Raccoon problem? We help remove raccoons in Kansas City, Missouri.
Many people think that raccoons are cute with their ringed tails and masked faces, but don’t let them fool you – they cause a lot of trouble for homeowners and business owners alike.
They can carry diseases and are often destructive when they hang around your home or get in your attic. If you suspect that you have raccoons in your attic or that they’re causing problems in other parts of your property, do not try to handle them on your own.
Controlling Raccoons
As a full-service wildlife removal company serving the Kansas City Metro area, we will inspect your home or property for any signs of a raccoon infestation. Once we safely remove them, we will ensure they stay gone for good.
Facts About Raccoons
Raccoons are commonly seen in and around the St. Louis & St. Louis City area. Weighing anywhere from 7 to 23 pounds, they are fuzzy little critters with bushy ringed tails and a black mask across their eyes. While they look cute and cuddly, they can be quite fearsome when approached.
Raccoons have five toes with short curved claws on all four paws, enabling them to climb effortlessly and manipulate objects. They also have excellent eyesight in the dark, so you may see them scurrying around at night.
They can adapt to almost any climate and live in a wide range of habitats. They prefer to make their dens in trees or caves, but if they find a human structure they like, they will move in. When they cause trouble for homeowners, they decide to move into the attic or garage. They are incredibly destructive and can be vicious when approached.
During the winter months, raccoons can exhibit different behaviors because they are not true hibernators. They do stay active year-round. However, you may see fewer of them in the winter because many of them store up body fat in the spring and summer, so they can spend most of their time sleeping in their dens.
Raccoon Damage & Disease
Raccoons are very intelligent creatures and have good memories. Unfortunately, this means they are more likely to keep coming around your home as long as there’s a food supply. While they prefer fish, insects, berries, fruit, and nuts, they eat anything humans eat. This is one of the main reasons you’ll see them rummaging through your trash can or eating everything in your garden.
However, raccoons are not wild animals you want scavaging around your home and property. If they find your attic or garage a safe and cozy place to live, they’ll move in and bring a host of problems.
First, raccoons are seriously destructive! This is due to their intelligence, curiosity, agility, and climbing skills. They are destructive by nature and can destroy almost anything. They will tear up insulation, chew on wires, rip apart air ducts, chew through roofing materials, and anything else they feel like destroying. In addition to all the destruction, they urinate and poop everywhere, which is a biohazard.
Second, raccoons are known to carry diseases. The most common diseases include:
Rabies
Roundworms
Leptospirosis
Salmonellosis
Giardiasis
We recommend raccoon removal immediately for all of these reasons as soon as you realize you have a raccoon problem.
Signs You Have Raccoons in Your Attic
Your attic might provide a raccoon with a warm and dry place to live. Female raccoons often sneak into an attic when they want a good place to raise their babies. If you suspect you have one or more raccoons living in your attic, you need to act immediately.
Some signs that you have raccoons in your attic include:
You hear something walking around your attic – Raccoons can weigh as much as 23 pounds, so if there’s a raccoon up there, you will likely hear them walking around. Squirrels, rats, and mice scurry around too, but they are smaller and typically don’t make the kind of noise raccoons do.
Visible damage – Raccoons have sharp teeth and claws, and they can claw and chew on wood beams, insulation, wiring, HVAC components, roofing tiles, and drywall. They can cause noticeable damage to your attic’s floors, walls, and ceilings in a relatively short period.
Droppings and the smell of urine – If you have raccoons living in your attic, they will leave droppings and urine everywhere. If you look in your attic and notice either problem right away, it’s essential to get a pest control company to check it out. Raccoon droppings and urine can carry diseases, so do not attempt to clean it up yourself.
Raccoon sightings – It’s not uncommon to see raccoons getting into your trashcan or running around on your property. But have you seen them climbing up or down your downspout or running around on your roof? The fact is, if you see raccoons on your property, they could be in your attic.
Removing Raccoons in Your Attic
If you have raccoons in your attic, do not try to remove them yourself! If you have them in your attic during their mating season, it’s likely a mother raccoon with her babies. This makes removing them even more tricky. If the babies are removed first, they may be used to bait her out. But if she doesn’t see that her babies have been removed, it will drive her back into the attic to search for her family, creating even more damage.
At Titan Pest & Wildlife, we are an expert wildlife removal company. We know how to remove raccoons from your attic or property safely.
Attic Clean Up
After we have effectively removed the raccoons from your attic, you will need the area thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Raccoons can leave behind a lot of waste, which causes significant contamination and is a health risk. The main concern is that they’ve left behind large amounts of feces with the risk of transmitting Salmonella or leptospirosis.
Contact Titan Pest & Wildlife
If you have raccoons in your attic or another part of your home or property, do not attempt to remove them yourself. Raccoons are incredibly intelligent animals. They have learned how to adapt to the urban way of life and don’t get scared off easily. So, if you want to make sure they leave your home alone, you need to call in the experts.
