Preventive raccoon control begins with you. Look past the cute little faces and remember that raccoons can bring potential damage and health risks to you and your family. Next time you notice these pests nesting on your property or trying to make their way into your home, contact a reliable raccoon control company in Toronto, such as Hawkeye Bird and Animal Control to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

Benefits of Preventive Raccoon Control

There are many steps you can take to ensure the safety of your family and pets, as well as protect your property from damage. Consider these preventive measures.

Avoid Damage to Your Property 

From drywall to wires, raccoons can claw and chew their way through most materials found in and around the structure. They can remove roofing and vinyl siding to gain access to a building. Once inside, a raccoon will use insulation and fabric materials to build a cozy nest. Yards are also no match for the critters as they will destroy a garden and lawn to obtain food, such as vegetables or insects. By taking preventative measures, you can reduce the risk of having to make costly repairs to your home and garden.

Health and Safety Concerns

Taking raccoon control methods now can protect people from the risk of becoming infected by disease. Aside from receiving a scratch or bite from a rabid raccoon, you are at risk of roundworm, giardiasis, and salmonellosis, among others. As with all wildlife, raccoons are territorial and will attack if they feel threatened. If any pets or humans get too close, they will lash out and become defensive by biting and scratching. Learn what to do or not to do when an encounter with a raccoon cannot be avoided »

Maintain a Comfortable Living Environment 

When raccoons settle into a home, there can be a great deal of noise erupting as they move throughout the attic or destroy the walls. Raccoons will also growl, hiss, and whimper loudly. Due to their wide options of diet, raccoons can cause unpleasant odours in many different ways, including their urine and feces.

Raccoons are among the most destructive wildlife pests affecting corn crops in the GTA. They cause large-scale financial losses due to stalk breakage, kernel removal, and trampled rows.

Corn fields are especially attractive due to the cover provided by tall stalks, sweet corn sugars, and nighttime accessibility, all on large acreage. Traditional raccoon trapping and relocating does not work here as raccoons will almost always return. 

Hawkeye’s permanent raccoon removal is legal, ethical, and the only effective long-term solution.

Why Raccoons Target Corn Fields

• Corn provides high-energy food right before winter (late-summer carbohydrate loading).
• Fields are often close to forest edges, barns, irrigation ponds, or abandoned structures.
• Tall stalks are perfect for temporary cover, hiding, and denning.
• Nearby rural dumpsters or livestock feed is easily exploited.
  
  

With its freezing temperatures and harsh winds, Ontario winter forces raccoons to abandon flexible den habits for a single warm, secure location, creating a high-risk, long-term raccoon infestation in winter, which lasts until spring and beyond. Identifying and addressing these primary dens in the cold months is crucial to preventing structural damage and costly spring repairs.

Raccoon Winter Behaviour in the GTA

After a flurry of activity during the fall months where their focus was on calorie intake, raccoons settle into long winter naps once the snow arrives. Focus is now on staying warm and safe from predators. This behaviour is one of the reasons homeowners and commercial/industrial property managers should search for winter raccoon control earlyin the season, before a raccoon infestation is too entrenched.

• Torpor, Not Hibernation
  Raccoons do not truly hibernate but rather enter a state of torpor—a deep sleep broken by periods of waking. While in this state, their body temperature lowers, and breathing and metabolism slow to conserve energy. They will keep a single, secure den for weeks at a time to conserve energy and survive freezing temperatures.
  
  
• The Thermal Imperative
  During the winter months, raccoons seek out areas with trapped heat (i.e., from the house, equipment, or ground) and maximum wind protection. This commitment to one warm spot makes winter dens extremely destructive.
  
  
• Reduced Activity, Increased Risk
  While they forage less often, raccoonss' activity when inside the den is focused on insulating and securing the perimeter by procuring and using any suitable materials. This often results in severe damage to building insulation, etc.
  
  

Where Raccoons Den in GTA Winters

Where do raccoons usually nest during colder months? Residential, commercial, and industrial properties offer a plethora of options.

• Structural Areas (Warmest Spots):
  
  • Attics:
    Attics are probably the most sought-after spot for raccoons (and other wildlife - think squirrels!) to wait out old man winter. Proximity to chimneys or plumbing stacks and just the rising heat from floors beneath make attics perfect for winter denning. Raccoons access attics through the roof and poorly sealed roof vents.
    
    
  • Chimneys:
    If uncapped, your chimney can provide a dark, contained vertical shelter.
    
    
  • Garage Ceiling Voids:
    The insulated space above an attached garage creates a thermal bridge to the main house/building. It is also safe and enclosed with little to no human traffic.
    
    
• Ground-Level Havens (Insulated Spots): Areas that hold ground heat and are protected from the wind and snow.
  
  • Crawl spaces:
    Crawl spaces underneath a structure provide consistent, moderate warmth.
    
    
  • Window Wells Basement Voids:
    Small, contained pockets near the foundation may also be converted to a winter den.
    
    
  • Sheds/Deck Voids:
    Areas under sheds or decks, especially if the ground is skirted, trap heat and provide sufficient shelter.
    
    
• Commercial Industrial Spots (High-Value Warmth):
  
  • Warehouses and Factories:
    Heat from machinery or HVAC vents attracts raccoons. Low-traffic areas like maintenance rooms should be inspected regularly.
    
    
  • Abandoned or Low-Traffic Buildings:
    Quiet, undisturbed areas still draw furry winter dwellers, even if not actively heated. Raccoons can evade detection for months in abandoned or vacant properties.
    
    
  • Seasonal Businesses and Schools:
    Buildings that are closed for periods of time, such as schools often see raccoon invasions. By the time the animals are detected, it's often too late and significant damage has been done.
    
    
  • Loading Docks:
    Open loading dock doors invite raccoons inside to explore hidden spaces for temporary dens.
    
    
• Natural/Outdoor Denning Spots near Homes:
  • Hollow trees, brush piles, abandoned burrows, woodpiles, and old cars/trucks and machinery also make for suitable raccoon winter dens.
    
    

Many homeowners and property managers set up bird feeders to attract songbirds, especially during colder months. Unfortunately, bird feeders are also a major attractant for raccoons—intelligent, nocturnal, opportunistic, and highly adaptable animals.

As temperatures drop, raccoons seek easy food sources, and bird feeders are one of their top winter targets. Let's explore what you can do to get rid of raccoons and keep them out of your feeders in the future. Keep in mind that DIY deterrents and gadgets are rarely all that effective, but Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control offers legal and permanent raccoon removal services in the GTA.

Why Raccoons Are Attracted to Bird Feeders

• Food Availability
  Spilled seeds and suet provide the high-calorie nutrition that raccoons need to survive the winter. Both black-oil and striped sunflower seeds are among their favorites. On that note, you might also fin squirrel and skunk visitors around your bird feeder.
  
  
• Easy Access
  Raccoons are agile climbers and can easily reach most bird feeders, poles, or decks.
  
  
• Nighttime Feeding
  Unlike birds, raccoons are active at night, so there's no competition around the feeder and the mess you find in the morning may well signal a raccoon visit.
  
  
• Smell and Habits
  Raccoons have an excellent sense of smell that can lead them to your bird feeder. And once they find a reliable food source, they keep returning.

How Raccoons Cause Problems Around Bird Feeders

• Damage:
  • Bending poles, breaking feeders, and tearing mounts.
  • Damaging nearby deck railings or roof gutters while climbing.
    
    
• Health risks:
  • Droppings on patios and decks contain roundworm and other pathogens.
  • Risk of contamination near outdoor furniture and children’s play areas.
    
    
• Secondary infestation risks:
  • Raccoons attracted to feeders often explore nearby attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces for shelter.
  • Bird feeders act as “gateway attractants” leading to full property infestations.
    
    

Recognizing Raccoon Activity Around Your Bird Feeder

• Feeder emptied overnight.
• Tracks or muddy paw prints on decks or railings.
• Torn suet cages or feeder poles bent.
• Scattered seeds and droppings under the feeder.
• Noises at night near decks or walls.
  
  

Pro Tip: Inspect your feeders early in the morning for signs of nocturnal visitors.

Do you have a raccoon problem? If so, you are not alone—raccoons are notoriously clever and agile creatures who can quickly make their way into seemingly inaccessible areas of your home. Whether it’s the roof or a window that has been left open, they know how to get in.

But instead of resigning yourself to months of trying to remove them after they already got access, why not focus on preventing them from entering in the first place? In this blog post, we'll be going over some effective ways for you to raccoon-proof your home and keep those pesky critters out for good.

As temperatures drop below freezing and natural foraging is inhibited by snow and ice, raccoons enter a state of prolonged periods of sleep (called torpor), turning attics and crawlspaces into highly sought-after survival shelters.

There is a persistent myth of "it's ok to wait until spring" and that raccoons merely hibernate and will leave on their own accord once the worst of winter is over. In this article, we will discuss why this is approach would be greatly misguided and potentially very costly. Raccoons neither hibernate, nor necessarily move out with warmer weather.

When it comes to humane animal control, the time to act is the minute you discover raccoons in your home - Call Hawkeye Bird & Animal Controlat once.

What Actually Happens to Raccoons in GTA Winters

Raccoons Do Not Hibernate

Instead, they enter short periods of torpor. This is a state of reduced activity that involves lowered metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, and reduced movement to conserve energy during periods of food scarcity and extreme cold.

Raccoons Are in Desperate Need of Warm Shelter

Cold snaps force raccoons to seek heat-retaining structures, preferably near food and water sources. During Ontario's harsh winter months, raccoons invade:

• Attics, crawlspaces, basements
• Utility rooms, boiler rooms
• Mechanical and service corridors
  
  

The modern, urban raccoon's chance of winter survival is actually much higher than its cousin's out in the woods. Both, residential and commercial buildings provide adequate shelter and often easily raided trash bins or dumpsters, bird feeders or outdoor pet food and water bowls. Additionally, larger predators (i.e., coyotes) often avoid areas with frequent human traffic and pose less of a threat to raccoons.

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.

Did you know that Toronto has been dubbed the ‘Raccoon Capitol of the World’? Estimates put Toronto’s raccoon population well over 100,000. Originally from the tropics, raccoons have slowly migrated north and can now be found all over North America - as far north as Alaska, as well as in Europe and even Japan. In fact, Japan is bemoaning many ancient temples being destroyed by raccoons. Raccoons are highly adaptive, both in terms of habitat and food. Scientists have studied raccoons for decades and still aren’t close to fully understanding raccoon behavior. Raccoons are intelligent and highly skilled when it comes to raiding your garbage or gaining entry into your home. Learn how to prevent raccoons from accessing your home or failing that, remove them.

Greater Toronto Area residents may come nose to nose with a raccoon or five more so now, during the fall months, than most other times of year. And while you may be sympathetic to the animals seeking shelter for the upcoming winter months, you definitely do not want that shelter be in your home, shed, or under your deck or roof.