How to Identify Raccoon Damage in Your Home
Almost every customer of ours wants to stay in denial, at least for a little while, about whether they have raccoons in their homes. Sure, they hear footsteps in the attic, but maybe it's just the house settling, right?
Sometimes, they have to start seeing damage before they call us.
We hope you'll call before you start seeing damage, but just in case, we thought we'd tell you the major signs that the trash pandas are ripping up your home.
Start With Your Roof
Start with your roof because that's where the most visible damage will likely be.
See missing or damaged shingles? While storm damage can cause these problems, too, there will often be a difference between storm-damaged shingles and raccoon-damaged shingles.
You'll see storm-damaged shingles on multiple areas of your roof. You're likely to see raccoon damage in just a small location: the one the raccoons favor for getting inside to your attic.
Ditto for gaping holes in your soffit and fascia, or any gaping holes in your roof at all. Some of them like to rip up fans and vents instead, so look to see if those structures are bent out of shape.
Check the Attic
Go up into your attic. You've probably got raccoons if you're immediately hit in the face with a burning, ammonia-like scent. Their urine is just as bad as cat urine, creating pervasive problems that will need serious clean-up efforts to get rid of.
While you're up there, shine a flashlight around. You're likely to see droppings that look very like dog poo. These little presents will often be full of undigested food.
Check the Side of Your House
Raccoons don't need a tree to get to your roof.
They can climb right up the sides of your house. If you see smudges on your exterior siding that go straight up, you could be looking at the raccoon's little self-made staircase.
Worst Case Scenario: Raccoon Ceiling Damage
We've seen people who stayed in denial for so long that they managed to bust holes through the ceiling.
One day you're minding your own business; the next, bits of unpleasantly softened drywall are hitting the top of your head. Suddenly you hear something scamper away from the giant hole in your ceiling.
Or...Just Schedule an Inspection
You don't have to live in denial. Raccoon inspections and removal cost less than you might think, and they cost far less than repairing the kinds of major damage these little creatures can cause.
Why not schedule one with one of our friendly technicians today? At best, we'll tell you there's nothing to worry about. At worst, we'll help you catch the problem early, so we can get those guys out of your house before they make a big mess.
REQUEST A FREE INSPECTION
Our goal is to take time to evaluate each customers situation and customize proven results to solve it. If you are looking for a professional solution for your Raccoon Removal needs, please contact us today.
How to deter raccoons
Don't want to pay for raccoon removal?
The easiest way to avoid needing raccoon removal services is to deter raccoons in the first place.
Here are three ways to try to keep raccoons off your property.
#1) Restrict Access to Food
Like most urban scavengers, raccoons choose to inhabit properties where they can count on easy access to food. Outdoor garbage cans and compost piles are like all-night free buffet lines for them.
Secure garbage cans and ensure you have enough to handle all of your normal garbage output before pickup day. Don't be afraid to buy locking garbage cans. Houston has a huge raccoon problem!
#2) Restrict Access to Water
Every animal needs water to survive. Do you have standing water in your yard?
We're not saying you must give up your pool, hot tub, or birdbath. Just cover them at night, when raccoons are active.
Check your spigots, too. A drippy or leaky spigot can provide an enterprising raccoon family with all the water they might need to survive.
#3) Restrict Access to The Home
Raccoons will enter your home in any way they can. Is there a gap in your siding? Has your soffit and fascia rotted enough to make a hole? Do you leave windows open at night? Are there gaps in the roof?
About 90% of our work as wildlife removal specialist revolves around finding all the places raccoons and other critters are using to enter the home, and then blocking them off. If you can do that before a raccoon takes up residence, you might never need to call us.
What can you do if you get raccoons despite your best efforts?
Don't beat yourself up. Raccoons are persistent and intelligent. They're difficult to actively deter: they don't care about motion-activated lights, sprinklers, noise makers, or cayenne pepper nearly as much as the Internet thinks they do.
When raccoons take up residence, you need tougher exclusion methods and experts who can trap them, remove them, and release them far away. That's where we come in. The faster you call us, the less painful the removal and eventual damage are likely to be.
See raccoons in the yard, but aren't sure whether they've invaded your home? We'll provide you with a thorough inspection. Once you start seeing raccoons, it's a good idea to get your home checked anyway, as you might want to start using professional-grade exclusion methods before they get the bright idea to nest down in your attic.
We're Houston's raccoon removal experts and ready to help. Call us as soon as you suspect you might have a problem, and we'll take care of you!
REQUEST A FREE INSPECTION
Our goal is to take time to evaluate each customers situation and customize proven results to solve it. If you are looking for a professional solution for your Squirrel Removal needs, please contact us today.
5 Signs You Have a Raccoon Infestation in Your Home
We've been offering pest control services in the Houston, TX, metro area for many years. We know denial is the first reaction many people have when they start noticing signs that raccoons may be invading the house.
People don't want to think about the potential expense of removing raccoons or what could be happening in the parts of their homes they can't see.
Unfortunately, denial only makes the situation worse. If you have these 5 signs, it's time to call us.
#1) Strange Sounds in the Night
If you hear scratching, thumping, or "heavy footsteps" in your attic at night, it's probably not a ghost or a goblin.
It's probably a raccoon. They're most active at night, and you're most likely to find them in your attic, chimney, or walls.
Look to human food. Keep compost in a bin or box. Keep trash can lids affixed to their cans. Wipe up spills and crumbs.
#2) Damaged Insulation
If you go up into your attic and find torn insulation everywhere, you probably have a raccoon. They like to tear up the insulation to create nests.
A skyrocketing energy bill could be your first sign of trouble, as insulation plays a vital role in helping us keep our homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The more raccoons destroy your insulation, the more the R-value of that insulation reduces into uselessness.
#3) Foul Odors
Raccoons don't exactly use litter boxes. They pee and poop wherever it occurs to them to do so. Obviously, the odor can get very unpleasant very quickly.
The more odors you smell, the worse the situation may be. The droppings may be in your ductwork. You could be breathing the particles and germs. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to get bitten by a raccoon for a raccoon to make you sick.
#4) Footprints
You might find little raccoon footprints in dusty or muddy areas, such as the attic or crawl spaces.
#5) Torn Soffits and Fascia
Raccoons are more than happy to rip up soffits, fascia, and roofing materials to make it inside the home. They're also opportunists: if an opening exists, they're likely to exploit it.
The trash pandas are smart. They know human attics meet their needs.
Stop worrying about the cost!
No raccoon removal could possibly be as costly as letting them continue to chew up your electrical wiring, tear up your ductwork, shred your insulation, and fill your house with diseases while steadily devaluing your home by filling it with awful smells.
Our solutions are cost effective and humane. We'll help you exclude raccoons from your property, so they don't return. You'll get your house back, and you won't have to think about raccoons any more.
Need help? Call us today.
REQUEST A FREE INSPECTION
Our goal is to take time to evaluate each customers situation and customize proven results to solve it. If you are looking for a professional solution for your Squirrel Removal needs, please contact us today.
