What To Do About Raccoon Damage in Florida

Raccoons are a common sight in both rural and urban areas throughout Florida. It’s not uncommon to hear one or more of the furry animals looking for food in your trash or even tearing up your garden. They can also get into your attic or roof, especially if the raccoon is a nesting female. They can tear insulation, open holes in your walls, damage your roof, and make your home sound truly terrible. If they get into your air or heating system, they can cause some very serious damage to it. If a raccoon or a litter of them die in your home due to disease or accident, the smell will infiltrate your entire house.

If you’ve noticed a raccoon hanging around at your home and are concerned that it’s caused damage, what should you do about it?

Look for signs of damage at access points to your home, especially vents. Areas, where tree branches hang near your house, are particularly likely to become raccoon access points. Pay attention to your pets. They will probably smell any intruding raccoon and will act especially alert inside your home when they should usually be relaxed. You may start to notice a terrible smell, as well as stains on your ceiling or walls. A telltale sign of raccoons in your house are scratches, thumps, chirps, and even purring noises coming from the ceiling. You’ll probably hear these noises at night. There may be scratch marks in areas they’ve been using to climb to their nest, like porch railings or downspouts. If you’re noticing the raccoons, they have probably been there long enough to cause at least toxic damage, if not structural damage.

If you hear raccoon babies, don’t feel like you’re being cruel by getting the raccoons removed. Raccoon damage to your home can be very bad, and you won’t be doing them any favors by leaving them in place. A raccoon mother may die while foraging or her access point might collapse, resulting in the slow starvation of her young.

Also, remember that raccoons carry a number of diseases, including rabies. Having them spending time near and in your home is a risk for yourself, your family, your pets, and any wild animals in the area. Pest control services focus on removing raccoons humanely and relocating them somewhere away from human activity, which is safer for both them and us.

After we’ve helped you remove the raccoons from your home and repair the damage, make sure you follow proper landscape maintenance to keep them away. Trim back any tree branches near your house. Repair holes in walls and vents, no matter how small. You may want to block off access to your chimney with a sturdy mesh. Wild raccoons are more fur than fat and they can fit into spaces smaller than you think. Motion activated lights will also help keep them away. Raccoon-proof your trash cans with snugly fitting lids. Keep pet food inside, since raccoons see outdoor food as a free feast.