Raccoons

Learning how to remove raccoons can be a difficult feat for many, especially those who have no experience or improper safety equipment for raccoon control. Many Fort Worth residents will agree that though dog-like raccoons can be cute, the damage they can cause on your Fort Worth property is not quite as cute. If you notice a raccoon on your property, especially during the day, don't panic. We can help you safely trap raccoons and relocate them. For safe raccoon removal in Fort Worth, call Wildlife X Team® Fort Worth at 817.857.4803 today!

Raccoon Problems in Fort Worth

Raccoons can cause mischief in your garden, your yard, and your home. Some of the most commonly reported raccoon problems include:

Their destructive nesting & food seeking tendencies
Physical damage to floors and walls due to feces and urine accumulation
Diseases and sickness from coming into contact with the raccoon itself or raccoon waste

How & Why to Get Rid of Raccoons

Raccoons are cute animals, but when they come close to or enter your Fort Worth home, please do not approach them. Healthy raccoons are not friendly, so if a raccoon seems to be engaged, it is likely rabid. Rabid raccoons are incredibly dangerous to handle, so we highly recommend contacting a professionally trained raccoon removal specialist. Wildlife X Team® Fort Worth can safely remove and relocate raccoons and repair raccoon damage.

Some raccoons may carry diseases. A common disease that raccoons carry is rabies. Other diseases raccoons carry include roundworm, leptospirosis, and salmonellosis. Many of these diseases can be passed to humans through bites, scratches, or contact with their feces. It's important to get rid of raccoons as soon as you know you have them around because of the damage they cause your home and the diseases they can spread to you, your family, and your pets.

What do raccoons sound like?

Raccoons are nocturnal, so you’ll hear raccoons at night. You might hear scurrying, thumping, or scratching. While raccoons don’t often make vocal noises, you may hear mewing noises. If baby raccoons are living in your Fort Worth home, you may hear more mewing and sounds throughout the day than normal.

Raccoons in the Attic

Making potentially the most noise out of all the critters due to their size and vocalization of their young, raccoons typically make noises such as crying and whining when they are young and mature into thumping and growling noises as the raccoons get older.

Damage That Raccoons Can Do to Your Home or Building

Wildlife X Team Fort Worth Raccoon Removal While many wild animals can invade homes, raccoons are among the most destructive. With their sharp teeth and claws, and powerful, dexterous paws, they can easily rip through insulation, roofing, and walls—thereby compromising the structural integrity of your Fort Worth building. Moreover, they pose serious health risks for homeowners. This post explores the major damages caused by raccoons in an attic or building.

Insulation Damage: If a raccoon gets into your attic, the insulation material will be ripped apart. This is because the majority of raccoons that get in your attic are pregnant, and looking for a safe and warm place to raise their kits. Raccoon moms will make use of the torn insulation to build a comfy nest that will keep their kits warm. This causes a reduction in the heating and cooling efficiency of your building which leads to an increased HVAC bill. Raccoons will also leave their latrine in your attic if they nest there. These piles of feces can spread roundworms.

Wire Damage: Raccoons are notorious for chewing and scratching on wires just for fun or to get materials for nesting. At the very least, naked wires can result in partial contact that can lead to malfunctions. At its worst, having exposed wires can lead to sparks which can start a fire. People who go into their attics barefoot also face the risk of electrocution. At the end of the day, the wiring has to be completely replaced, and this can be costly.

Duct Damage: Why raccoons rip apart ducts is still a mystery to even wildlife experts. While some speculate they do it for fun, others believe that they do it to source for nesting materials. But the result is the same for homeowners—a damaged duct. Raccoons will inflict damages that will make your ducts unrecognizable. Either you replace them as soon as possible or you no longer have air flowing into your home.

Wood Damage: Raccoons have a knack for damaging wood. Damaged wood can seriously impact a building’s structural integrity. That’s why at Wildlife X Team® Fort Worth, we do a thorough inspection after a raccoon eviction to ensure that all wooden structures are intact and strong.

Other Materials: Much to the dismay of homeowners, raccoons aren’t content with just chewing insulation, wires, wood, and ducts. Truth be told, they will chew on almost anything they can get their paws on—be it paper, books, or any other item. With their sharp claws, they have been known to tear through thinner areas of exterior walls to gain access to the attic. If they find a tiny opening on the roof, they can widen it to also gain access to the attic. See more on roof repair here.

Health Risks: Aside from the physical damage caused by raccoons, they also pose a significant health risk for homeowners. For one, their urine and feces become a breeding ground for bacteria. Raccoons could have parasites like lice and fleas that can then find their way into the living space. The biggest health risk is raccoon roundworms which are typically found in their droppings. That’s why you should always avoid direct contact with their droppings. Wildlife X Team® Fort Worth can safely clean up raccoon droppings, and decontaminate the entire space, eliminating the associated health risks. If you happen to have a dead raccoon in your home, we will properly take care of that as well.

Where do raccoons nest?

When raccoons are wild, they nest in trees, burrows, and dens. However, when raccoons decide to take up residence in your Fort Worth home, they will nest under your deck, in your crawlspace, under your shed, or in your attic. There are two times of year your are more likely to encounter raccoons trying to break into your home. Because raccoons do not fully hibernate, as the temperatures drop in winter, you may see increased raccoon activity around your home. The other time of year you are more likely to encounter raccoon problems is in the spring when raccoons have their babies. They will be looking for a safe spot to make their nests and give birth to their young.

When do raccoons have babies?

Raccoons typically have their babies in the spring, and raccoons will have two to five babies at a time. When raccoons are ready to have their babies, they will look for a safe and warm place to make their nest. It is common for raccoons to make their nests in Fort Worth attics to have their babies. They will rip up the insulation to make the nest nice and cozy. They will also leave droppings in a large pile in your attic--this pile of raccoon droppings is called a latrine. If you do have baby raccoons in your attic, you cannot simply lock the mother raccoon out. She will cause great damage to your home trying to get back to her young. Call the professionals to remove the mother and baby raccoons at one time.

What do raccoons eat?

Raccoons have a highly varied diet, contributing to their ability to adapt to different habitats. They are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat whatever is readily available. Their diet typically consists of the following:

Fruits and Vegetables: Raccoons enjoy a wide range of fruits and vegetables, including berries, apples, corn, and other garden crops. They are notorious for raiding orchards and gardens.
Insects and Invertebrates: Insects and invertebrates are a significant part of a raccoon's diet. They forage for beetles, worms, grubs, and other small creatures by flipping rocks and digging in the soil.
Small Mammals: Raccoons are skilled hunters and prey on small mammals such as mice, squirrels, and rabbits. They are particularly adept at catching aquatic prey like frogs and crayfish.
Fish: Raccoons have a fondness for water and are known to catch fish from streams, ponds, and lakes.
Bird Eggs and Nestlings: Raccoons are notorious for their ability to raid bird nests, consuming both eggs and nestlings.
Garbage and Human Food: Perhaps the raccoon's most infamous behavior is rummaging through human trash bins. They scavenge for leftover food and discarded items, making them a common sight in urban areas.
Carrion: Raccoons are scavengers, and they readily feed on dead animals, helping to clean up carrion from the environment.

Raccoon Behavior

While raccoons may seem cute and charming, they are also notorious for their mischievous and resourceful behaviors.

Raccoons are primarily nocturnal, which means they are most active during the night. This adaptation helps them avoid daytime predators and allows them to scavenge for food in the darkness. Their keen night vision and acute sense of smell make them successful hunters and foragers during the night.

Raccoons are also renowned for their intelligence and curiosity. They can easily solve problems and open various containers, which sometimes gets them into trouble with humans, as they rummage through trash cans and compost heaps in search of food.

While raccoons can be territorial, they are not solitary creatures. They are known to form loose-knit social groups, especially during the mating season. These groups often consist of related females and their young, which helps them protect their territory and resources.

How do you prevent raccoon problems?

To prevent raccoon problems, keep food sealed away. Food is the biggest raccoon attractant. Keep your outdoor trash can closed, and bird seed put away if you suspect raccoon problems. Also, because raccoons have great dexterity, keeping your home maintenance a top priority is important. Keep shingles nailed down, vents covered tightly, and the chimney cap maintained.

It's also important to keep an eye out for raccoon droppings. Raccoons leave their droppings all together in a pile called a latrine. The droppings are tubular with blunt ends. While they are dark in color, you may see a variation in the color because of their diverse diet. If you see these droppings, you know you may have a raccoon problem to solve.

Raccoon Removal

When the experts come to remove raccoons from your Fort Worth property, we will do so as safely and humanely as possible. Some of the methods we use for raccoon removal include trapping and one-way doors. Do not attempt raccoon removal by yourself! You do not want to come face to face with an angry mother raccoon without the proper tools, training, and experience. It is dangerous for you and the raccoon. The team at Wildlife X Team® Fort Worth knows how to remove raccoons and their babies in the most humane way possible. Then, once the animals are removed, we will repair any damages and ensure you do not face the problem again.

What to Do If You Have Raccoons

If you suspect that a raccoon is in your attic or house, then you can be pretty sure that it has started to work its destruction. That’s why you need to quickly confirm their presence. Once this is accomplished, the raccoon has to be evicted and all potential entry holes must be sealed. This is the only way to guarantee that they do not return. Thereafter, the nesting materials, droppings, food remnants, shredded insulation, and other damaged materials have to be removed. Thereafter, the infected space has to be decontaminated. Finally, all damaged materials have to be repaired or replaced. Professionals at Wildlife X Team® Fort Worth can help you with raccoon removal by addressing your raccoon damage, thereby eliminating your raccoon problem once and for all.