Raccoons

Raccoons are smart critters and are quite common in South Florida. They are attracted to food and garbage, and are usually seen around dumpsters or garbage cans near restaurants, grocery stores, and neighborhoods. Raccoons are generally non-aggressive but will bite and scratch if cornered. Trapping is the most effective and humane control.

Since raccoons enjoy raiding trash cans, it’s best to use ones made of tough materials like hard plastics and metal. Cans should have tight-fitting lids and straps or clamps to help hold them shut. Finally, it’s recommended the cans be tied to a support or placed in a rack where they can’t be tipped over. Raccoons can cause structural damage as they try to enter buildings, such as attics where they like to nest, and they have an affinity for chimneys as well. Access to this area can be restricted through purchase of a commercial spark arrestor cap or heavy screen wire secured over any openings.

Check local regulations for trapping and relocation requirements. If you have any questions or concerns, contact our professional animal trappers who are trained in resolving unwanted pest issues in a safe and humane way.

Raccoon Prevention Tips

The important proactive approaches to preventing raccoon problems are to minimize access to food, shelter and water. Preventing a raccoon problem and their associated property damage may require trapping and removing the animal.

Inspection

The first component of a prevention program is inspection. To determine what is required, the homeowner needs to be sure that raccoons are the culprit, and find where their activity is occurring. Evidence of raccoons on the property include:

Damage
Fecal droppings (scat)
Tracks
Seeing raccoons either roaming the property and entering or exiting a den site
Garbage containers overturned or opened by raccoons as they feed on food waste.
Noises from raccoon activity such as movement on the roof or in the attic, especially at night since raccoons are nocturnal and are usually more active during hours of darkness.

Exclusion & Habitat Modification

Generally, exclusion is the most effective long-term method the homeowner can employ to help prevent raccoon damage. The following tips are helpful to recognize and help prevent raccoon activity in the attic or other parts of the home.

Seal any part of the home where raccoons may gain access. Inspect large gaps, crawl space access doors, chimneys, gable ends, areas under the eave, areas under decks and garage door openings. Seal or repair potential entry points. Tracks are often evidence there is raccoon activity in crawl spaces or under decks. Typical raccoon access points include holes about four inches in diameter or damaged siding, roofs, gables or under soffits.
Make sure vents in the roof or soffit are heavy duty and animal proof.
Cut trees back 6’ to 8’ away from your home to prevent access to the roof.
Install caps that cover the chimney or other roof vents.

Reduce Available Food Sources

Keep trash cans clean and debris picked up.
If practical, keep refuse containers inside the garage, and set out for pickup in the morning rather than the night.
Keep tight fitting lids on refuse containers. If raccoons are removing lids to get into the can, use a heavy duty bungee cord or strap over the top of the can.
Do not allow leftover pet foods to remain outside.
If you have fruit trees, remove any fruit on the ground.
Cover compost piles to prevent raccoons from feeding on food scraps
Quit using bird feeders if you suspect they might attract raccoons.
Raccoons in the garden may require an electrical fence around the garden plot.

Limit Available Water

If raccoons are getting into a small fishpond or other decorative water pond, use wire mesh to cover the pond.
Ensure that low spots where water pools are either filled in or drained.
Make sure that downspouts direct water away from the house and other areas of the property so water doesn’t collect.

Swimming pools can be a special problem. If practical, keep the pool covered at night. If you notice raccoon feces in the pool, contact your pool maintenance company for assistance since raccoon feces may cause disease if the pool is not properly disinfected.

Trapping

Non-lethal traps may be necessary to prevent raccoons using the attic or other part of the house as a nest site. The most important trapping tip is let a pest management professional do the trapping. Do-it-yourself trapping programs may lead to problems such as bites, falls from ladders and contact with raccoons and their wastes that can cause disease.

Repellents

There are many compounds on the market advertised as raccoon repellents, so consult your pest management professional before using repellents. Some are effective at repelling raccoons that are simply roaming in search of a new territory. However, a female raccoon with young in the nest is a much more challenging situation since she is not likely to be repelled from her nest and abandon her babies by simply using a repellent.