Raccoons can do several things with their paws including uncovering the garbage bin. They are also witty in learning to stay in areas inhabited by people and fit in. Some people are not happy with this idea of them living around people. This is because once these animals become used to being around people, they can become problematic.

Raccoons are generally nocturnal by nature so they are rarely seen during the day. They can be destructive both in and outside the house. They can make their place of dwelling in the attic and even chimneys such that you will need to do something to eliminate them for they will have become a nuisance. They will also increase the litter in your home with their feces and smell from their urine.

Wild animals are unpredictable because there is a barrier of communication. We cannot relate to the animals, just as they cannot understand, comprehend, or relate to us. This makes them dangerous. Wild raccoons are no different. As a wild animal, they can become aggressive if they feel threatened, or if they are defending their nest. Raccoons have paws that are similar to human hands, except they have long sharp claws that help them with hunting, climbing, and self-defense. They can use these claws to scratch and injure humans and other animals. This is why it is so risky approaching a raccoon in the wild. If they are scared, they are likely to attack.

Raccoons Carry Infectious Diseases

Raccoons can also bite, which is not a good situation considering they are carriers of multiple contagious diseases. Raccoons can pass along bacterial and viral illnesses to humans and outdoor pets if they bite. Their saliva and urine are huge danger zones for disease. For dogs, both diseases are fatal, which is why vaccinations are so important. One of the most common is raccoon roundworm. Rabies, Distemper, Giardia, and Leptospirosis are other fatal and severe diseases that can be transmitted by raccoon droppings or urine. Raccoon droppings look very similar to a canine’s deposits. Most often, they also contain undigested berries. This is generally a tale-tell sign of raccoon feces. The feces can also create airborne spores that, if inhaled, can be transmitted or cause serious respiratory problems, like Histoplasmosis. Other diseases include Canine Hepatitis, Parvo, and Leptospirosis.

Raccoons may look harmless, but don’t be deceived. These bandits are actually very dangerous, especially to your pets.They can be unpredictable and attack you or another person, or child, and cause permanent damages.

Many of us have been there-you are lying in bed at night trying to go to sleep, and you hear a thump in the attic, followed by the scamper of little feet. It can even sometimes sound like an entire herd of elephants running around in your attic. “What is that?”, you wonder. Is it aliens in your attic? While it is probably not aliens in your attic, it sure sounds like it sometimes. The most likely culprit for the noises in your attic are raccoons, and they can cause extensive damage if you don’t get rid of them, and fast.

Raccoons are notorious for finding their way into areas which are dark, woody, and with a lot of places to hide. Your attic can be the ideal location for raccoons to bed down, create nests, and even deliver litters of baby raccoons. They can often get in directly through damage in your roof, or they can find places in your eaves, vents, or chimney to get into the attic. Once they have made their home in your attic, they can cause extensive damage. Raccoons are mischief makers by nature, and will figure out ways to open latches, shred fabric, and urinate and defecate everywhere.

The most effective means of removing raccoons from the attic is prevention. Make sure all attic windows are closed and locked, inspect yearly for weak spots in your roof and holes in your eaves. Check to make sure there are no cracks, holes, or any other places for raccoons to get in and take up residence in your attic. If they are already there, there are a number of ways of removing raccoons from the attic.

The best way to remove raccoons from the attic inexpensively is to set traps. You can contact your local animal control agency and ask them for “have a heart” traps. These are small cages, which you can bait and trap a raccoon in without injuring it. Once you have caught the raccoon (or raccoons), contact animal control to have them removed from your attic safely. Animal control will most likely relocate the raccoons to a place where they are unlikely to find their ways back into your attic.

If there are too many raccoons, or you can’t seem to capture them with the traps, you may want to consider contacting a professional exterminator. They will come into your home, assess the situation, and find a way to remove the animals in the most humane way possible.

Once all of the raccoons are removed from your attic, you will need to do repair and maintenance work. You will need to make sure there are no other ways for the raccoons to re-enter your home, and do regular inspections to keep your home pest-free.