Suburban Raccoons

What a mess this raccoon has made when they got into this man’s attic? Raccoons in attic’s can cause a lot of damage in several different ways. First of all, there is the damage to the exterior of your home as shown in this picture. Then there is the rain and snow if you live in areas where they get snow. Rain and snow can blow in and cause all kinds of water damage to the walls,  the ceiling, and the flooring if a lot of moisture enters the home. This damage can penetrate all of the ways into the living area of your home if the situation is not dealt with quickly.

What you cannot see is the damage that raccoons in attics do inside the attic. They will move the insulation around so that you now have cold spots in your ceiling. They will urinate and defecate in your attic leaving a terrible mess that is not only smelly, but it also poses a health issue as well.

Worms in the feces can cause serious health issues for humans if accidentally ingested by breathing them in when you are in the attic cleaning up the mess. Always wear protective clothing and breathing material to prevent any possibility of this occurring. The worms are tiny and are carried in the air once the feces dry out in the hot air of the attic.

How Can You Get Rid of Raccoons in Attic’s

It is actually pretty easy if done in the right manner. First of all, loud noises do not work, mothballs do not work, and trapping raccoons does not work. They are for the most part too smart to enter a trap, especially the older ones. They have live around humans too long and are suspicious of anything that could enclose them.

The best way is to install a one-way trap door over the opening so that raccoons in attic can get out but not back in. After you are sure they are out, repair the opening and block it with heavy gauge wire mesh so that they cannot get back into the den that they created in your attic. If you do not do this, the raccoons will just move back into your home.

What About Young Raccoons in Attic

If they have babies inside your attic, you are going to have to do one of two things. Either install the one-way trap door as described and then go into the attic and remove the babies from your attic. You can put them outside somewhere where the parents are sure to see them.

If you do not take the above step the raccoon parents will try to make another entrance to your attic. They want to rescue the young baby raccoons, causing even more damage. The other approach is to wait until all of the raccoons in the attic are old enough to travel on their own. Then install the one way trap door. You might have more of a mess, but this is the best approach by far since you will be sure they are all out and will not cause more damage.

Install wire mesh over all other potential openings to keep other raccoons out as well as birds and squirrels. While this may cost a bit more to implement, it is better to be safe than sorry.

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