Although raccoons are most active at night and usually prefer to avoid interactions with humans, sometimes they enter homes in search of shelter. Pregnant raccoons, especially, may be attracted to warm attics as good nesting spots where they can raise their babies safely. Unfortunately, having a raccoon as a roommate is never a good thing. The animals are not typically aggressive, but they can bite when provoked, and they often spread dangerous diseases through their feces. If you have a raccoon living in your home, you need to call an expert for wildlife removal in Oakville immediately.

Raccoons most often enter homes through holes in the exterior. Even if you think a crack or crevice is too small for a raccoon to fit through, the creatures are notoriously dexterous and can claw at small holes to make them large enough for the animals to fit through. If you want to keep raccoons out of your house, here are four tips to deter them from the exterior of your home.

Secure Bird Feeders

One notorious fact about raccoons is that they consume a wide variety of foods. In the wild, the animals prey on crayfish and small rodents in addition to berries and insects. In urban environments, raccoons find easy sources of food in bird feeders, chicken coops, trash cans and left-out pet food bowls. One way to deter raccoons from your property is to secure your bird feeders to keep them from offering sustenance.

Add baffles to the pole holding your bird feeder. The raccoons can often scale the pole, but the baffles will prevent them from reaching the bird seed. You should also install a tray to catch any seeds that fall out of the feeder before they hit the ground and act as a buffet for raccoons.

Secure Trash Bins

Another easy source of food for raccoons is garbage cans. The animals are dextrous enough to open lids if they aren’t properly secured, so raccoons often gain access to trash cans and rifle through garbage bags to find scraps of food. You can eliminate this problem by tightly securing your trash bins with a latch.

Cut Back Tree Branches

Although raccoons can scale siding to access holes in the exterior of your home, they most often get to your house by using low-hanging tree branches as highways. By engaging in proper maintenance habits and cutting back tree branches that scrape against the side of your house, you make it harder for raccoons to access your home. If the building isn’t easy for them to get into, raccoons are less likely to take up residence.

Add Lights

Because raccoons are nocturnal, they aren’t used to a lot of bright light. Installing motion-activated lights around your property is a great way to deter the creatures because sudden flashes of bright lights usually disorient raccoons and scare them away.

What To Do When Raccoons Get Into Your House

Raccoons sometimes gain access to your home regardless of how many measures you implement to deter them. Working with an expert from Skedaddle is the best way to get raccoons out of your house in a safe and humane manner. Not only do our technicians have the skills and tools necessary to remove raccoons quickly and efficiently from your home, but we can also give you tips on how to keep raccoons away from your house in the future.

Trust a Professional for Wildlife Removal in Oakville

Getting rid of raccoons yourself is never a good idea because you could get hurt or you could harm the creatures. It’s best to call an expert such as Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control for help with raccoon removal. Our team is trained and experienced in the humane removal of animals and can ensure they are removed in a way that is safe for both you and the raccoon. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for wildlife removal in Oakville.