Raccoons can be pretty unpleasant. Just ask anyone who has had the misfortune of seeing their trash bin toppled over, the contents of which have been strewn all over the lawn. Now envision what they can do if left for any time inside your house.
When raccoons settle inside an attic they are capable of causing significant amounts of property damage. It’s frequently discovered that the damage raccoons do to get entry to your attic is the tip of the iceberg compared to what they do once inside. Call raccoon removal Troy MI to remove the animals from the attic. In really little time, a family of raccoons is capable of ruining your insulation and filling your attic with harmful and odorous urine and feces.
Insulation
With the average raccoon weighing in at 25-30 lb (11-14 kg) they can rapidly run over and compress attic insulation simply by strolling around. Pregnant female raccoons will compact and clear big areas of the attic to easily rest and nurse their young.
Beyond insulation, raccoons regularly damage ventilation and electrical systems that run through attics. Without repair, these damages can lead to fire, water damage, and even mold.
Urine and Feces
An even scarier thought for many is the fact that raccoons will use your attic as a giant litter box. The amount of urine and feces produced by a single raccoon is enough to produce some serious health concerns. These issues are increased when as many as 8 infants are born and raised inches above your ceiling.
Among the most significant threats connected with raccoons can be found in their feces. Baylisascaris is an infection caused by a roundworm included in raccoon excrement. The roundworm eggs are often found inside raccoon droppings and if ingested by people can cause severe damage to the nervous system or death.
Air Ducts
Some raccoons rip open ductwork. A raccoon can sometimes crawl through the ducts, into the air handler, where it gets trapped, electrocuted, and dies.
Wires
Raccoons are not rodents. They don’t need to chew to wear down their teeth, the way rodents do. So the majority of the time they leave wires alone. There have been cases in which they do chew on electrical wires for unidentified reasons, or simply tear wires up as part of their regular behavior.
What to Do About Damage
Unfortunately it is this capacity to cause damage that makes individuals wish to eliminate raccoons from the attic. If they were constantly clean and non-destructive perhaps more homeowners would let them live as renters! What you can do, if you are on the fence about getting rid of raccoons from the attic, is to go there and inspect for damage.
If you see that you have a relatively neat and non-destructive raccoon, possibly you will not be in a rush to remove them and can wait until late summertime when they leave on their own. After the raccoons are out, by either waiting or gentle removal, you’ll want to inspect your attic to fix any damaged ducts or wires or replace insulation. You also may wish to do a cleanup job.
Employ a Pro
If you are unable to safely perform repair work on your home, or if you are not positive that your repairs will be sufficient, you can work with a handyman, or specialist, or a respectable wildlife control company to carry out the repairs for you. The only reason to select a wildlife control business over others is that they will be more knowledgeable about the kinds of areas raccoons like to use to get in, and they know the abilities and limitations of raccoons.
Also Read:
How Long Do Raccoons Stay in Attic?