raccoon in attic
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Help! There's a Raccoon in My Attic!
How do I get a raccoon out of my attic?
Raccoons like to get into attics as they provide a perfect nesting/den site - attics are dry, warm and quiet. Raccoons can gain access to your attic through many possible locations such as around chimneys, roof vents, loose or missing soffit or fascia. These are all perfect access points for a determined raccoon. Raccoons use their keen sense of smell to locate damp rotting wood. They then target these areas on your roof to gain access to the attic, ripping up shingles and digging through the softened, rotting wood.
Damage by Raccoons to the attic integrity and roof and ceiling
Raccoons are also attracted to other weakened areas of your attic because they are able to feel the heat loss from the roof and notice where drafts are coming from. They find these areas and start chewing and ripping their way in. These access holes can end up quite large, some as large as a pizza and they end up destroying the integrity of your attic and your roof, causing leaks and/or floods. One heavy rain fall can lead to a lot of damage to your home.
Damage by Raccoons in my attic, home, house, to insulation
When raccoons are in your attic they disturb the insulation, either packing it down or moving it around. This leaves open spots in your attic, which diminishes or even eliminates the insulation's effectiveness in keeping your house warm. This can lead to ice damming on your roof, often leading to costly leaks.
Damage by Raccoons to Electrical lines
When raccoons get into your attic, they can come in contact with wiring. Wiring is vulnerable as they can be easily stepped or pulled on, torn or even chewed, leading to possible shorts in electrical lines, or even worse, fires.
Raccoons in the attic/home/house raise health and safety concerns
Since attics are fairly large, raccoons tend to have both sleeping quarters and latrines (bathroom) in the attic. Accumulated raccoon poop (feces) and urine damages the ceiling in your home. It doesn't take much for the poop and urine to eat away at the ceiling, resulting in staining in the rooms below, or even collapsing to the rooms below. This is dangerous because it can expose your family to serious health risks from the build up racocon poop that carries disease and the associated mold that develops from moisture of the raccoon poop and urine. The last things you want on your ceiling are giant yellow stains and brown spots with mold growing around it. Removal of raccoons and their feces/ urine is a specialist job.
Prevention of raccoons in your attic and home/house
To prevent raccoons in your attic ensure your roof is in good repair. Have a roofer inspect your shingles and all connections to the attic. Trim trees that have branches overhanging your roof or are located near your home. Keep all shrubs near your house trimmed as well. For more tips, check out our article on keeping wildlife out of your home.
Raccoon Removal
Raccoon Control and Removal methods include Live Trapping*, Licensed Trapping*, Physical Capture*, Shooting*, Relocation*, and Destruction of the animal. Dead animals should be removed by a professional.
PLEASE CONTACT US; WE HAVE SPECIALISTS IN THE FIELD OF PERMANENT RACCOON REMOVAL AND RACCOON FECES CLEANUP/DISINFECTION.
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Raccoon Control & Removal Oakville
Calls for Raccoon Control and Removal are among the most frequent request in Oakville. Like so many other communities along the shores of Lake Ontario, Oakville provides plenty of space and habitat for raccoons to flourish. While the masked bandits are often thought of as just a bit of a nuisance, they actually cause a great deal of damage to properties and structures, as well as pose health risks to humans and pets alike.
Residential Raccoon Damage
- Roofs: Raccoons gaining access to attics through roof vents - leaving behind damaged shingles, vents,
- Refuse and compost: Raccoons are boisterous animals, making a great deal of noise when carrying out their searches for food and shelter such as when they raid garbage and compost containers in search of food. They often leave behind a considerable mess, which can attract more animals;
- Food left outdoors: Eating food for domestic animals such as pet food and livestock feed plus feed for wildlife such as birdseed;
- In gardens: Especially in gardens containing fruit, tomatoes, melons, berries or sweetcorn, plants are eaten, dug up, or otherwise damaged and tracks and excrement are left behind;
- Raccoons are attracted to lawns and gardens, especially after a rainfall when grubs and larvae are near the surface. They dig small round holes and will repeatedly turn over large swathes of freshly laid sod to un-earth worms, grubs and larvae. This particular type of behaviour is common when other sources of food are less abundant. They may return repeatedly and because of the dexterity of its front paws, the extent of the damage caused by the raccoon is generally greater than skunks.
Raccoon Damage on Farms
- Corn crops: many cobs partially nibbled, with the husks pulled back and the leaves folded downwards. Stalks may be broken as the animal tries to climb to get at the ears;
- Raccoons are alo quite fond of fruit, able to demolish a whole berry patch in no time at all;
- Hen houses and farmyards: The extreme dexterity of their front paws allows raccoons to kill or injure poultry even when the birds are kept inside enclosures or cages, as they try to reach and destroy them through the wire mesh. Poultry are often found with their heads torn off and left a short distance from the body. The neck and breast may be torn open and chewed and the entrails consumed. ; Legs or feet of the young birds may be missing. Pieces of flesh may be found near water. The eggs are often broken lengthwise and the materials used to make the nest are disturbed. Eggs may be removed completely from nests or eaten on the spot with only the heavily cracked shell remaining. Raccoons can also destroy bird nests in artificial nesting structures such as bluebird and wood duck nest boxes.
For Oakville raccoon control and/or raccoon removal contact Hawkeye at 416.429.5393 today!
Why you should call Hawkeye for Raccoon Control and Removal
We GUARANTEE results. We offer PERMANENT solutions above and beyond what other companies can offer.
Hawkeye is the ONLY pest bird and animal/wildlife control company in Canada designated "Certified Wildlife Control Professional" AND holding the following licenses:
Trapping of Fur Bearing Animals Permit: In contrast to all other companies, we can euthanize the bird or fur bearing animal, thus guaranteeing it will not return.
Falconry Permit: We use Birds of Prey (hawks, owls, falcons, eagles) to scare, chase, or remove in a natural and humane way.
Pest Control License: We can employ chemical solutions to certain problems. These methods include natural pesticides.