Raccoon Removal

Humane Raccoon Removal and Prevention in Austin, TX

Raccoon Removal and Prevention

Raccoons are medium-sized mammals native to North America, omnivorous, and most closely related to bears. Typically, they live two to three years and weigh 15 to 25 pounds. Some homeowners live peacefully with these creatures, while others are bothered by pesky raccoons that get into their garbage cans or menace their pets.

Is There a Humane Way to Get Rid of Raccoons?

Yes! Kind raccoon removal is very possible –  if it’s done right!

Relocating a raccoon or any wild animal isn’t guaranteed to be humane. Consider that the animal is taken out of its home environment, and moved to a new location. When relocated, it may end up competing with existing raccoons for water, food territory, and shelter spots. However, if done correctly, the relocated animal has a better chance to thrive.

 

At YardDoc, we use humane traps that are inspected daily in order to quickly relocate the animal and cause the least distress. We introduce the raccoon into an area that has adequate space, available year-round water, and sufficient food supplies. We avoid relocating families with kits (babies), suggesting you wait until the family is mobile. Sometimes we are asked to relocate abandoned kits. In that case, we take the animals to a wildlife rescue shelter as they are too young to survive on their own.

Signs You May Have Raccoons on Your Property

  • Seeing raccoons! Well, that’s obvious, but in many instances, people don’t see raccoons on their property despite them being there.
  • If you are seeing raccoons frequently, then they are probably nesting on or near to your property.
  • Trash cans that have been scrummaged through at night and pieces of trash dispersed around your property.
  • Seeing raccoon scat or foot prints.
  • Damage that creates holes greater than 4” across in siding, soffits, roofing materials, or underneath the foundation.
  • Sod that is dug up and peeled back.

What Attracts Raccoons?

Raccoons, like most other critters, will find your property attractive if it has available water, food and a place to shelter.

  • Water: Standing water outdoors is all they need. This could be a pond, bird bath, pet food dish, or open water storage container.
  • Food: Trash is the most common food attractant for raccoons. Another one is pet food that is left out overnight. But it can also be fruit or nuts fallen from trees, grubs from a composting source, or a lawn and flower beds that contain an abundance of grubs.
  • Shelter: Raccoons will seek spots that provide shelter from rain and wind, that are warm and quiet. Raccoons will often take shelter in the crawl space under a building or in an attic.

 

They are also known to shelter under piles of wood, tarpaulins covering boats, etc. and outbuildings or sheds that are not frequented.

 

YardDoc’s Raccoon removal service involves relocation as well as addressing these issues to help prevent future critter control problems.

How to Make Your Property Less Attractive to Raccoons
  • Secure your trash cans so that they cannot be opened by a critter – lid clamps, bungee cords, locking mechanisms, even a solid weight will work.
  • Do not leave pet food or water outdoors. If it has to be outdoors, then bring it in before dark.
  • If you have fruit trees, ensure that fallen fruit is cleaned up regularly.
  • Keep compost in an enclosed container as the grubs inside are a big attractant.
  • Ensure that the crawl space beneath your building is not accessible to critters, sealing up any access points.
  • Ensure that there are no external access points to your attic. This includes air vents that should have wire mesh coverings over any openings. The wire also needs to be sturdy enough so that raccoons cannot pull it open – which they know to do.
  • Get damaged or rotten wood on the exterior of your home repaired. Raccoons are known to seek these weakened areas out and open them up to gain access.
  • Damaged roof shingles should be replaced as these again are often targeted as a weak point, and raccoons will not hesitate to pull up adjacent shingles to create an opening.
  • Keep tree limbs cut back four to five feet from your roofline to make it generally less accessible.
  • Avoid piles of debris, old wood piles, and similar items that can be used as shelter.
  • Ensure that your chimney has a sturdy screen on the top to prevent access.

Raccoon Removal by YardDoc

What to do if there is a Raccoon on Your Property

  • Avoid contact with the raccoon.
  • Avoid eye contact – this is often seen as a confrontation.
  • Stand up to make yourself appear larger.
  • Do not chase after the raccoon, especially if it appears sick or injured.
  • Contact YardDoc for licensed, experienced raccoon removal.

 

We have a number of recommendations on how to make your home less attractive to raccoons, and how to deter them.

 

In Texas, only a licensed professional is permitted to transport a wild animal such as a raccoon. That aside, raccoons can be dangerous to handle, so better left to a pro.

Let us know if we can help with preventing, dissuading, or relocating raccoons, or other critter control concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Like most wild animals, they can be unpredictable. Raccoons also have sharp teeth and claws, and they know how to use them. They are shy and will run when disturbed. But if they are cornered, protecting their young, or are sick or injured, then they are known to be aggressive and a formidable opponent.

Raccoons generally don’t mess with people and most incidents occur when people are trying to catch raccoons. After bats, raccoons are the second most frequently linked animal to rabies cases in the United States. Don’t mess with raccoons, and keep your pets away from them, too. Contact the YardDoc pest control division for licensed, experienced raccoon removal.

Yes. Raccoons may carry several diseases that can be problematic for humans and our pets. Transmission can be via direct contact, and scratches or bites. And disease also can be inhaled or ingested via raccoon feces.
The most notable diseases include:

  • Rabies
  • Raccoon Roundworm
  • Leptospirosis
  • Giardiasis

Yes, but that is pretty rare! Cats, especially kittens, can be attacked by raccoons, and the same applies to smaller dogs. Generally, they don’t disturb pets, but attacks can occur when they are desperate for food or when they are chased by a dog.

More commonly raccoons and cats can be seen ignoring one another. Kittens are more vulnerable to being attacked and eaten; a full-grown cat is generally too much of a challenge and not worth pursuing as a meal.

Dogs, on the other hand tend to chase them, and often raccoons run away or up a tree, but sometimes this ends up in a fight, especially if there are young nearby. Many clients call on us for raccoon removal for the protection of their family pets.

Raccoons do not hibernate, but they are less active during colder months of the year, entering a state of rest with periodic feeding bouts when the weather allows.

Raccoons mate in late winter/early spring. Two months later, their litter of two to five babies are born. The offspring are called kits. The kits will stay with the mother for around six months, but sometimes as long as ten months. Once the kits are mobile enough, the mother will start moving around with them, often using up to four different dens.

As omnivores, they have a varied diet. Raccoon diets vary according to where they live; if humans are close by, that will influence their diet considerably.

 

In the wild, raccoons eat birds and other small mammals, as well as insects, fish, lizards, eggs, fruit and nuts. In urban settings, they eat a lot of whatever their hosts (YOU) discard in the trash.

Identifying raccoon droppings varies considerably depending on what the raccoon has been eating. If it has eaten your pet’s food, you may find a cylindrical-shaped poop with blunted ends. More commonly, it is a dark cluster of whatever berry seeds it has recently eaten.

 

The notable characteristic about raccoon poop is its location. Raccoons like to poop on top of things – on top of a fence post, on top of a rock, or on a rooftop.

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