Do raccoons disrupt your evenings? Do heavy thumping sounds and scratching noises wake you up at night? It seems like you have a guest! Unfortunately, not the good kind - raccoons have gained access to your attic.
From a raccoon's perspective, humans make excellent neighbors. They have warm, dark attics to keep them safe and vegetable gardens full of delicious treats. Raccoons aren’t known for being the best house guests, and you’ll want to remove them from your home as soon as possible.
Once raccoons have gained access to your attic, they can cause extensive damage to your belongings and building materials. From making strange noises in the middle of the night to leaving large piles of droppings behind, raccoons are considered “nuisance wildlife” for more than one reason!
Having large critters roaming in your house is undoubtedly creepy, but what goes on behind the scenes is even more disturbing. The electrical wiring and insulation in your attic will be at the mercy of your new house guest and will suffer more daily damage.
Raccoons may look cute and innocent, but in reality, they are capable of causing severe damage to your property and pose a serious health risk to you and your family. This means that if there are raccoons in the attic, you should take action to remove them as soon as possible.
In our experience providing raccoon removal services, longer you wait, the worse your raccoon problem will get. You should act fast if you want to keep property damage to a minimum and save yourself time and money in the long run. Fortunately, raccoon removal services, like Critter Stop, can get raccoons out of your attic and ensure they don’t come back.
When we have provided raccoon removal services, we have found that raccoons look for one main thing when they invade your attic: a safe and warm place to live and raise their babies. Oftentimes, raccoons initially gain entry to an attic in search of food. Your thriving garden and decorative stream or bird bath are practically a buffet for raccoons. To ensure your house doesn’t become a raccoon restaurant, make sure to avoid leaving garbage, leftovers, or pet food outside overnight.
If raccoons notice a steady supply of food and water on your property, they will soon start finding a place to build their homes in your house. Unfortunately, your warm, dark attic is the perfect spot for them to make a home and get comfortable.
Raccoons can force their way into your attic through a variety of ways. For example, if tall trees are near your house, raccoons may climb them to reach your roof. Once you have raccoons on your roof, it is only a matter of time before they find a way to enter your attic to build their dens and you have raccoons in your attic, likely damaging both the inside and outside of your house in the process.
If raccoons live in your attic, they can cause extensive damage to crucial parts of your house, including your roofing, plumbing, HVAC system, ductwork, and electrical wiring. These pesky critters can even damage the insulation in your attic, making it less effective and unsanitary and requiring insulation removal and replacement.
As raccoon removal experts, we know that raccoons can make many openings in the roof on their way into your home. We have seen raccoons tear straight through the shingle and plywood barriers in people’s homes. These openings may allow water in and cause mold growth wherever it is located. Furthermore, raccoons are carriers of many contagious diseases, and their feces can carry diseases for years, so sharing space with these critters poses a serious health risk for you and your family both during and after their stay, unless properly handled.
If you believe raccoons have infested your attic, you should contact critter removal services and get an attic inspection as soon as possible to minimize damage to your home. The best course of action is to seek help immediately before the infestation becomes more severe.
Discovering a raccoon in the attic can be quite alarming. The good news is that you can take a few simple steps to keep your raccoon problem under control and evict your uninvited house guest.
There is no point in trapping and removing raccoons if more can sneak into your house again a few weeks (or days!) later. Therefore, the first step is to seal off all entry points. Once you have properly sealed off their entry points, any raccoons outside during the time of the work will not be able to reenter your house.
Usually, raccoons will move into your attic because they need a safe and warm space to live and raise their babies. In that case, finding and removing the entire family is crucial. If you only remove the mother, the baby raccoons will be left behind and starve to death. Additionally, mothers will create immense damage trying to get back to their babies, so it is important this process is handled quickly and professionally.
Leaving baby raccoons in your attic to starve without their mother is undoubtedly a cruel way to get rid of raccoons from your attic. To avoid this, you should first listen and look for the babies. However, you must be careful when removing them as a mother raccoon will be quite defensive of her babies. Furthermore, you must not forget to wear gloves and goggles while removing the little ones.
Once you have located the baby raccoons, it is time to address the mother raccoon directly. Live trapping is one of the most effective methods for raccoon removal. You should set traps near the raccoon's den for the best results. You can also use their favorite foods, such as cat food, fruit, or even marshmallows, as bait to attract them towards the trap. Raccoons are both clever and strong creatures, so you must use a trap capable of handling the job.
Once you have successfully trapped the raccoon, it will be your responsibility to relocate the entire family somewhere safe. However, it is worth remembering that removing raccoons by yourself involves many risks.
Contacting a professional raccoon removal service is easier to avoid all the challenges of raccoon removal. They will locate the raccoons, remove them from your home, and clean up your attic quickly and safely.
Once the raccoons have been successfully removed, it is time to clean up the mess and repair the damage they caused in your attic. This is no small job.
First, you must dispose of the large piles of feces that the raccoons left behind. Given their size, and the seriousness of the diseases they can carry, you may also have to replace the attic insulation if the raccoons have heavily contaminated it.
An additional benefit of removing and replacing the insulation is that the removal will allow a more thorough inspection of damaged ductwork and wiring that may have resulted from the raccoon’s time in your attic.
The last thing a homeowner wants to know is that raccoons have built a den in their attic. The attic is a crucial part of the house, and electrical wiring, insulation, pipes, and belongings are all at risk while a raccoon is present.
Dealing with a raccoon infestation all by yourself involves a lot of risks. Dealing with these destructive critters comes with a lot of headaches, and can even be dangerous, so contacting a professional raccoon removal company is the safest and most efficient way to fix your raccoon problem. With all the complications of getting rid of raccoons, you must wonder, “How much does raccoon removal cost?”
In Texas, the average cost of live trapping and relocation of raccoons is around $250- $600. However, the removal and relocation cost also depends on the severity of the infestation. If babies are present, the removal cost can be anywhere from $400 to $900.
However, this does not include the “exclusion” work needed to seal the home from future critters. While the price of exclusion work can vary significantly depending on the size and style of your home, most homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex could expect a price of $500 - $1,500 to seal their home, depending on how many critters are being sealed out. For example, raccoon-sized holes are fewer and further between than mice-sized holes (about the size of a dime).
Once the raccoons are gone, they must clean the mess they left behind. If you don't want to tackle the cleanup process yourself, you can get help from our raccoon removal experts. They will not only clean up the attic but will also sanitize the area. While the price is driven by square footage and the maneuverability of your attic, most homeowners in Dallas-Fort Worth can expect to $300+.
Critter Stop’s fogging/sanitation process not only aims to kill the germs and microbes in your attic, which can carry many diseases, but also kills all of the pheromones, biological markers, and urine markers that critters inevitably leave behind, which would just reattract other animals in the future.
If a raccoon or a large group of raccoons gain access to your attic, they can cause tremendous structural damage quickly. Unfortunately, the cost range is too wide to be helpful since there are so many home features that raccoons could potentially damage, such as wiring, ductwork, insulation, roofs, etc.. Still, customers have spent well into the five figures repairing their attics.
A raccoon in the attic can lead to significant and costly damage, often amounting to thousands of dollars in repairs. From contaminated insulation and torn ductwork to gnawed electrical wires and unsanitary piles of droppings, a raccoon infestation is more than just a nuisance—it’s a serious problem that demands immediate attention. These destructive animals may be looking for a place to call home, but it certainly doesn’t have to be yours.
The best way to handle a raccoon infestation is by consulting a professional raccoon removal company like Critter Stop. Based in Texas, Critter Stop specializes in humane wildlife removal and offers a comprehensive approach to solving your problem.
They remove raccoons from your attic and implement measures to prevent future infestations, ensuring your home stays safe and critter-free. Critter Stop’s reputation for high-quality work and exceptional customer service has earned them fantastic reviews online. Call Critter Stop at (214) 234-2616 for a free inspection and let their experts provide the effective, humane solution your property needs.
Dealing with raccoons in your attic can be challenging and stressful. These animals can cause significant damage, create health hazards, and be difficult to remove. This FAQ section addresses common concerns about raccoons in attics, from identifying signs to keeping them out permanently.
Use strong odors like ammonia or predator urine near entry points to repel raccoons from your attic. Install bright lights or play loud noises to make the space uncomfortable. Sealing any potential entry points is crucial after confirming they’ve left. Professional wildlife control can provide more effective and humane solutions.
Scare raccoons out of your attic by introducing sudden, loud noises such as banging or playing a loud radio. Motion-activated lights can also frighten them away. Avoid direct confrontation, as raccoons can become defensive. Once they leave, seal entry points to prevent re-entry.
Raccoons may leave the attic alone, especially if they sense danger or conditions become unsuitable. However, mother raccoons with young may stay longer until the babies are ready to move. Proactive measures like repellents or professional removal are often necessary for timely resolution.
Raccoons can stay in your attic for weeks or months, particularly if they find it a safe and comfortable nesting area. Females with babies may stay until the young are old enough to leave. Prompt action is recommended to avoid long-term damage and health risks.
While raccoons prefer cooler environments, they can survive in a hot attic with sufficient ventilation and water sources nearby. Prolonged heat may make them seek an alternative shelter, but this is not guaranteed. It’s best to address the issue quickly, regardless of the temperature.
Raccoons in the attic can cause structural damage, such as chewed wires and insulation destruction. They also pose health risks through droppings and potential disease transmission. Noise disturbances during nighttime hours are another common issue homeowners face.
Raccoons can cause severe attic damage, including tearing up insulation, chewing through electrical wires, and damaging wooden structures. This damage can lead to costly repairs and fire hazards due to exposed wiring. Addressing the issue promptly is essential to minimize harm.
Seal all entry points with heavy-duty materials like steel mesh to keep raccoons out of your attic. Install chimney caps and repair any loose shingles or vents. Regularly inspect your attic and surrounding areas for signs of attempted entry. Consider using repellents or professional services for added protection.
Common signs of raccoons in your attic include scratching noises at night, raccoon droppings, and chewed insulation or wires. You might also notice a strong, unpleasant odor or visible entry points on your roof. If these signs are present, take immediate action to address the problem.
Safely removing raccoons from your attic often requires professional assistance. Humane traps, exclusion devices, and careful monitoring are key steps. Avoid direct contact to prevent bites or disease exposure. Once removed, thoroughly clean and seal the attic to prevent future invasions.
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