Raccoons in Your Home

Raccoons are notorious for invading homes across the United States. With their ability to enter through soffits or gaps in your home, they often take up residence in attics and crawlspaces. Having raccoons in your home can be a major nuisance, causing damage and posing health and safety risks for you and your family.

Raccoon Appearance

These creatures, often nicknamed “ring-tailed bandits,” are easily recognizable with their grayish-brown fur, black mask around their eyes, and ringed, bushy tails. Full-grown raccoons can reach a length of about 3 feet from head to hindquarters and weigh over 20 lbs, with some records reaching 52.5 lbs. Their human-like hands, equipped with five long toes that act as fingers, make them excellent climbers.

Dietary Habits

In the wild, raccoons are omnivores, feeding on plants and small animals such as insects, worms, rats, mice, birds, and snakes. In urban and suburban environments, they scavenge through trash and consume almost anything they can get their hands on. They have a particular affinity for birdseed and food left out for domesticated animals like cats and dogs.

Behavior

Raccoons are primarily nocturnal creatures, meaning they are most active at night. However, depending on food availability, some raccoons may also venture out during the day, especially mother raccoons in the spring and early summer. While male raccoons tend to be solitary, baby raccoons, known as kits, stay with their mother for the majority of their first year.

Female raccoons give birth to 2-5 kits in late winter or early spring. Initially, the kits remain in the den while the mother forages for food. As they grow older, they start venturing out with her. Raccoons are highly clever and adept at problem-solving. In fact, most raccoons are smarter than dogs and cats, and they possess exceptional memory skills.

Raccoons will utilize any available shelter for their dens. They prefer natural spots such as hollow trees, ground burrows, and rock crevices, but they are also known to seek shelter in man-made structures like barns and abandoned buildings. If raccoons infest your home, they are most likely to be found in your attic due to their climbing abilities.

Raccoons are capable of making more than 100 different vocalizations, including purrs, snarls, snorts, and screams. If you have raccoons in your house, you’ll often hear them moving around with heavy, slow motions, accompanied by louder thumping sounds. The kits and mother raccoon may produce high-pitched sounds that homeowners sometimes mistake for birds residing in their attic.

Identifying Signs of Raccoon Infestation

When dealing with an animal in your home, it’s rare to actually catch sight of them. Instead, you must identify the problem by observing the signs they leave behind. If you suspect a raccoon infestation in your attic, watch out for the following indications:

• Nighttime noises: Raccoons are primarily active at night, so you’ll most likely hear them during those hours.
• Damaged wiring: Check for any signs of damage in your attic, such as torn wiring, ductwork, or insulation.
• Latrines: Raccoons tend to create latrines by repeatedly defecating in the same spot.
• Footprints: Raccoon paws have distinct finger-like toes, making it easy to identify their prints in dust or mud.
• Large entry holes: Inspect the exterior of your house for potential entry points. Raccoons can tear large holes, but they can also gain access through openings as small as a deck of cards.

Contact Urban Jungle for Raccoon Removal Services

If you’re ready to get rid of raccoons from your home, Urban Jungle is here to help. Our staff is highly trained and knowledgeable in wildlife biology, ensuring the safe and efficient removal of raccoons from your attic.

We not only remove these animals but also provide exclusion and repair services to prevent their return. Our goal is to permanently resolve your raccoon problem. Contact us today to take the first step toward a raccoon-free home!