How Do You Know If A Raccoon Has Babies?

Raccoons may look like cute, cuddly creatures, but because they are still wild animals, it is best to admire them from afar. This is a challenge when a raccoon takes up residence in your home. The situation is even worse when the raccoon is raising a family inside the hidden recesses of your house. Sometimes it's hard to tell if you have a whole family of raccoons sharing your house with you, so here are a few signs to look for and information on what you should do if you find yourself sharing your house with unwanted guests.

How To Know If You Have a Family of Raccoons in Your Home

Female raccoons tend to gather in small social groups until they become pregnant. Then they leave the group in search of a safe, warm place to have their babies. This means that if you see a lone raccoon, chances are high that it is either a male or a pregnant female. The creatures give birth any time from early spring to mid-summer, so if you see a lone raccoon during the fall or winter, it's probably a male. However, even males may seek out a warm attic to shelter in during cold weather, so it's a good idea to keep any potential points of entry blocked. If you see a lone raccoon enter your attic during the spring or summer, it may be a pregnant female. You may notice the following signs to confirm that the raccoon is pregnant.

• A swollen belly
• Protruding nipples
• Daytime activity

In many cases, you don't know you have an animal intruder in your home until after it has had its babies. It's important to keep your distance because the mother raccoon may become agitated and aggressive if she perceives a threat to her kits. To make sure you don't have baby raccoons hidden in your attic, listen closely for any strange noises. You may hear loud thumps as the kits grow and become more active. Other animals make similar sounds, but because raccoons are much bigger than rats and squirrels, the noise will be louder and more noticeable. You may also hear screeching or chattering sounds as the babies learn to vocalize. If you hear any strange noises, it's usually best to call in a professional to get creatures out of your home.

How Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control Can Help

If you know you have a raccoon in your home, your first thought may be to block all potential points of entry. Before you do this, however, you need to make sure you aren't dealing with an entire family. If you keep a mother raccoon from getting to her babies, the kits will starve. It's a better idea to hire a professional like one of the experts at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. Our wildlife experts have the tools and experience necessary to remove a family of raccoons from your home humanely. We don't want to hurt the animals or traumatize them, but we also understand the importance of removing any furry roommates you don't want in your home. We promise to complete the task of removing raccoons quickly to minimize any unpleasant interactions between you and the animals.

Get Professional Help for Raccoon Removal

It's never a good idea to try to remove raccoons from your home yourself. Not only could you accidentally hurt the animals, but you could also be injured by the creatures if they become aggressive when they feel threatened. You should always leave raccoon removal to the professionals. If you live near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control is the company to call for safe and efficient raccoon removal. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for wildlife control in Milwaukee to get your unwanted guests out of your home.