Raccoons are certainly cute and funny members of the wildlife family, but it is a good idea to take a refresher course on raccoons and the dangers of having them take residence in your home.
After breeding season, normally December through February, females look for places that will offer protection for their young to be born. Birthing can take place 66 days after breeding and can yield an average of 3-4 young during March, April or June. Females will find any small opening and wiggle in to provide a defendable area to raise her young.
In a nutshell it is wise to seal openings so mother coon cannot take up residence. These openings may include soffits, holes in gables or siding or openings in crawlspaces that wildlife can enter. Not only are raccoons destructive to the structure of your home, but they can also cause damage to wiring along with contamination to insulation and other areas of the home from feces left behind. Building out unwanted guests is certainly cheaper than dealing with a nuisance animal pest that decides to live with you.
A raccoon eats a variety of foods which includes fish, frogs, small animals, and even fruits and vegetables. In the city and urban areas, they are very attracted to pet food left out overnight and trash and garbage that is not secured in a container with a secure lid. Be aware that raccoons can enter your home through doggie doors and help themselves to food and make a real mess in the meantime.
Raccoons are not clean animals. There is a misconception that they wash their food before eating but that just is not true. The paws of a raccoon are very sensitive making their sense of touch one of the most important senses. Wetting the paws enhances the raccoons touch making it possible to “feel “what is good and what is not good to eat. Along creeks and rivers, the raccoon uses its unique sense of touch to feel out crayfish or mussels to eat.
Need some advice on how to protect your home and property from nuisance wildlife pests? Feel free to call our office to talk about possibilities on how to be proactive in your approach to unwanted wildlife.