What to Do if a Raccoon Comes Near You

Do you have a healthy raccoon population in your neighborhood? Whether you have lived there for years or just moved in, it is important to learn how to react to an up close raccoon encounter in the case that it ever happens to you. Continue reading to learn what to do if a raccoon comes near you or your family, whether in the house or outdoors in nature.

Raccoon Removal Company Nashville Tennessee 615-610-0962
Raccoon Removal Company Nashville Tennessee 615-610-0962

Raccoons are Attracted to Food, Water and Shelter

Raccoons are nocturnal, and crepuscular foragers, which means they are primarily active at night, and known to hunt for food right after dusk. Among the many things that stimulate a raccoon’s interest and curiosity, food is generally the number one priority, and the collective driving force behind their fervency to obtain as much of it as possible. This means raccoons will go to any lengths to get a decent belly-full. And since they are highly intelligent, exceptional climbers with dexterous paws, getting access to areas with food is easy for them.

Raccoon Abatement

If you are spotting raccoons on your property, it is time to reevaluate your home. Look for anything that can be a source of food or water for raccoons, including pet food, water dishes, bird baths, squirrel feeders, bird houses, garbage cans, gardens, and outdoor food storage areas. Remove these incentives and raccoons will quickly lose interest in your property.

You can even install motion-sensor lighting and sound machines to scare raccoons away or make a homemade raccoon repellent that is safe and non-lethal. And always be sure to take your garbage cans outside the morning of trash pickup day.

Dead Raccoons and Baby Raccoons

If you find a dead raccoon on your property, contact a Nashville Tennessee critter control company for safe and secure dead animal removal services. Raccoons carry several infectious diseases, whether dead or alive, so it is important to never make contact with them.

If you find baby raccoons on your property, it is important to leave them where they are and let nature take its course. You may also contact a local wildlife rescue organization to have them transported to a faraway habitat where they can safely live out the remainder of the lives.

How to Handle a Raccoon Encounter:

If you happen to experience an up-close encounter with a wild raccoon, be sure to handle the situation safely and humanely. Never attempts to harm, trap, or kill a raccoon under any circumstances, unless of course you are being physically attacked by one. It is common for raccoons to access the inner areas of your home, whether through attic or a doggy door. It is also common to spot raccoons on your property directly after dusk, right before it gets completely dark.

In the House

If you have a raccoon in your house wandering around, do not panic and act carefully. Leave the room, but not before closing all other interior doors and windows to encourage the raccoon to exit the way it came in. If this does not work, try using a long broom to gently usher the raccoon to the exit. But be sure to never corner a raccoon. This will only instigate it to defend itself.

Outdoors

If a raccoon approaches you outside, always stand up (if sitting down) and make yourself appear larger. So, this by standing tall and waving your arms up and down. You can also yell or holler to scare it away. Sometimes, people even use hose water to fend raccoons off. But this can be harmful to the raccoon and is not recommended.

Teach Children About Animal Safety

It is also important to teach children how to react to a raccoon encounter, explaining how they are dangerous and should be left alone. Tell them why raccoons live in the areas and what to do if they ever see one. Teach them to yell, “Go away raccoon!” if they ever encounter one close-by. Their screams will let adults know there are raccoons present, thus allowing them to manage the situation effectively.

Looking for a trusted wildlife removal and control service in your area? 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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Nashville Tennessee Animal Removal
Nashville Tennessee Animal Removal 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