If you’re a homeowner in Barrie dealing with raccoons, you’re in for a tricky situation. These critters are crafty, persistent, and equipped with five-fingered hands, making them quite the troublemakers, especially when they start rummaging through your trash.
But fear not! Even though raccoons can be a nuisance, there are effective raccoon removal methods in Barrie to keep your home safe and clean. Despite their cute appearance, raccoons are far from harmless. They’ll topple your trash cans, scatter garbage all over your yard, wreck birdhouses, and even make their way into your home’s upper areas. But don’t worry, there are effective measures you can take to discourage these troublemakers from causing havoc on your property.
Signs of Infestation that Requires Raccoon Removal in Your Barrie Property
For homeowners, dealing with a rat or cockroach infestation is a nightmare. But did you know that a raccoon infestation can be just as troublesome? Despite their cute appearance, raccoons can wreak havoc on your home and pose health risks to your family and pets. There are even some reports of raccoon attacks that resulted in bites and scratches.
Here’s what you need to watch out for and make sure to contact a professional raccoon removal service in Barrie:
1. Lingering Odour of Waste
- Raccoons tend to settle in during the winter, using your attic as their den. As they hibernate, they leave behind a strong smell of urine and feces that seeps into your home, especially noticeable in upper floors and areas beneath the attic.
2. Exterior Damage
- Watch for signs of raccoons attempting to break into your home. Damage to gutters, shutters, shingles, and vents could indicate their presence. Raccoons are adept climbers and can easily exploit weak spots to gain entry.
3. Nocturnal Noises
- Raccoons are most active at night, so you might hear scratching and scurrying sounds from your attic or walls after dark. These noises can be unsettling and should prompt further investigation.
4. Tree Branches Near Your Home
- Raccoons are skilled climbers and can use overhanging tree branches to access your roof. Even a few branches can provide them with a pathway to your attic, so trim back any foliage that could facilitate their entry.
5. Unusual Pet Behaviour
- Pets often sense intruders before humans do. If your dog barks incessantly at the ceiling or your cat seems fixated on a particular area, they may have detected a raccoon. Pay attention to any behavioural changes, as your pet could be trying to alert you to a potential threat.
Humane Ways to Get Rid of Raccoons
Prevention is key when dealing with raccoons. If you often spot them around your neighbourhood, discourage them from making your property their home. If you come across raccoons in your house or on your property, you’ll need to act quickly to get rid of them and prevent them from returning.
Raccoons in Your Yard or Garden
When raccoons make themselves at home in your yard or garden, they’re usually searching for something to eat. For instance, if they’re hunting for grubs, they’ll tear up your grass, flowers, and landscaping to find them. This can lead to significant damage to your plants and lawn, costing you thousands of dollars to fix.
To keep raccoons away from your yard or garden, here’s what you can do:
1. Invest in Professional Garden and Lawn Treatment
- Treat your lawn and garden to eliminate grubs and other food sources that attract raccoons. This will force them to look for food elsewhere and prevent them from damaging your grass.
2. Secure Outdoor Trash
- Use durable metal or plastic containers with tightly sealed lids to store outdoor trash. Make sure the lids clip securely into place.
- Keep trash cans in a garage or closed outdoor shed whenever possible.
- If raccoons still manage to access your trash, use wire or clamps to secure the lids and prevent them from opening them.
- Tie garbage cans to support or secure them to a rack to prevent raccoons from tipping them over.
3. Remove Outdoor Pet and Bird Food
- Bring in any outdoor pet or bird food every night to avoid attracting raccoons.
4. Never Feed Raccoon
- While raccoons may appear cute and beg for food, resist the temptation to feed them. Feeding even a single raccoon will only attract more of them to your property.
Raccoons in Your Attic
If there’s a raccoon in your attic, chances are it’s a mother with babies. Mothers looking for a safe spot to nest might tear through facia boards, vents, and other structures to find a cozy space.
1. Check for Babies
Make sure there aren’t any baby raccoons. If there are, it’s best to wait until they’re grown before taking action. Otherwise, they could suffer without their mother.
2. Install One-Way Doors
These let raccoons leave but not come back. You can encourage them to leave by placing a loud radio or a bowl of cider vinegar near their nest. Or, consider hiring a professional pest control service for humane removal.
3. Use Live Traps
If necessary, set traps to catch and remove raccoons. Before doing this, contact your local Wildlife Department for safe trapping and relocation guidelines.
4. Seal Entry Points
Thoroughly inspect your attic to find how raccoons are getting in. Use sturdy wire mesh to seal any openings, like vents and gaps.
5. Eliminate Food Sources
Remove anything that might attract raccoons, such as food, water, and bedding materials. This helps deter them from coming back.
Raccoons in Your Walls
If a raccoon finds its way into your wall, things can get stressful fast. Raccoons in walls make noise day and night and can wreck your insulation, wiring, and more.
Here are some steps to deal with a raccoon in your wall:
- Call in a professional raccoon removal company in Barrie, like Mr. Pest Control Removing raccoons from walls is tough and risky. Trying to do it yourself could harm you or the raccoons.
- After the experts get the raccoons out of your wall, find and seal up any openings to keep them from coming back.
Raccoons in Your Chimney
A raccoon in your chimney can be risky because their bedding and nesting materials can easily catch fire.
So, how can you keep raccoons away?
To remove raccoons from your chimney, consider these steps:
- Call a professional pest control company in Barrie to remove the raccoons safely. Mr. Pest Control can do this without harming the animals or damaging your chimney.
- After the raccoons are gone, clean up the area they occupied. Remove any bedding or other things they left behind in the chimney.
- Seal up the chimney to prevent raccoons from getting back in. Install a chimney cap with strong wire mesh or a spark arrestor to block access to the chimney.
Raccoon Removal: Keeping Your Barrie Home Safe and Sound
Are pesky raccoons causing havoc in your home? Don’t let them take over your space! At Mr. Pest Control, we specialize in safe and efficient raccoon removal in Barrie. Our expert team will swiftly and humanely remove these critters from your property, ensuring your family’s safety and peace of mind. Say goodbye to unwanted guests and reclaim your home today! Contact us now for prompt and reliable raccoon removal services in Barrie.
