WESTCHESTER COUNTY #
WESTCHESTER COUNTY #
Do you have raccoons causing issues on your property? Raccoons will knock over and raid your trash cans, rip up your lawn, tear off roof shingles, get inside attics, and soil your insulation. Removing raccoons as soon as possible is imperative to limit the damage they can do to your property. Still, the first step of that is making sure it IS raccoons causing these issues and not another nuisance wildlife. Identifying the animal inside your attic or garage is crucial for safe and effective removal, so if you aren’t sure what critter has invaded your home, this blog can be your guide.
Raccoons are not graceful, and they will leave a path of destruction behind when they make their way inside your home. Raccoons love to nest inside attics, and they have no problem tearing through your soffit, eaves, and roof shingles to get inside. Squirrels and raccoons both claw and gnaw at tiny holes in your roof until they are wide enough to fit through, but a raccoon hole will be much larger than a squirrel hole.
Raccoons are known for tipping over trash cans to feast on the garbage and food scraps left inside. If you go out to your garage or front yard and see the cans tipped over and garbage strewn about, this is a clear sign that you’ve been raided by a raccoon. Raccoons dig “latrines” which are communal defecating sites. When they dig latrines inside your attic insulation, you will be able to smell their pungent odor coming from inside your attic, which is another indicator of raccoons. However, these critters will also dig their latrines at the base of trees and underneath decks and porches. Raccoon feces are dark, tubular, and about 2-3 inches long. You can also identify raccoons by their tracks, which can be left in mud, dust, or after they step through water. Their front paws resemble small human hands with long claws, and their back paws are a similar shape, but with an elongated heel.
One of the easiest ways to identify a raccoon infestation inside your attic is to listen for the sounds they make. Birds and bats will make flapping and chirping sounds, while squirrels may make scampering or scratching sounds. Raccoons will loudly shuffle throughout your attic, creating loud stomping sounds that you might even mistake for human footsteps. Raccoons will also make scratching sounds, as well as ripping sounds as they rip up your attic insulation, and you might hear them knock over your trash can and throw the contents around.
Raccoons also have a wide arsenal of vocal sounds. You might hear raccoons inside your attic chittering, growling, screaming, hissing, snarling, whimpering, or even purring. Raccoons can become aggressive when confronted, and they often carry rabies, so leave raccoon removal to the professionals.
If you have identified a raccoon inside your garage, attic, or crawl space, don’t panic! Getting raccoons off your property can be quick and easy if you know who to call. Attempting to remove raccoons yourself isn’t a good idea, as these animals will often become extremely hostile, lashing out with their sharp teeth and claws, and they can also spread rabies through their bites. Raccoons also hide their babies deep within your attic insulation, and if you don’t find and remove all of them, the mother raccoon will rip the shingles off your roof to get back inside and retrieve her baby.
Local animal control also will not come remove raccoons that have set up shop in your attic, as they only handle domestic animals like cats and dogs, or wildlife that has gotten onto public property, like a road or park. A licensed wildlife removal company like Westchester Wildlife is your best bet for raccoon removal. We can safely and humanely trap and remove any raccoon that has set up shop in your attic, crawl space, or yard, and we will ensure that we remove all the babies, preventing the mother from returning. Contact us today to get started at (914) 760-5713!
An important aspect of raccoon removal is utilizing deterrents and preventative measures to keep the raccoons from coming back. To prevent raccoons, you should tightly secure your garbage can lids, and always bring bowls of pet food inside before bed. Getting rid of bird baths and other sources of water on your property can also encourage them not to stay.
Westchester Wildlife also offers raccoon deterrents. After removing the raccoon, we will seal and fortify all the raccoon’s entry points and any potential future entry points, preventing these critters from breaking their way inside your attic again.
You can easily identify raccoon infestations through visual cues like knocked-over trash cans, latrines, footprints, and large entry holes, or through sounds like stomping, scratching, growling, snarling, or whimpering. Once you’ve identified a raccoon infestation, contact the experts at Westchester Wildlife for raccoon trapping and removal services. We can ensure the raccoon and all raccoon babies are safely and humanely removed from your property. Westchester Wildlife also offers seal-outs and exclusions to deter raccoons from returning. Contact us today to get started with a FREE estimate at (914) 760-5713!
Toll Free: 800.273.6673
Phone: (914) 760-5713
PO Box 579 Brewster,
NY 10509 USA
* Westchester Wildlife, LLC is not affiliated with the County. All services are fee based.
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