If your attic seems to be the source of rattling, thumping and scratching sounds, you’re probably playing host the bandits of Mother Nature, raccoons. If this is taking place in the winter, the odds of raccoon presence increase significantly. This is not welcome news for Milwaukee homeowners who plan to enjoy peaceful and relaxing winter days, cozying up with family and friends. Milwaukee raccoon removal services can help you to live raccoon free during the winter season.

What Motivates a Raccoon to Invade Your Home

Warmth and food are the two major concerns of raccoons as winter approaches. They will establish nests in your attic because of the protection it offers from the cold outside. They are particularly attracted to your attic because it is already prepared and raccoons are infamous for capitalizing on the work of others when it comes to dens. In fact, in the wild, they often use trees that are already hollowed out and dens that were created and abandoned by other animals. They also find attics convenient because they are close to food sources like your garbage bins.

The Downsides of a Raccoon Invasion

Raccoons are natural foragers and will dig through pretty much anything to get to the food they want. This means a lot of damage to your attic and the remainder of your home. In addition, these animals have an opportunistic diet as they eat a wide variety of things. It’s part of the reason they survive and thrive in cities. This means they will eat your leftovers but they will also chow down on the electrical wires and wood in the attic. This can add up to hefty costs in restoration and repairs after an infestation.

The insulation in your attic can suffer extensive damage from raccoon activities. The animals rip and shred insulation material to make nests. Their droppings and urine also accelerate the deterioration of the insulation and wood.

Raccoon Presence Creates Health Risks

When raccoons invade your home, they bring with them diseases such as rabies, roundworm, and leptospirosis. Roundworm is spread through contact with raccoon feces while leptospirosis is contracted through contact with the urine. Although the risk for contracting leptospirosis from a raccoon is low, it is still a possibility that requires caution on the part of homeowners.

Have a Raccoon Free Winter at Home

Some of the things you can do to discourage a raccoon invasion of your attic include;

1. Checking for entrance points.
2. Avoid storing leftovers in and around the home (try to dispose of garbage away from the home as promptly as you can). Raccoons come because they want food and if you provide the source they will come and stay.
3. Secure your pet food to prevent access to raccoons

Expert Milwaukee raccoon removal is the ultimate solution to your raccoon invasion problems. Humane animal removal services such as Skedaddle provide thorough and effective removal services. We thoroughly inspect the space to identify all the possible access points as well as the extent of the invasion and craft a solution that is the perfect fit for your unique situation. Live raccoon free This winter. Let Skedaddle help you to prevent a raccoon invasion or get rid of raccoons that have taken up residence inside your home.