Outsmarting Raccoons: Your Ultimate Guide to Raccoon Control

Raccoons, those masked marauders of the night, can be quite the nuisance. Known for their dexterity and intelligence, they often rummage through garbage cans and invade homes, causing a significant amount of trouble for homeowners. While they may seem cute and harmless, raccoons can spread diseases and cause substantial property damage.

In this blog post, we will explore effective strategies for raccoon control, from preventative measures, like using raccoon repellents, to proactive solutions like expert raccoon removal. Join us as we unravel the secrets to outsmarting these clever critters, ensuring your home remains a raccoon-free zone.

Call 615-610-0962 For Raccoon Control in Nashville Tennessee
Call 615-610-0962 For Raccoon Control in Nashville Tennessee

Prevention Strategies: How to Keep Raccoons Away

The best way to deal with raccoons is to prevent their presence in the first place. Here are some tips for keeping raccoons away from your home and property:

Secure garbage containers, as these creatures are drawn to food sources. Make sure all lids are properly sealed and that the cans are placed away from structures like decks or sheds.

Keep pet food dishes indoors, as raccoons will devour whatever they can get their hands on.

Trim back trees and shrubs since these provide excellent hideouts for raccoons.

If you have a pool, make sure to cover it when not in use to prevent raccoons from venturing into the water.

Install motion sensor lights or other deterrents (such as ultrasonic sound emitters) around your property to scare away any unwanted visitors.

Use a natural raccoon repellent, such as ammonia, putrescent egg, menthol oil, capsaicin oil, or predator urine, to send a message that this area is off-limits.

When Prevention Fails: Professional Raccoon Removal

If prevention strategies fail, it may be time to enlist the help of a professional Richmond TN raccoon removal service. These experts will come to your home and use humane methods to safely remove any unwanted guests from your property. They are also knowledgeable about local laws and regulations, so you can rest assured that your raccoons will be removed in an ethical manner.

Raccoon Proof Your Home: Steps to Take After Removal

Once the raccoon removal process is complete, it’s important to take steps to ensure they don’t come back. Here are some tips for creating a raccoon-proof home:

Repair any areas of your home that may have been damaged by the raccoons, such as holes in roofs, chimneys, or walls.

Install heavy-duty mesh screens on windows and vents to prevent future intrusions.

Secure outdoor garbage cans with locks or clasps to make sure they can’t be opened.

Trim back overhanging branches from trees near your property to eliminate any potential access points.

Seal up any cracks or crevices in your home with caulk or expanding foam insulation, as these can be used by raccoons to gain entrance into your house.

Outsmarting raccoons takes time, effort, and patience, but it is possible to keep them away from your home and property. By implementing preventative measures, using natural repellents, and enlisting the help of a professional raccoon removal service when needed, you can ensure your home remains raccoon-free.

Frequently Asked Questions about Raccoon Control

Below are some common commonly asked questions and answers that homeowners have about dealing with nuisance raccoons:

Q: Are raccoons dangerous?
A: While raccoons may seem harmless, they can carry diseases like rabies and roundworm. They can also cause significant property damage if they gain access to your home. It’s important to be cautious when dealing with these creatures, as they are wild animals.

Q: Can I use poison to get rid of raccoons?
A: Poison is not a recommended approach if you want to get rid of raccoons, as it can be hazardous to other animals and even people if ingested. It’s best to use prevention methods or hire a professional raccoon removal service instead.

Q: How long does it take to get rid of raccoons?
A: This will depend on the severity of the infestation and how proactive you are in dealing with it. The process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the situation.

Conclusion

Raccoons can be quite pesky if not dealt with correctly. However, by using these tips for raccoon control and staying vigilant, you can keep these crafty critters away from your home and property. Remember to use preventative measures, employ natural repellents, and hire a professional raccoon removal service if needed. With the right strategies in place, you can outsmart the raccoons and enjoy a peaceful, pest-free living environment.

We hope this blog post has been helpful and given you the confidence to take charge of your coon issue. For licensed and insured raccoon removal and control in Nashville, Tennessee, don’t hesitate to contact Smoky Wildlife Control today. We also serve the Clarksville, TN area and surrounding counties, plus provide free estimates and advice.

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Essential Facts About Nuisance Raccoons

Raccoons can cause a lot of trouble for both home and business owners. Their high level of intelligence gives them an advantage in the scavenger world, while their dexterous, human-like paws give them the ability to grip, grasp, pry, and pull. These attributes make them the perfect storm in terms of residential and commercial pests.

If you are currently dealing with a nuisance raccoon problem or have noticed in increase in raccoon visits on your property or in your community, it is important to take the right precautions and implement the most responsible protections.

Continue reading to learn some basic facts about raccoons that will help you better understand their behaviors and give you the tools necessary to raccoon-proof your property against tampering and intrusions.

Raccoon Control Nashville Tennessee 615-610-0962
Raccoon Control Nashville Tennessee 615-610-0962

Information About Raccoon Pests

What They Look Like

Raccoons come in all different sizes, shapes, colors, and more, depending on which region of the world they are from. Here in the Smoky Mountain region, the Common raccoon is usually a combination of muted colors, including gray, brown, white, and black. They have large, furry tails that are striped with black rings. Aside from their ringed tails, their most distinguishable trait is a black patch of fur around their eyes that resembles a burglar’s mask. Raccoon offspring are born without ring tails and black mask, as these traits develop as they get older. At full maturity, an adult raccoon is similar in size to a large house cat and weighs between 15 to 40 pounds.

Where They Live

Raccoons, like most mammals in Tennessee, prefer to live near water sources and forested areas. They will make their dens inside hollow trees or brush piles, or simply use dens that were previously dug by other animals. In populated areas, raccoons are known to use residential and commercial properties as a means of shelter. Attics, basements, garages, porches, crawl spaces, and roofs are some common areas where raccoons are found. They can cause an extreme amount of damage, which is why this behavior has classified them as a nuisance animal in these areas.

How They Behave

To each other, raccoons will chirp, purr, and grunt as a means of communication. In situations where raccoons feel threatened or scared, they will often hiss, snort, and growl. Many people assume raccoons in Tennessee are dangerous, but they will not attack unless they are sick, nursing young, or provoked in some way. In everyday life, raccoons are nocturnal, so they are only active at night. During active hours, they often hunt for food, but certain times of the year, they will also be on the lookout for warmer shelters. As mentioned earlier, they have highly dexterous paws and sharp claws, which gives them amazing climbing abilities. You will often spot raccoons high up in trees, on roofs, and more.

What They Eat

Raccoons are omnivores just like us. They eat animals, plants, legumes, and more. The most common foods eaten by raccoons in Tennessee include eggs, clams, fish, snails, beetles, insects, larva, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and even small birds and amphibians. In populated areas, raccoons are known to love pet food and garbage, so be careful leaving your trashcans out overnight. If you watch a raccoon eating near a body of water, it will look as though they are “washing” their meal, but really, they are just using their highly sensitive paws to better identify whatever it is they are about to eat.

When They Breed

Raccoons generally mate in the early spring, so you can expect late spring and early summer births. Female raccoons have a short gestation period, around 60 days, and can birth anywhere from one to five pups at a time. Raccoon babies are called “kits”, or more informally, “pups.” Pups stay with their mothers until the next spring, in which time they have learned to climb, feed, and care for themselves.

Why They are a Nuisance

Because of their high intelligence, climbing skills, and human-like paws that can grab hold of anything, raccoons are consequently a highly-destructive animal. They are known to dig up lawns in search of grubs, pillage chicken coops, destroy gardens and potted plants, pry open porch boards for access below, rip off roof shingles and siding, and much more. But above all else, they are most notorious for causing a large mess out of trashcans and dumpster containers. They will even eat pet food and livestock feed. These raccoon damages are more than just structural and costly, they are also a safety and health risk.

How to Get Rid of Them

If you have a nuisance raccoon problem in the Tennessee or Smoky Mountain regions, act now and hire a professional operator for safe critter control assistance. Contact Smoky Wildlife Control at 615-610-0962 for affordable raccoon removal services in Nashville, Tennessee and its surrounding counties. We provide residential and commercial work.

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Are Raccoon Damages Expensive to Repair?

Raccoons are known to be nuisances to residential and commercial property owners. Their natural instincts and behaviors are detrimental to the landscaping, structural makeup, cleanliness, and functionality of any property. The cost to repair the destruction they leave in their wake can certainly add up. Raccoon damages can be very expensive and time consuming to fix, especially if nuisance raccoon activity is not thwarted quickly. 

It is important to remove raccoons as soon as they pose a problem to your property. Animal-proofing against future raccoon intrusions is equally important and a critical step to protecting your property against wildlife tampering, activity, and damages.

Continue below to learn just how destructive raccoons can be to a home or building, plus what you can do to solve your nuisance Nashville, TN raccoon problems, safely and within a reasonable budget.

Raccoon Removal Critter Control Nashville Tennessee 615-610-0962
Raccoon Removal Critter Control Nashville Tennessee 615-610-0962

Common Forms of Raccoon Destruction

Raccoons Will Tear Up Lawns and Gardens

Raccoons like to dig up yards in the fall for grubs and other meaty insects. This can look appalling, as well as, cost a lot of money to put back together. Sod and landscaping work is costly, and without figuring out a way to thwart raccoons from entering your grounds, the money is wasted. Once you fix the grass and flora, the raccoons will just come right back and do it again. This is where raccoon prevention methods come in handy.

Structural Damages Caused By Raccoons

Another common area raccoons tend to destroy is the structural makeup of a home or building. As strong climbers, raccoons can make it on top of roofs, into gutters, squeeze through crevices, and even find entry points to get inside. From there, the damages can be endless.  Roof shingles are torn off, gutters stripped, attics defecated, electrical wiring chewed through, urine saturation, and so much more.  It is common for raccoon droppings and birthing debris to cause intense found odors to seep into living areas of a home or building. Ceilings become urine stained, and odors are hard to get rid of. This alone can lead to entire drywall and ceiling renovation project.

Professional Raccoon Control and Abatement

Raccoon control is crucial for anyone who owns a property near wooded and forested areas. It is also important for any properties that spot raccoons more than once per week. A professional raccoon removal company in Nashville retains the proper training, tools, resources, knowledge, and equipment to extract raccoons from a home or property and implement preventative maintenance strategies to prevent their return. Talk to a Nashville wildlife control expert about how to get rid of raccoons on your property for accurate answers and advice from a professional source.

Are you in need of professional intervention for a nuisance raccoon problem? Contact Smoky Wildlife Control at 615-610-0962 for TWRA licensed raccoon removal in Nashville, Tennessee. We serve residential and commercial clients all throughout Middle Tennessee and its surrounding counties.

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Smoky Wildlife Control Nashville Tennessee
Smoky Wildlife Control Nashville Tennessee 615-610-0962

What You Need to Know About Raccoons in the Attic

Raccoons are clever and sneaky critters we must control. They are intelligent and agile, which makes them especially good at breaking into our homes, particularly the attic. Attics provide warmth, privacy, and ease of access, which is why they are a common target for raccoons and even other types of wildlife, such as bats, squirrels, and chipmunks. If you have tall trees near your roof, live in a one-level home, or located near forests or wooded areas, your property is certainly on the list of potential raccoon activity.

For this reason, you do not want to let your attic become a raccoon den. It is important to stay on top of attic inspections to ensure it is pest-free. Not only will raccoons cause immediate damage to your house, but the longer they are in your attic, the worse those damages get, and thus, more costly and invasive to repair.

Continue reading to learn what to do if you discover or suspect that you have raccoons in your attic, as well as who you can trust with prompt and professional raccoon removal and infestation cleanup service in Nashville, Tennessee.

Don’t Let Nuisance Raccoons Destroy Your Valuable Attic Space

You Do Not Want Raccoons in the Attic

Raccoons typically dwell within dens or hollow trees, where they hibernate for the winter and breed in the spring. They feed and nest their young and use these spaces as their homes.  Due to over-construction and new development, raccoons are being forced to find shelter among our residential and commercial neighborhoods. This is why raccoons are being discovered in garages, sheds, crawl spaces, and attics all over the U.S. They can squeeze through tiny openings in rooftops, siding, and cellars. Raccoons use these entrances to gain access to the dark, isolated, cozy spots within our homes; the most popular space being the attic.

Raccoons are a very serious problem to have because they create huge messes that lead to costly repairs and restorations for homeowners. They chew through electrical wiring, rip down insulation, saturate the area with urine and feces, and much more. The degree of damages depends on the length of time they were living in the attic. Sometimes, the attic dry wall and insulation can become so saturated that it can begin to leak through the ceilings in the main living spaces of the home. It is also known to create unpleasant odors in these same areas.

Hire a Professional Nashville Animal Removal Service

If you notice signs that you may have raccoons living in your attic, then contact a professional Nashville critter control company for emergency raccoon removal services. Common signs of raccoons in the attic include squeaking and scratching noises, lingering indoor odors, wall and ceiling stains, animal scat around the outside of the house, rummaged gardens or trashcans, and related pest infestations like lice, fleas, and ants. You see, a licensed Nashville critter control company can get rid of raccoons in the attic, clean up and decontaminate the mess, and then restore any structural damages they left behind.

Do you think you might have a nuisance raccoon problem in or around your place?  Contact Smoky Wildlife Control at 615-610-0962 for prompt and professional emergency raccoon removal in Nashville, Tennessee. We serve both residential and commercial clients.

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Smoky Wildlife Control Nashville Tennessee
Smoky Wildlife Control Nashville Tennessee 615-610-0962