Living With Raccoon Neighbors

What Should I Do if Raccoons Are Living in My Attic?

Raccoons often live in human structures when searching for a den during baby season. The best thing you can do is wait a few weeks for the babies to grow and leave the den. Their nocturnal nature gives you the opportunity to seal their entrance at night. You can also use humane techniques, such as playing music where the raccoons are living and placing unpleasant smells in the area.

Wait for the raccoons to leave, then seal any holes and cap chimneys. If this is not possible, every attempt must be made to reunite young with their mother outside the burrow. Babies can be removed and placed in a re-nesting box for mom to retrieve. Contact a wildlife professional for help. Raccoons more commonly carry zoonotic diseases. Never touch a mammal with your bare hands. See our tips here on how to ensure the wildlife control company you hire uses human techniques, such as reuniting wild families and one-way doors.

How Can I Prevent Raccoons From Getting Into My Trash Can and Garden?

Raccoons, like other animals, love an easy meal. Trash cans should be secured with lids. A raccoon’s dexterous hands mean you may need to strap down lids or purchase raccoon-proof cans. Keep trash cans inside overnight when raccoons are most active. You can also deter raccoons from raiding your gardens with motion-activated sprinklers, noises and unpleasant smells. Be sure to remove food sources, such as cat food. Leaving out pet food is an open invitation to raccoons and many other wild species. This encourages fighting among the animals and the spread of disease, even to pets.

Does a Raccoon Have Rabies if It’s Out During Daylight?

Rabies is a serious, lethal disease that should not be taken lightly. However, not all raccoons roaming during the daytime have rabies. Nursing mothers are often seen out alone or with their young during the day. Cold winter months may also encourage raccoons to be active during the warmer days. Rabies effects the nervous system and the brain. Their is no 100% way to determine if an animal is rabid just by looking at it, but there are behaviors to look for. Mammals acting abnormally friendly or aggressive is a red flag. The animal may also have difficulty walking and swallowing (foaming at the mouth) due to paralysis.

Contact a wildlife rehabilitator for more advice as there are several types of disease that may cause similar symptoms. Never approach a potentially rabid animal! Keep children and pets away. Never handle a raccoon with your bare hands, even a baby. Raccoons carry a variety of zoonotic diseases that are only spread through close contact with the animal’s saliva or feces. Other mammals more likely to have rabies in Pennsylvania include feral cats, skunks, groundhogs, bats, foxes and coyotes.

How Can I Prevent Raccoons From Entering My Chicken Coop?

Any sort of supplemental feeding is bound to attract wildlife, and chickens and their eggs are no different. Chicken coops must be wildlife proofed. Any part of the coop that is not enclosed by wood should be reinforced with wildlife-proof mesh. Chicken wire is good, but the spacing is not small enough that raccoons are unable to reach into the coop or break the wire.

What Can I Do To Stop Raccoons From Eating Fish Out of My Pond?

Fish are a delicacy to wildlife, and raccoons are great fishermen. However, if ponds are deeper than three feet and contain many hiding spots for fish, their hunt will be less successful. In these conditions, fish are able to escape to the bottom of the pond and hide from the raccoons.