Pickering Wildlife Prevention: Raccoons Having Some Fun

Raccoons are having a ball, especially at night and their nightly shenanigans are causing headaches for the region’s property owners. As a result, property owners find themselves needing to engage the services of wildlife prevention experts. Read more about why raccoons are loving the night life.

WHEN ARE RACCOONS MOST ACTIVE

As the climate gets warmer, raccoons become more active. This means that homeowners should expect to see more raccoons or more evidence of raccoon presence in the warmer months of the year. They should also bear in mind that these animals are nocturnal which means that they will more likely be out at night rather than in the day. During the mating seasons, mother raccoons will try to establish dens in the most conducive spaces around your property. The ideal space for nesting raccoons needs to be out of sight and as well as warm.

RACCOON NIGHT-LIFE BEHAVIOURS

Under the cover of darkness, raccoons emerge and paint the town red, in their own terms. They frolic around in spaces that people design for their own entertainment. Raccoons have been known to take a splash or two in backyard pools. Some have even been caught on camera enjoying the outdoor living spaces created by homeowners. People may be annoyed by the sounds of their nightly escapades, which include scratching at the roof or banging garbage bins around as they topple them over for easier access. They also feast on the fruits and vegetables that they find through their foraging expeditions. Raccoons, being omnivorous, eat a variety of plants but figs are particularly delicious to them.

THE IMPACT OF RACCOON INVASION

A more permanent problem faces property owners when raccoons decide to move in. This usually happens when female raccoons are about to give birth as they gravitate towards spaces such as attics to nest. Baby raccoons (or kits) born in the attic will do what their instincts tell them to do or what they are trained to do by their mother. This will include gnawing and scratching at the sections inside the attic and dealing with the urine and feces. Over time, this grows into a serious and very costly problem. Unfortunately, the raccoons’ nocturnal activities result in costly damage. Roofs are breached as raccoons make holes to get access to inside, plants are chewed up or otherwise damaged and garbage bins are broken or continuously overturned. This is why it is important to identify the raccoon invasion early and promptly take the appropriate steps to address it. Raccoons also pose a health risk when they breach human spaces. Raccoons typically carry diseases such as rabies that can be transmitted to pets and people. Raccoon waste deposited on your property also harbours diseases that can make you ill. In addition, the biological deposits create an eyesore and generate a foul odour.

SOLVING RACCOON PROBLEMS EFFICIENTLY AND HUMANELY

A raccoon’s behaviour is simply a reflection of their nature and their inherent instinct to survive. The damage they inflict on garbage bins, for example, is caused by their need to forage or search for food. But raccoons are still not the type of wildlife you want to entertain. Get in touch with expert wildlife control services like Skedaddle. Our Skedaddle team in Pickering will assess your space to identify the type and extent of invasion and customize a treatment plan to remove and sanitize your space. They also offer wildlife prevention services that keep raccoons off your property.