camping activities.

For more information about Raccoons and campgrounds, click here.

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.

There is no easy way to repel raccoons. These are smart animals who have gotten used to living around humans in suburban settings. Many web sites will suggest cutting down all of the trees around your house that are close to the roof to decrease access to your roof. You can cut down the trees, but this will not stop them, you have to try other approaches, and who wants to cut down the trees anyway? There is just no way Repelling Raccoons.

Other websites will suggest placing mothballs in the attic or placing speakers that make loud music all night long in the attic, and still, other sites will try to sell you some magic potion that will drive the raccoons away.

The fact is, that raccoons have become used to living in urban areas and the sounds and smells that go with living close to humans. They just will not be deterred by these types of things. They can climb the side of a house as the picture shows, and they seem to intuitively know where the good places are to find a den inside your home’s attic!

While it is a good idea to remove obvious things that the raccoons can use to gain access to your attic, as the picture shows they can climb straight up a brick wall over 4 stories!

Best Approach to Repelling Raccoons

The best approach is to keep all potential food sources away from them and ensure that all potential entrances to your attic are blocked in a way that they cannot gain entry. Blocking raccoons successfully involves placing strong wire mesh over all potential openings to your attic.  There are companies that will do this for you, however, if you do it yourself there are a couple of things that you need to be aware of.

If your neighbors are having raccoon problems and you are not, now is the time to block any potential entrances. It is just a matter of time before they find your home and create a raccoon den inside your attic. Do it now before it is too late. Forget trapping them, other raccoons are just going to come around later. The best long term solution is to block all entrances with strong wire mesh!

If Raccoons are Already in Your Attic

If you already have raccoons in your attic you need a plan. Your raccoon repel plan must first include getting them out and keeping them out.

Some companies will recommend the installation of a one-way trap door over the entrance to the den. The surrounding area is covered with strong heavy gauge wire mesh. This way the raccoons can get out, but they cannot get back in! This is an effective raccoon repel approach, however, you must make sure the young babies can also get out as well. If not the mother raccoon is going to do everything in her power to get back in. This includes tearing roof vents off to return to her young.

If There are Raccoon Babies Involved

If there are babies involved, you are just better off to wait until they are old enough to come out on their own. Then install the one-way trap door as a means of repelling the raccoons from your attic.

Also, make sure you cover all other potential entrances with heavy gauge wire mesh. Screw nail it into the roof and seal it to avoid any potential water damage. This is very important since you are penetrating the sealed portion of your roof. Unless it is sealed properly water damage is going to result.

Damage Caused by Raccoons

Raccoons can cause a lot of damage to your home. First, there is the entrance location which must be repaired. Second, there is the damage they do to the interior of your attic. They displace the insulation or even damage some of the vents that let fresh air into your attic. Finally, they are living in your attic so there is raccoon scat or feces. There is also the remains of the birthing process if they have young babies. You must get this all cleaned up if you are going to live in your home.

There are several health risks associated with Dealing with Raccoon Scat and anyone who is working around raccoons, their den, etc should take precautions. First is the health risk from raccoon droppings or raccoon scat. It is commonly infected with roundworm. The roundworm lays eggs and these eggs can be picked up by humans.

These eggs can be ingested by humans who do not take the appropriate precautions. They can cause nausea, organ malfunction, blindness, loss of muscle control, and even death. This is pretty serious so Great care must be taken if you are going to enter a raccoon den to clean up the raccoon scat, repair damage from raccoons, or even remove the raccoons. This is a serious concern, so be very careful before you begin removing any of the material. Wear a mask. Preferably bring a mask with your own oxygen source to avoid ingesting any of these microscopic organisms.

Dealing with Raccoon Scat – Never Pick

Never pick up raccoon scat or the scat from other animals with your bare hands. Even working around your yard some care needs to be taken. In addition, the eggs of the roundworm are very resilient. They can be picked up even on the ground or from cleaning out eaves trough. It is wise to take extra precautions. We suggest that if you are concerned, wear gloves and even a mask to protect yourself.

The feces or raccoon scat may be dry from being in the attic, which can be quite hot during the summer months. When this scat is disturbed the scat can break into millions of small particles. These particles float through the air to be breathed as you move about the attic. Proper precautions must be taken such as ventilation. Wear a breathing mask to avoid any possible health risks from breathing dried raccoon scat.

Dealing with Raccoon Scat – Hire Professionals

If you are uncomfortable with this or do not have the equipment, hire professionals. They have experience with this sort of thing to clean up the raccoon scat. They can complete any repairs that need to be looked after. If you successfully remove the raccoons early you will not have to be concerned about raccoon scat. Or damage to your attic and the insulation. Get rid of the raccoons quickly to avoid significant build-up of raccoon scat.

If the raccoons have young ones and are looking after them in a den in your attic, you will want to read the page on avoiding raccoon damage. Essentially, adult raccoons will tear your roof apart to re-enter the den to return to their young if the den entrance is blocked. Then not only will you have raccoon scat to deal with you could have major damage to your roof as well.

Wait Until the Young Are Old Enough to Travel

Most experts recommend that you wait until the young can leave on their own before you seal up the entrance to the den. Sealing up the entrance is a two-stage process. The first is to install a one-way trap door so they can get out, including the young babies. They must be old enough to travel on their own. Once they are out of the den, then you can permanently seal all possible entrances to keep them out on a permanent basis.

Trapping Raccoons Does Not Work

Trapping raccoons does not work in the long run, because another family of raccoons will just move into the vacated den. There are many families of raccoons in a square mile so another family will just move in.

Raccoons also contract rabies. A raccoon with rabies is very difficult to distinguish from one that does not have rabies. Avoid being bitten by a raccoon since rabies is usually transmitted through saliva. If you have been bitten, seek medical treatment immediately.

If 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.

Trapping Raccoons in a raccoon trap is not an easy thing to do, however, once you do catch one, what do you do with it? Letting it go in the neighborhood is not going to solve the problems since they will just come back to your place like a homing pigeon. Many cities and towns have bylaws that basically say you must let them go within a mile or so of your home. This is really not going to solve your problem with raccoons in your attic since they will come back. They also get quite excited and snarl at their captors, hissing, and spitting. They are not pleasant to deal with when they are trapped in a live trap.

The first step is to check with the local humane society and bylaw officers. If your city has a restriction on what you can do with urban animals that have been captured then you are wasting your time trapping them. In fact, in our community, you are not allowed to let the raccoon out of the trap more than two blocks away, which basically defeats the purpose of catching them in the first place! This can be very frustrating for many homeowners dealing with Raccoons in their attic or elsewhere, however, this is the law and besides, there really is a better way to deal with them as you will read in the rest of this post.

Trapping Raccoons – More Issues

First, a few facts which may help you decide what you would like to do about raccoons. Or even if you want to spend the time trapping them.

There are usually 20 to 40 families of raccoons per square mile in urban areas. Each family will have 4 or 5 dens that they move around to. Movement is based on the availability of food and suitability for their needs. That is a pretty large number! Further, if a den is empty, they can tell if the den has been occupied recently or if it has been vacated. An open den is like an invitation to spend some time in your home and stay as long as they want.

So even if you take the raccoon you trapped 100 miles away there are many more waiting to move into the old den which just happens to be in your attic!

What Are the Alternatives

As you can probably tell, it is a waste of time to try and trap them even if you disagree with the bylaws. So what does one do?

Several animal agencies suggest that you not bother wasting time trapping the raccoons. Instead of worrying about where to let them go, you focus on getting them out of the den and then blocking the den entrance so they cannot get back in. This is by far the best solution.

Installing a one-way trap door that allows them out but not back in is an effective way of getting rid of your raccoons and you do not have to worry about where to let the raccoons go. Your current guest cannot get back in and no others from other dens can get in either.

We followed this approach and installed strong wire mesh over all potential entrances about 4 years ago. We used the door approach and then sealed it once we were sure they were out of our attic. I have seen raccoon tracks on our roof in the wintertime for the past 4 years. This shows that they are still trying to make a home in our attic. They do not stay long once they realize they are unable to get into our home.

Be Careful

A word of caution is in order. If you are going to install the one-way door, make sure that the babies are old enough to also come out and pass through the one way door. This is very important.

A mother raccoon who cannot get to her young has been known to practically tear the roof apart. They are trying to reenter the den and feed her young raccoons. If you have this situation, you may want to wait till they are old enough to travel. Besides you do not want to have them die inside your attic. They will cause a bad smell throughout your home.

For more details about bylaws and what you can do with animals you are trying to relocate, click here.

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There are many health risks associated with exposure to Raccoon poop that has been left in your attic or even in out building should they decide to spend some time in either. There are potential disease issues as well as this can be a very messy job. You will need to replace all of your insulation as well if the raccoons have been in your attic for any length of time. Consumers must take special precautions when they clean up raccoon poop, which we will explain in the following paragraphs.

Roundworm Infection

Raccoon poop which is commonly infected with roundworm. If the eggs are ingested by humans they can cause nausea, organ malfunction, blindness, loss of muscle control and even death. You definitely do not want to have anything to do with these round worms without using the proper precautions. This is really important for you own health and that of your family as well. If you do not have the equipment to protect yourself then hire professionals to look after this mess.

Great care must be taken if you are going to enter a raccoon den to clean up the raccoon poop, repair damage from raccoons or even to remove the raccoons. If the raccoons have been in your attic for any length of time, you can be sure there is a mess waiting for you. In addition the eggs of the round worm are very resilient and can be contracted even on the ground or from cleaning up eaves trough so it is wise to take extra extra precautions.

The raccoon feces or raccoon poop will  be dry from being in the attic. The attic can be quite hot during the summer months. Once the feces are  disturbed, small particles will  migrate through the air which you breathe as you move about the attic. Always ensure that you have proper  ventilation. Cover your mouth and nose with a breathing mask to avoid any possible health risk.  Once you are finished, make sure that you take a thorough shower . Wash all of your clothes in hot water.

Hire Professionals to Remove Raccoon Poop

If you are uncomfortable with this or do not have the equipment, hire professionals to clean up the mess. They can also complete any repairs that need to be looked after. If you successfully remove the raccoons early then you will not have to be concerned about raccoon poop, damage to your attic and insulation. Deal with this problem quickly to avoid significant build up of raccoon poop in your attic. However make sure that you also remove the babies at the same time. Otherwise the parents will literally tear your roof apart to get too them. Raccoons are very maternal with it comes to their young pups.

Other Diseases

Raccoons also contract rabies. A raccoon with rabies is very difficult to distinguish from one that does not have rabies. Avoid being bitten by a raccoon since rabies is usually transmitted through the saliva. If you have been bitten, seek medical treatment immediately. They can be very vicious, especially when protecting their young or if they are sick.

If the raccoons have young ones, you will want to read the page on avoiding raccoon damage. Essentially, adult raccoons will tear your roof apart to re-enter the den if the den entrance is blocked. Then not only will you have raccoon poop to deal with you could have major damage to your roof. Most experts recommend that you wait until the young can leave on their own. Only then should you block up the entrance to the den.

Of course this means a larger clean up when they do eventually leave. However it becomes a trade off in terms of how much damage to your roof you can avoid vs. dealing with the mess in your attic.

There are all sorts of raccoon traps available in hardware stores as well as those advertised on the Internet. Generally speaking, there are good quality raccoon trap and they can be used to trap raccoons as well as other animals such as squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs, and other animals that may be causing problems for you around your home and even in your attic which is the problem we had. Note, you really do not want to catch a skunk in your trap for obvious reasons!

Essentially a family of raccoons set up home in our attic and raised two young babies and generally made a mess before we could get them out. Along the way, we learned a few things about raccoon traps and getting rid of raccoons which we would like to share with you and hopefully help other people deal with this problem.

Raccoon Trap

The trap above is an excellent humane trap that would work well for many animals, however, for raccoons, they simply will not work. Suburban raccoons just have too much experience dealing with humans, and they will not enter these traps. Sure you might get one or two to enter, but not all of them! They are just too smart no matter what food you put in the trap. The young ones will fall for it but not the parents! They have seen them all before and know what happens when they go inside a trap like this.

Raccoon Trap Does Not Work

For starters, do not try to trap the raccoons while their young are in your attic unless you also plan to go in the attic and remove the young raccoons as well. The parents will always come back to the den and if you have blocked the entrance, they will literally take your roof apart trying to get back into the den to return to their young babies.

Raccoons also have 4 or 5 dens in a neighborhood and there are at least 20 families per square mile, so if you remove one group another group is going to make their home in this den.  You must take steps to get the raccoons out, effectively block the entrance with strong wire mesh and spray the inside of your attic with a chemical that gets rid of the odor of raccoons. Only then do you have a chance of not having repeated raccoon problems?

Our Trapping Experience

We tried trapping them and were successful at trapping and removing the young raccoons once they were old enough to travel.  They simply were not smart enough to stay out of the trap. We used a humane animal trap and placed the raccoons in a forest area. The adults are another matter. Being far more experienced at this, the adults refused to enter the trap and would try to get at the bait through the wire mesh of the cage.

They would not enter the trap at all, although there was lots of evidence of them trying to get at the food. So the trap really was a waste of money.

One Way Trap Doors

Instead of using a raccoon trap, what we had to do was install a one-way door over the entrance, and leave this in place so we could be sure that the adult raccoons had left, before permanently sealing the entrance with a heavy gauge wire mesh that is screw nailed into the roof and the brick. Make sure that you place silicone sealant over the nails to avoid future leaks.

Effectively this is a far better approach to getting rid of raccoons vs. placing a raccoon trap to catch them. Additionally, this approach avoids dealing with a snarling enraged raccoon. Who is trying to get out of the raccoon trap if you are lucky enough to catch them as well as other animals that might venture into the raccoon trap such as skunks?

Once they are gone and you have sealed the entrance as previously mentioned, not other raccoons are going to get in. We have seen tracks in the snow on our roof were they have come back to test it only to find their way blocked. We do not know if they are the same raccoons or a new family, but they did not get into our home again.

A Raccoon baffle or a one-way trap door is one of the best ways to get rid of raccoons that have set up home in your attic. The only caution is that if you plan to install a Raccoon Baffle, make sure that the pups or raccoon babies are old enough to leave the den on their own steam and follow their parents. If they cannot get out by themselves, the parents will try to rescue them and they could do a lot of damage to your roof or your home in the process. We have other pictures on this blog showing some of the damage that can be done by these pesky resourceful animals.

A Raccoon Baffle basically is a one-way trap door that allows the raccoons to leave the den but not get back in. If they have young babies in the den, they have been known to practically tear the roof apart to get back in.

Raccoons typically have young in the spring in Northern climates, although they have been known to have multiple sets of pups over a year. In some of the southern states, raccoons will have several sets of pups every year. If you live in the south, this is something you need to be aware of to avoid further damage to your home.

Damage by Raccoons

They can cause a lot of damage. Not only from the raccoons damaging the roof, but also leave a large hole for rain and snow to enter your attic. Mother Raccoons are very protective of their young. If she has babies you may as well wait until they are old enough to travel on their own. Otherwise, you risk the wrath of the mother raccoon.

Once you are sure they are old enough, arrange to install a one-way trap door or raccoon baffle. They need to be able to get out, but not back in. Make sure you cover all other potential entrances with strong chicken wire to prevent new entrances from being created. This is the humane way to deal with the raccoons. However, there is actually another reason that this is the most reasonable approach.

Multiple Dens

Raccoons have 4 or 5 dens in a neighborhood. In addition, there are anywhere from 20 to 100 raccoon families per square mile. That means you and your neighbors will have to deal with them for some time.

Almost 80% of the homes in our area have had problems with raccoons getting into their homes. They can smell a den. They know whether it is used or not and move in before you know what happened. So blocking the entrance is the best approach to avoid dealing with these problems over the long-term.

Install a Raccoon Baffle

Block the Entrances with Heavy Mesh Wire

Once they are gone, use strong heavy gauge wire mesh and cover all possible entrances. Screw nail all of the wire mesh down. Use exterior silicone over the nails to make sure that your roof does not leak. Remove the raccoon baffle and place the permanent wire mesh in its place. 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. Arrange for these repairs caused by the raccoons to be completed.

Cleaning and Repairs

If you are thinking of entering attic space to remove the raccoons or to clean up the mess, be very careful. Breathing the feces can cause organ damage and death. In the dry air of your attic, these feces break down and turn into dust particles. When they are disturbed they will float in the air for you to breathe.

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. For more information on raccoon baffles or repair for raccoons and other associated topics visit our site map.

For more details about dealing with raccoons and raccoon baffles or one-way trap doors, click here.

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Rockville Indiana Raccoon Lake has lots of activities for families and campers who are looking for some time away from the job and everyday life to camp and enjoy the great outdoors.  Camping season is about to begin and Raccoon Lake is one of the great places to enjoy the outdoors. There are lots to do at this camp including both land sports as well as water sports that will appeal to many families. The Campground at Rockville Indiana Raccoon Lake comes with many enjoyable sports to do – including archery, basketball courts, volleyball, boating, of course, camping, cultural arts programs, fishing, hiking, horseshoe pits, hunting, interpretive programs, picnicking, playground equipment, swimming, and even water skiing. With so much to do there is something for everyone in the family regardless of what age you are.

Cabins or Camping

There are also cabins as well as campgrounds at Rockville Indiana Raccoon Lake. cabins may be preferred by some groups who may not have the equipment to camp with or who would just like to be indoors away from the weather. Cabins are also often used by hunters in the fall. They are warmer and there is protection from the wind, the rain, or even snow if it is late fall.

Cecil M. Harden Lake is located at 1588 S Raccoon Parkway, in Rockville IN. The Campground at Rockville Indiana Raccoon Lake has 235 sites with electricity and 40 without electricity for those people who really like to rough it. There are 35 primitive camping sites as well as youth tent areas. The Campground at Rockville Indiana Raccoon Lake offers a camp store with lots of activities for the young and the old alike.

Animals at Raccoon Lake

Common mammals at or near the Campground at Raccoon Lake Rockville Indiana include of course raccoons. Also muskrats, coyotes, red and gray foxes, mink, striped skunk, white-tailed deer, river otters, extirpated birds, and even bobcats. Raccoons are cute with their black noses and eyes. But they are very smart and can get into just about anything.

Raccoons are quite common and feed on crayfish, frogs, insects, and fruits in the wild. They will also go through your garbage. Any food left in the open at the Campground in Rockville Indiana Raccoon Lake. Make sure that everything is put away safely out of reach for these pesky animals when you retire for the night.

They can certainly ruin a fun weekend. If all of your food is ruined by a raccoon getting into your coolers or whatever you use to store your food. If you are driving a convertible, never store food inside the car. Raccoons will definitely find a way into the car to get at your food. they will likely tear the fabric of your convertible’s top and make a huge mess in your car. Also depending on your insurance coverage, some companies have a rider that refuses coverage from damages from rodents!  It is just not worth the trouble and the mess, not to mention a ruined weekend.

Urban Area Raccoons

In urban areas, raccoons are known to make dens in attics and enjoy good meals from going through everyone’s garbage.  There are companies who deal with this every day helping consumers with this problem and they are not cheap. While they are expensive, they do get the job done and it is a permanent job. There are lots more posts about dealing with raccoons in urban settings on other posts.

Always ensure that your campground is kept clean. Also, all food is stored away properly out of harm’s way while staying at the Campground at Rockville Indiana Raccoon Lake. You definitely do not want a surprise when you get up in the morning after camping at Raccoon Lake. They may take all of your food and destroy some of your gear as well. Store everything properly. They can ruin a trip for you if you are not careful.

For more information about raccoons and campgrounds, click here.

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We had a raccoon in our attic for 4 months this spring until I was able to trap the young raccoons and take them into the country.  This was actually something we were not supposed to do. Believe it or not, there are restrictions on removing animals from their natural habitat more than two blocks away. Moving raccoons in this case are actually useless. Since they will come back and move right back into your home if you do not take additional steps. Also, other raccoon families will notice a vacant den and move in as well. There are many roving families of raccoons in a square mile. They are always on the lookout for a vacant den which in this case would be my attic. There is another better method to follow.

Raccoon in the Attic – What to Do

They are incredibly smart and will avoid entering traps. Music in their dens does not bother them and certainly, moth balls in the attic also do not work to get rid of them. They have experienced all of these things in suburbia and just ignore them. The only way to remove them is to install a one-way trap door at the entrance to their den so they can get out but not back in. There is a good time to do this and a bad time to install this one-way trap door. It is very important to make sure that the babies can get out. They must be old enough to travel. If they are trapped inside your attic the parents literally will tear your roof apart to get back to their young.

Raccoons are very family oriented. They pay a lot of attention to their pups until they are old enough to look after themselves. In addition, you really do not want to have dead raccoons smelling up your attic. This odor will travel throughout the house eventually.

So wait until they are old enough to travel and then install a one-way trap door.

Raccoon in the Attic – Damage to Your Home from Raccoons

The raccoons may also do some damage to your home while raising their young in your attic. At the very least they will compact the insulation which reduces the insulating value, which may make your home colder during the winter. There will be a certain amount of feces and urine that will also be left in the attic.

If you can get rid of them quickly enough, then you can minimize the damage. Don’t procrastinate, hoping that they will leave on their own. They won’t. And if by some miracle they do leave, rest assured that another family will move right back in.

Once they are gone it is important to have your attic cleaned by professionals to avoid any lingering odor, areas lacking insulation, etc. If you plan to do it yourself make sure you are wearing a breathing mask since airborne particles can be very infectious.

Be Careful, They Can Make You Sick

Note that you can become very sick from breathing dried raccoon feces if they are disturbed. When these dried feces are disturbed, the particles travel in the air and you may breathe these particles into your lungs. Raccoons have small worms in them which if they are taken into the human body will cause organ damage and even death. So be careful if you plan to go into the attic.

Comments are welcome. Our readers really need help avoiding as well as getting rid of raccoons in homes as well as other areas. So if you have any ideas, let us know. Almost 50% of the homes in our area have had a raccoon in their attics. They also routinely tear the garbage bags apart on garbage night so many people wait until the morning to put their garbage out. It means getting up early, but then it is better than having to clean up messy garbage spread across your driveway!

If you are having problems with raccoon damage in your yard, your outbuildings or worse your attic, there is a time to deal with them and a time to let them alone. Damage caused by raccoons can be significant. Since we are talking about raccoons that live in suburbia, you are limited by local conditions and bylaws. They cover how you can get rid of these animals. They are very smart and they are used to dealing with humans. You need to be smarter than they are if you are going to get rid of them. Once you do you need to make repairs to your home that will not be torn apart again.

Damage Caused by Raccoons – Adults

Raccoons usually have their young in the spring. However, in some climates, they may have several batches of young raccoons during the year. You need to find out if they have any young babies with them in their den. Before you can do anything, these babies must be old enough to travel on their own.

Raccoons with young pups are very protective. They have been known to tear a roof apart to get back into their den to protect their young ones. The damage the raccoons cause to the roof can let water in. When water gets into your home it can really damage your home and can cost thousands of dollars.

Most experts will recommend that you wait till the young ones are old enough to leave the den. Then you can take steps to keep them out to avoid damage to your roof caused by adult raccoons.

Once The Baby Raccoons Are Old Enough to Travel On Their Own

Once you are sure they are gone or if the young are old enough install a one-way trap over their entrance so they can get out but not back in. This is by far the best way to get rid of them and avoid further damage from raccoons trying to reenter. They will not damage your roof unless they are trying to get back to their young.

There are just so many raccoons in suburban areas and they will find the raccoon den in your home every time. In fact, they still come back to our home trying to get in even with the wire mesh over the entrance. There is really no use in trying to trap them and take them some distance away.  More families will come later to occupy the vacated den unless you block the entrance.

Once they are gone, remove the one-way trap door and use strong heavy gauge wire mesh to 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. Use silicon caulk suitable for cold and hot weather.

Even if there are areas where they have not entered, cover these with wire mesh as well. This will also keep birds and squirrels from getting into where they are not supposed to be. Next, you will have to deal with any raccoon damage they have caused inside and arrange for repairs caused by the raccoons to be completed.

Repairs to the Damage

Be very careful with the raccoon damage and entering attic space. Breathing the dried particles from feces as they float in the air can cause organ damage and death. In the dry air of your attic, these feces break down, turn to dust and when disturbed will float in the air for you to breathe.

Hire professionals to clean up the attic if they have been there for some time. They will have the proper equipment to protect them. You may have to replace the insulation and the air vents over the soffits if there is a lot of raccoon damage, especially if the raccoons have been there for a long time. For more information on raccoon damage repair, safety issues, and other associated topics visit our site map.

If you have had experience with raccoons in this manner and would like to share your story, feel free to leave a comment on this post. for more information about damage caused by raccoons, click here.

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There are lots of raccoon deterrents on the internet that supposedly will tell you about Removing Raccoons from your home in your attic or other areas. Very few of them if any actually work, we have tried them and they just do not work with what we call suburban raccoons. These are raccoons who are used to living close to humans and have learned that there is no need to be afraid of us!

We cannot shoot them, since there is a danger you might hit someone next door and we cannot trap them, they are too smart or we catch something else. Also moth balls do not work at all, nor does the urine of dogs, wolves or other animals. In fact all that they do is smell up your house even more than the raccoons do. There is a way to prevent them from getting into your home and get rid of raccoons permanently.

Do not buy all of the things that are advertised on the internet or even in the hardware stores. In fact, traps are not even worthwhile investing in. We will explain some of the reasons why and also how to get rid of raccoons. First of all these raccoons are used to urban smells, loud noise, lights etc just do not work.

Lots of Raccoons in the Area

Secondly even if you catch a raccoon in a humane trap and take it 10 miles away, another family is ready to move in. There are from 20 to 50 raccoon families per square mile in urban areas. Some areas have even more than that and they are always looking for a vacated den. They can tell if there is a den close by, by the smell and if it is vacant. In fact we still have raccoons coming back every year to try to get into our place 5 years after we blocked all entrances.  So how to get rid of raccoons? The experts will tell you that first you must wait until the young ones are ready to travel outside the den. If you do not, the parents will tear your roof apart trying to get back to their young if you block the entrance.

Removing Raccoons from Your Home

Once the young ones are ready to move outside of the den, install a one way trap door with heavy gauge wire that is strong enough to block any raccoon over the entrance they are using and any other potential entrance. This is how to get rid of raccoons from your home. Once you are sure they are gone, remove the one way trap door and replace it with the same heavy gauge wire mesh.

Screw nail it into the roof and the joists so there is no way for them to tear the wire away and get through. Also block all other potential entrances with the same strong mesh wire so there is no chance for them to get in from some other entry point. This will also prevent squirrels from entering your attic as well.

Raccoons Cause a Lot of Damage and Are Dangerous After They Have Gone

Once you have figured out how to get rid of raccoons, be very careful with the repair of any raccoon damage. Especially of you are entering attic space. Breathing the feces can cause organ damage and death.

In the dry air of your attic, these feces break down. They turn into  dust and when disturbed will float in the air for you to breathe. At the very least wear a mask if you must go into the attic. Hire professionals to clean up the attic if they have been there for some time. You may have to replace the insulation. Also the air vents over the soffits if there is a lot of damage. For more information on repair for raccoons and other associated topics refer to our list of posts. Also check out our category list.

If you have had trouble getting rid of raccoons and found a better way, or want to warn our readers about proposed solutions, please leave a comment. We want to help people avoid these problems.

A Raccoon clinging to bricks six stories up a Burlington, Iowa, apartment building, a masked burglar is finally collared by the authorities. Raccoons can climb just about anything if this picture is any indication. They are very smart and have excellent claws for climbing and taking things apart. They can get into just about anything you can imagine. If they can climb this building, they can certainly climb the brick at the front of your home. Then onto your roof and push their way under the eave into your attic. Raccoon Deterrents is one approach to dealing with them. They seem to learn which homes are easy to break into and which ones are more difficult. Make sure that yours is one of the difficult ones!

We all want to avoid raccoons getting into our homes or in our attics. I have tried loud music, lights, noise, live animal traps, and more after they got into our attic. Nothing works. Don’t waste your time. Do not waste your money on traps etc. These suburban raccoons are used to living around humans. In fact, they depend on us for their food and shelter! They just ignore us unless they are physically threatened. You need to make sure that all of the potential entrances into your home’s attic are properly blocked.

Best Raccoon Deterrents

The best raccoon deterrent is actually to have your home checked by a professional before you ever have a problem with raccoons. For example, any location where they can gain entry to your attic or some other place inside your home should be covered with heavy gauge wire mesh and screw nailed into the surrounding roof or siding. If you do need to screw nails into the roof, be sure to use a sealing compound to avoid any potential water damage.

If you think they cannot climb up the brick on your house, think again. They can climb so fast that they are almost running up the side of our house when we do see them and scare them.

There are many websites that advertise a variety of raccoon deterrents. These include everything from moth balls to wolf urine. Don’t buy them because you are wasting your money and smelling up your home. Block all entry points to make sure that they cannot get in in the first place. Use strong wire mesh and screw nail it over all potential openings. Don’t take a chance, place wire mesh over anything that you think might be a potential entrance. While you are at it, block entrances for squirrels as well. This is really the best form of raccoon deterrent. It worked for us.

Be Patient if Raccoons Have already Invaded

If you already have a raccoon problem, you will still need Raccoon Deterrents, but first, you need to get rid of them. If they have young ones inside your attic, make sure you get the young ones out as well otherwise the parents will tear your roof apart to get back into the attic where they are. Once the young ones are old enough to travel, installing strong gauged wire mesh with a one-way trap door is the best bet, so they can get out, but not in again. This is the best form of raccoon deterrent and will prevent this family from getting back in as well as others that roam in your neighborhood.

Raccoons in Your Neighborhood

In case you are wondering raccoons will have up to 4 or 5 different dens in a neighborhood and there can be as many as 5 or 6 families in a square mile, sometimes more. So trapping one family and moving them well away will not solve your problem, especially if you have not blocked the entrance. Another family is just going to move right in. Raccoons can tell if the den is in use. Or if it has not been used for some time.

So forget those other types of raccoon deterrents and install a strong wire mesh they cannot remove or get through.

If you have raccoons in your attic like us, we urge you to stop and consider for a moment some of the safety concerns with raccoons associated with these cute but dangerous little animals. First of all, we had a family of raccoons move into our attic in January. This was just in time to have their babies. We immediately thought that we had to get them out before they make a mess and also destroy our attic. When this happens to you, you really cannot wait to get them out of your attic fast enough.

Well guess what, the local animal removal companies suggested that we wait for several months. this was due to a number of safety issues about raccoons that we were not aware of. This was intensely frustrating for us. But after listening to them we had to agree with them and followed their advice. After doing some research on the net we found out a lot of things about raccoons. We are trying to help other people by keeping this site up to date and that is why we write about this issue.

Safety Concerns with Raccoons – Babies

Reasons to Wait to Get Rid of Raccoons

For example, if we removed the adults but not the babies, the parents would just come back. If we blocked the entrance that they had made, they would tear our roof apart trying to find a way to get back in and rescue their baby raccoons, so the best thing is to wait until the young ones are old enough to leave the den in your attic on their own. This is really important if you want to avoid damage to the roof and damage to the inside of your attic. You also do not want the young one to die inside the attic and cause your entire home to smell of dead bodies. It would be next to impossible to remove this smell and make your home ready to sell at some future point.

Next, they could also be carrying rabies. You definitely do not want to be dealing with this disease, so add this to your list of safety concerns with raccoons. If they do have rabies, be very careful around then. Avoid touching them or anything that they have dropped saliva on. You can tell if they are sick. If they are acting unusual such as being out in broad sunlight, looking for water, and are unafraid of water.

Once they are gone, you still have other safety concerns with raccoons to be careful of. Apparently they can also carry a disease that is left in their feces, which of course is in your attic. The feces will dry in the hot air of the attic and small particles will become airborne if you disturb them. Breathing this material and catching this disease can cause damage to your organs and also death so be very careful.

Making the Right Decision

When we heard about all of these safety issues related to raccoons, we decided to hire professionals. We were looking for a permanent solution to get them out and keep them out. An additional safety issue raccoons is that can you imagine catching one of the raccoons in a trap. Imagine carrying one of these snarling animals out of your attic while it is trying to claw you or bite you. They are not docile when caught. They are alarmed because they are in a trap. Raccoons are alarmed because you are separating the babies from the parents. This is not a fun situation! If the raccoon does have rabies you are sure to be scratched or bitten. Which means you must then go and get the treatment for rabies which is apparently not fun at all.

Better off to take heed of these safety issues regarding raccoons and hire a professional. One who by the way has done this a thousand times and knows exactly how to deal with the situation. They also have the proper equipment which will allow them to go into your attic and spray a deodorizer around the attic. I know it will cost money to get rid of them. But you really do not have a lot of choices once they are in your attic. Do the job right and get rid of them permanently.

Bylaws & Raccoons – We have had raccoons in our attic for 6 months this past spring until I hired a company to help me get rid of them. If you would like to hear more about this experience as well as about raccoons, go to our main index page. Also, check local Bylaws Regarding Raccoons in your area to ensure that you do not break the law by mistake. It turns out that you are not supposed to take them very far away from their habitat, even if this habitat is in suburbia.

Bylaws & Raccoons – Serious Business

A lot of people at this point are saying that I must be joking. Who would enact a law like that and why? Well, it turns out that there are a lot of municipalities that have these laws. We are not sure why, but we really think it is ridiculous, but even if you do take them a long way away, this action will not solve your problem.

Can you believe that the Bylaws Regarding Raccoons in our area actually say that if you trap a raccoon, you have to release them within two blocks of where you caught the raccoon! We all know what this means. The next night they will be right back where they started, in your attic!  While this sounds ridiculous and it is, there is actually a good reason for this approach.

What Good Reason Could There Possibly Be

You have to know something about raccoons to help you appreciate this bylaw. It actually does not matter if you drop them off 2 blocks away or 100 miles away. You will have another family of raccoons move into the old den before you know it, hence why bother dropping them so far away. At least this is the logic of the city where we live. Here is a little information about why this makes so much sense.

In many urban areas, there are 20 families of raccoons per square mile. That is really a lot of raccoons. In suburbia, there is lots of food and there are lots o homes for them to move into.  They each will have 4 to 5 dens in the area that they reside in. It is almost as if they were a rich family and liked to have multiple homes and cottages to move around too. And they like to move around.

They are able to distinguish between a den that is in use vs. one that is not and move right in. So even if you take your trapped raccoons 100 miles away, another family will move in shortly and take up their new home much to your annoyance. You might get lucky and not have any move in for 6 months, but it is a guarantee that there will be another family in your house unless you do something to prevent them from getting into your house.

What Can You Do About the Raccoons

The Bylaws Regarding Raccoons was enacted to get people to focus on deterring them from coming into your attic etc. in the first place. So first make sure that they are out of the den, including any young ones. Place a  strong wire mesh securely fastened to the entrance so they cannot get back in and then complete repairs.

If you do not make sure that the babies are out, the mother will literally tear your roof apart in order to get to them. Even if you have to wait until the baby raccoons are old enough to travel, it is definitely worth it.

There is also a chemical spray that can be used to deodorized and remove the scent of the raccoons which attracts them in the first place. Do not go into the attic without protection. Breathing the small particles created by dried feces can cause sickness and even death.

Hire professionals to remove the insulation and repair all damage. They will have the right equipment to get rid of the raccoon smell and plug any and all potential entrances. So much for Bylaws Regarding Raccoons that restrict you from taking them more than two miles away. It actually makes sense. Click here for more details about bylaw issues.

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This post is about Raccoon Lake in Indiana. This website is really about how to deal with raccoons that get into your attic. Also how to go about getting rid of them. If this is what you are interested in, check out our posted list of articles about this subject. We will be adding to this blog every two weeks. We will include various stories about dealing with raccoons that get into our homes. Also into the attic or into our cottages and cause all kinds of damage. We have many posts dealing with how to handle raccoons in the attic. Check them out if this is what you are looking for. If you are really interested in Raccoon lake campground in Indiana, read on.

Raccoon Lake in Indiana

Raccoon lake campground in Indiana has lots of facilities for vacationers who are looking for some time away to camp and enjoy the great outdoors. The Campground in Lake Raccoon Rockville comes with many enjoyable things to do including archery, basketball courts, volleyball, boating, of course, camping, cultural arts programs, fishing, hiking, horseshoe pits, hunting, interpretive programs, picnicking, playground equipment, swimming, and even water skiing. There are also cabins as well as Campgrounds in Lake Raccoon Rockville.

There is really something for everyone or you can just chill out and relax around camp and chat with other campers. Some of the best parties are always around the campfire at night with people you have just met. Play cards, have a few drinks, and sing along with the group.

Cecil M. Harden Lake is located at 1588 S Raccoon Parkway, in Rockville IN. The Campground in Lake Raccoon Rockville has 235 sites with electricity and 40 without electricity. There are 35 primitive camping sites as well as youth tent areas. The Campground in Lake Raccoon Rockville offers a camp store with lots of activities for the young and the old alike.

Raccoon Lake in Indiana – Common Mammals

Common mammals at or near the Campground in Lake Raccoon Rockville include of course raccoons, muskrats, coyotes, red and gray foxes, mink, striped skunk, white-tailed deer, river otters, extirpated birds, and even bobcats.

Raccoons are quite common and feed on crayfish, frogs, insects, and fruits in the wild. They will also go through your garbage and any food left in the open at the Campground in Lake Raccoon Rockville. In urban areas, raccoons are known to make dens in attics and enjoy good meals from going through everyone’s garbage. We never put our garbage out at night for this simple reason. Raccoons will get into it and make a huge mess on the street for us to clean up the next morning.  The same is true for your garbage and your food around the campsite at night.

Keep it Clean

Always ensure that your campground is kept clean and all food is stored away properly out of harm’s way while staying at the Campground in Lake Raccoon Rockville. We cannot emphasize this last point enough. If you leave your food out or in a place where it is tempting for a raccoon, they will find it and take it. They are excellent at opening all sorts of doors and locks. They will get into your cooler without any problems.

This guy in the picture got caught with his paw in the cookie jar so to speak. The campers may have chased him away this time. However, unless they do something about the food left out they are sure to come back later in the evening. They will ruin your food that may have been left out.

Feel free to leave your comments about the raccoon lake or any of your encounters with the little furry raccoons that have settled in or stolen your food. For more posts about campgrounds and raccoons, click here.

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