When most people think of raccoons, they may have an image of a cute, furry, masked animal, not a trash-eating, home-invading nuisance whose sharp claws and human-like hands can be highly destructive.

Raccoon removal from attics is a common complaint called into pest control companies because females like to seek shelter when they are about to give birth, usually during February through May.

Trapping raccoons for removal is not easy, especially when there is a whole brood to remove, so when signs of raccoon home invasions are spotted, call a professional to be safe.

Raccoons are one of the most common nuisance animals because they are scavengers and have thrived and adapted very well to life in urban and suburban areas. There are a number of preventative steps that can be taken by home and business owners to avoid raccoon damage.

On trash night, place trash in closed containers, not unprotected plastic trash bags. Seal entry points into the home where a raccoon might gain access to an attic, crawl space, shed or garage. Putting refuse out the morning on trash day rather than at night and securing pet or wildlife food are also easy preventative measures. These steps can help discourage foraging near homes and businesses. Keep in mind, raccoons tend to seek shelter close to convenient sources of food.

When raccoons gain entrance to a home or business, they can cause a lot of damage. They claw their way into tight spaces, nest there, poop and urinate, which causes unsanitary living conditions.

Most people rarely spot a raccoon because they are primarily nocturnal, but if they are living in an attic or crawl space, there will likely be daytime sightings, noises in the night and evidence like footprints, pried open crevices and droppings. Hearing a trash can knocked over in the night or seeing torn up trash bags is a sure sign there is a raccoon in the neighborhood that could be using a nearby attic as a shelter. Raccoons, especially pregnant females, will seek a warm dry place to give birth in late winter or early spring. Make sure it is not your home.

Raccoons can be aggressive when defending their territory and young. Trapping a raccoon can be difficult and is best left to professionals because raccoons are one of many wild animals that can be rabid. They also carry canine distemper. Their droppings may contain roundworm spores that can infect humans.

Since raccoons use their sharp claws to pry open narrow entry points, homeowners should be observant of these signs of raccoon activity. Bent aluminum siding, torn up attic insulation and fecal matter can make raccoon removal and preventative repairs necessary.

Once a raccoon has gained entry to a home, hiring a professional raccoon removal service is a wise course of action. It is safer for the homeowner. Professionals will take preventative steps to avoid future infestations, take care of tedious clean ups and humanely remove the animal, keeping the home safe, secure and clean.

Has your house been taken over by animals? Wildlife control services available providing more than raccoon removal Oakville and raccoon removal Brantford. Humane Wildlife Control Inc. 297 Brucedale Avenue East, Hamilton, ON L9A 1R2, Canada (877) 222-9453

Has your house been taken over by animals? Wildlife control services available providing more than raccoon removal Oakville and raccoon removal Brantford.Humane Wildlife Control Inc. 297 Brucedale Avenue East, Hamilton, ON L9A 1R2, Canada (877) 222-9453 http://www.humanewildlifecontrol.com

Author Bio: Has your house been taken over by animals? Wildlife control services available providing more than raccoon removal Oakville and raccoon removal Brantford. Humane Wildlife Control Inc. 297 Brucedale Avenue East, Hamilton, ON L9A 1R2, Canada (877) 222-9453

Category: Pets
Keywords: animals, widlife, humane, humanity, safety, pets