Raccoons have adorable faces and even cuter babies. It is fun to watch raccoons scurry across your yard, wrestle with their own reflection in your window, and fill your social media timeline with memes, but the damage they can cause in your home is anything but fun. If you think it is just a cute, little raccoon, you need to take a moment to understand the amount of damage they can do to your home and the health risks they pose to your family.
Are Raccoons Dangerous?
Raccoons are not generally dangerous, but they can be if they feel threatened. Raccoons are able to carry the rabies virus, the transmission of this virus from raccoon to human or pet is rare, but is still a possibility and should be guarded against. If you or your pets are ever bitten by a raccoon, it is important to seek medical treatment right away.
Raccoons can be aggressive and bite when they are cornered, but the biggest threat is the one they pose to your home.
Raccoons are cute but they can cause damage to your home and possibly your car if it is parked in the garage or sits idle for any length of time. When raccoons enter your home, they can destroy your property, your walls, and your structure, the same can be said for your vehicle.
Do You Have Raccoons?
There are a few signs you should be on the lookout for to know if you have a raccoon problem:
- Trash cans are opened or overturned
- Your garden has been torn up or broken into
- You notice tears in your screens
- Scratching noises are coming from your walls or attic
- You see them scurrying across your yard
How to Get Rid of Raccoons
Prevention techniques include removing your trash cans away from your home, sealing access points into your home, and capping off your chimney and vents. One of the most important ways you can prevent raccoons from coming into your home is to stop making them feel so comfortable by feeding them continually. If you are not feeding them, they will not become dependent upon you, and if they are not dependent upon you they will search in other places to locate a food source.
Once raccoons get comfortable on your property, you cannot get rid of them on your own. You need wildlife control services from Big Blue Bug Solutions in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut.