Raccoons are extremely adaptable and resourceful. This means that they can live almost anywhere, including in your home. The good news is that various signs of an infestation can indicate if raccoons have set up shop on your property. A skilled professional can aid in the raccoon removal process, leaving your home looking as good as new.

How Can You Identify Raccoons?

Raccoons are known for the mask-like markings on their faces as well as their bushy tails. They typically weigh between 13 and 50 pounds and can grow up to about 37 inches in length. When raccoons infiltrate porches, barns, or abandoned buildings, they can threaten the property’s structural integrity and put humans and pets at increased risk of disease.

In addition, raccoons use a wide variety of sounds to communicate with each other. While screeching or chirping typically indicates excitement, warnings are declared by using grunts and growls. One of the most effective ways to identify a raccoon is to listen to its noises, as its screeches and growls are signature noises that aren’t made by any other pests, such as rats or squirrels. 

Although raccoons typically live in wooded areas, they’ve become more adapted to urban life over the past few decades. While they would prefer to create their nests in tree hollows or rock crevices, they can also set up shop in attics and crawl spaces.

How Do You Know You Have an Infestation?

One of the most common signs of a raccoon infestation is the presence of tracks. Their tracks are easy to identify because they look similar to human footprints, but they’re typically only four inches or less. To uncover raccoon tracks, be sure to inspect:

• Around trees
• Around fence lines
• Areas that contain soft soil
• Around garbage containers

If you spot tracks that look like very small human footprints, be sure to contact wildlife control in Milwaukee to remove these raccoons from your property.

Another sign of a raccoon infestation is the presence of droppings. Raccoon droppings are dark, tubular, and about the diameter of a nickel. They’re typically found at the bottom of trees and near piles of wood and are also known for having a strong odor due to the presence of harmful bacteria.

Raccoons are known for scratching on sheds, porches, and the surfaces of trees. If you notice any scratches near or on your property accompanied by hairs, you may be facing a raccoon infestation. Lastly, if you find that your garbage is continually being invaded, there are likely raccoons on your property. Raccoons are attracted to the smells emanating from your garbage and will do anything it takes to get to the items inside.

Are Raccoons Dangerous?

Although they may not seem like it, raccoons can be harmful creatures. Not only can they damage crawl spaces and attics by chewing through support structures and walls, but they can also carry a whole host of diseases, including:

• Rabies
• Distemper
• Fleas
• Parasites
• Giardia

If you attempt to clean up raccoon waste without taking the proper precautions, you could contract a potentially fatal disease. For example, roundworm is a parasite that can cause fatigue, loss of muscle control, and liver complications in humans who are in close proximity to raccoon feces.

This is why it’s so important to contact wildlife control in Milwaukee instead of trying to tackle the problem on your own. A skilled professional can safely and effectively remove raccoons from your property without putting you or your family at risk. Call Skedaddle today to learn more about our raccoon removal services and how we can eliminate raccoons from your property.