Raccoon Removal Burlington Oakville OntarioRaccoons are very clever and persistent nuisances when they’re after food or shelter. Keeping this in mind is one of the most important things you can do when protecting your property from raccoon damage. Here are a few things to look for when determining if your property has been affected by raccoon damage, followed by some preventative measure that can be taken.

1. Shingles and Siding That are Torn Off

If a raccoon wants to enjoy the shelter of your home for them self, they’ll take advantage of any weak points of entry, including loose shingles and ill-fitting siding. Look for any signs of forced entry.

2. Raccoon Damage to Food Crops

Raccoons are fond of melons, peas, and strawberries – and their low height makes them easy for raccoons to reach. They will dig up potatoes. They will also climb up your corn stalks, breaking them as they strip off the husks to gobble up the sweet cobs.

3. Killed Poultry

Raccoons will eat meat, and your poultry can be very tempting to a hungry raccoon. They can damage the mesh wire fencing as they reach through it to grope at your birds, or worse, break it down altogether once they discover a weak point. They have even been successful at killing large birds such as turkeys! If raccoons are attacking your birds, the results will not be neat and tidy. You’ll notice carcasses with bites and chewed feathers, bruises, tears to their neck or breasts, and even missing heads.

4. Garbage Tossed and Scattered All Over

Raccoons love to scavenge in people’s garbage, looking for tasty treats left behind. If you wake up in the morning to find your garbage scattered all over the place, it might not be human vandals, but a mischievous raccoon!

Confirming Whether or Not Raccoon Damage is the Cause

If you suspect that raccoons are getting in through holes in a fence or other barrier, note that fully grown raccoons require at least 4 inches of space to squeeze through, and very young ones can squeeze through smaller 3-inch gaps.

Look for the footprints – raccoon prints are very distinct. They look a lot like human baby footprints or handprints.

Look for their droppings too. Raccoons tend to be creatures of habit when it comes to relieving themselves, preferring to return to the same place over and over again. Their solid waste is usually tube-shaped, containing the remains of whatever they’ve been eating.

Raccoon damage to sod usually consists of shredded or rolled up bits of it, unlike other nuisance animals which may only dig holes.

Lastly, raccoons are nocturnal, so generally speaking, if the damage occurs primarily during the daytime, your problem is likely not a raccoon.

How to Prevent Raccoon Damage

First, ensure that your home and property is properly secured. Complete regular inspections of your home’s exterior to ensure that your siding is free of loose pieces, your soffits are firmly attached, and that you don’t have any shingles flapping in the wind.

If you keep animals such as birds on your property, keep them in a secure place at night.

And lastly, stay on top of cleaning up any food that might attract them (including pet food), and secure your garbage cans by locking them or putting a heavy weight on the lid.

Don’t bother with the purchase of repellants – none have been shown to be effective, so odds are you’d be wasting your money by purchasing them.

One thing that is never a waste of money is calling a professional wildlife removal expert to help you with deterring, and removing raccoons from your property.

 

If you’re in the Burlington, Oakville, Milton or Waterdown areas – contact Halton Widlife Services today for helpful tips and help to get rid of nuisance raccoons or other animals!