What Motivates a Raccoon to Invade Your Home
Warmth and food are the two major concerns of raccoons as winter approaches. They will establish nests in your attic because of the protection it offers from the cold outside. They are particularly attracted to your attic because it is already prepared and raccoons are infamous for capitalizing on the work of others when it comes to dens. In fact, in the wild, they often use trees that are already hollowed out and dens that were created and abandoned by other animals. They also find attics convenient because they are close to food sources like your garbage bins.The Downsides of a Raccoon Invasion
Raccoons are natural foragers and will dig through pretty much anything to get to the food they want. This means a lot of damage to your attic and the remainder of your home. In addition, these animals have an opportunistic diet as they eat a wide variety of things. It’s part of the reason they survive and thrive in cities. This means they will eat your leftovers but they will also chow down on the electrical wires and wood in the attic. This can add up to hefty costs in restoration and repairs after an infestation. The insulation in your attic can suffer extensive damage from raccoon activities. The animals rip and shred insulation material to make nests. Their droppings and urine also accelerate the deterioration of the insulation and wood.Raccoon Presence Creates Health Risks
When raccoons invade your home, they bring with them diseases such as rabies, roundworm, and leptospirosis. Roundworm is spread through contact with raccoon feces while leptospirosis is contracted through contact with the urine. Although the risk for contracting leptospirosis from a raccoon is low, it is still a possibility that requires caution on the part of homeowners. [caption id="attachment_15641" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Have a Raccoon Free Winter at Home
Some of the things you can do to discourage a raccoon invasion of your attic include;- Checking for entrance points.
- Avoid storing leftovers in and around the home (try to dispose of garbage away from the home as promptly as you can). Raccoons come because they want food and if you provide the source they will come and stay.
- Secure your pet food to prevent access to raccoons