Physical Characteristics and Dimensions

Temperament & Character

Noted for their intelligence, the carnivorous raccoon is part of the family Procyonidae that includes bears and even the Giant panda. Generally nocturnal, these mammals may become annoying when scavenging for food in garbage cans in populated areas. Pestend offers raccoon removal services in Toronto & the GTA.

The raccoon is an omnivorous creature, eating almost everything in sight including small animals, crayfish, frogs, birds and their young, fruits, nuts, and grains and corn from fields and storage areas. The long toes (“fingers”) on its feet are used with great dexterity in grasping small objects and in searching for food. The larger surfaces of its hind feet allow it to balance easily.

Raccoons are often found near lakes, ponds, marshes or streams where food sources are plentiful and prefer the common cover of trees or brush. They also favour the shelter of tree hollows, hollow logs and other natural settings rather than digging their own dens. Sometimes they use rock dens or abandoned burrows of other species, or even the inside of farm machinery like a threshing machine.

Raccoon Family Size

Females have a litter of 2-8 cubs (average of 4) every spring with a gestation period of approximately two months. On occasion, these mammals will enter a home through a chimney, attic, basement, or a crawl space below the house, and are sometimes found living in stables and other outbuildings on a farm like a barn, shed or garage.

Health Risks:

Raccoons establish “latrines” near places where they get their food. This is a serious problem because up to 70% of raccoons are infected with a roundworm or parasite called Baylisascaris procyonis and Leptospirosis. People, particularly children, become infected by touching contaminated dirt or dust and then putting their fingers in their mouth. Once the eggs are ingested, they hatch into larva that migrate to other parts of the body and can lead to brain and eye damage and even death.

Rabies:

Rabies is a viral infection that is usually always fatal. It is transmitted through a bite by an animal infected with the disease. Rabies can spread when the saliva of an infected animal enters an open wound although this is a rare occurrence. Receiving a rabies vaccine promptly after exposure to the virus is the best way to prevent the disease in humans.

Discourage Raccoons Around Your Property:

• At no time should you ever feed raccoons.
• Never leave pet food outdoors.
• Keep garbage cans inside garage or shed until pick-up day and ensure these containers have secured lids or locking devices when left outdoors.
• Use secure bins for food composting. Do not bury garbage.
• Make sure barbecue grills are cleaned after every use.

Disease Prevention:

• Prevent raccoons from entering your house through pet doors or other openings.
• Safely clean the areas on your property where these animals urinate and defecate, also known as raccoon latrines, being careful not to touch any droppings.
• Raccoon urine can contaminate water, soil and surrounding vegetation so direct contact should be avoided.
• You should always contact a company experienced in wildlife control services when you need help removing raccoons and their latrines from your property.
• Vaccinate cats, dogs and ferrets to protect them against rabies.
• Make sure all household pets including dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets are vaccinated to protect against rabies.

Property damage:

Raccoons cause contamination and structural damage to your property. They are capable of breaking off roof vents, ripping off shingles, soffits, and siding materials, gnawing on wires and biting on water lines, and damaging drains and gutters that can cause flooding. Raccoon urine can soak into walls and ceilings and their feces can damage insulation. These creatures are known to catch and eat all the fish out of man-made ponds and kill pets. They tear up lawns, gardens and can cause destruction for no clear reason.

Preparation

If you don’t know what type of wild animal is nesting inside a structure, the concerned person should be present when a technician arrives to share his or her concerns. A technician may require complete interior and exterior access of the property to identify your wildlife problem.

Raccoon Control Toronto:

Every wildlife job is unique and getting rid of raccoons requires special skills, knowledge, tools, materials and methods. Pestend wildlife removal technicians specialize in removal of wild animals from attics, chimneys, walls, crawl spaces beneath buildings, sheds, and other hard to reach locations. Our experienced wildlife technician will do a detailed inspection of your premises and take immediate action to resolve any wildlife conflict. We are able to customize raccoon removal solutions in Toronto to fit your needs.