Getting Rid of a Racoon

Live trapping raccoons needs to be done by a professional wildlife control team. This is crucial in performing the task correctly and keeping the animal safe.

Live-Catch Wire Cage Traps

Trapping is the preferred method of removal of raccoons, most commonly by the use of live-catch wire cage traps. These traps are baited with a variety of scents raccoons find irresistible (fish, peanut butter, bacon, apple, peach, and berry, for example). Once baited, the traps are placed on the exterior of the home near the point of entry. Traps are checked daily by one of our technicians. During this check, captured animals are removed, traps are re-baited, and adjustments are made to trap placement.

Funnel Traps

Varment Guard technicians are also equipped and trained with funnel-style traps. These traps are placed directly over the point of entry to catch any animals as they leave. This method is successful for stubborn or when trapping shy animals.

Population Control Trapping

An over-abundance or high population of raccoons can be addressed through population control trapping. Baited traps are set along established trails, fence lines, buildings, or other cover used to move throughout the property.

This reduces the risk of raccoons tearing into your home, rummaging through your trash cans, and eating fish from landscape ponds. It also reduces the risk of exposure (people and pets) to the many diseases raccoons can carry.

Although raccoons can easily be scared away much of the time, when cornered they can pose a danger to humans and domestic pets. A few of the problems that raccoons can cause include:

Lawn Destruction

Raccoons can be destructive to lawns due to a propensity for “grubbing” behavior. Areas of sod in a lawn can be torn up overnight as a result of raccoon grubbing.

Damage to Entry Points

Raccoons often gain access into attics, basements, and crawl spaces by forcing open loose or broken vent covers, louvers, windows, and carpentry. Raccoons readily invade attics or enter uncapped chimney flues often as a place to birth and wean thor litters of pups.

Fleas and Ticks

Since raccoons are often infested with ticks and various fleas, human occupants and their animal companions can be infested.

Diseases

Raccoon feces accumulate and cause odor and secondary pest problems. They also serve as a potential source of raccoon roundworm infection. Raccoons have been implicated in several other infectious diseases transmissible to humans including leptospirosis, Chagas’ disease, tularemia, and, most notably, rabies.

BEFORE

The initial damage was caused by a raccoon gaining access into the attic. Varment Guard replaced damaged shingles and ridge vents prior to installation of Ridge-Guard©.