If we would base our opinion on raccoons on nothing else but funny video clips of these wild, but cute beasts the Internet is full of, the only thing we could conclude about them is that they are nothing else but helpless creatures incapable of delivering any true harm. In reality, things are utterly different, since not only they are considered to be one of the most adaptive wild species, but they are also infamous for their destructive behavior.
The lists of answers to how to know whether you have a raccoon problem in your house or not await you in the lines below so read through the following texts and figure out what you should do about it.
Claw Marks
Raccoons are wild animals; therefore, they do not really care about you and your belongings. Additionally, a raccoon would worry not about destroying the property and leaving a personal mark while they do what they do while you are not around. Also, expect them to come to your place at night when the chances of you noticing them are minimal.
The physiognomy typical of a raccoon makes them similar to a larger cat. On the other hand, their claws and teeth are capable of delivering much more damage than the aforementioned domestic animals. Also, you should expect them not to pick what they treat with their innate weapons, so if you notice claw marks on your front door or the other pieces of woodwork in your backyard, feel free to put a raccoon on your list of potential suspects.
Funny Noises
There is hardly a living person that would rejoice upon hearing strange noises coming from seemingly empty places inside their house in the middle of the night, and if there is, we are unfamiliar with them. Raccoons know no boundaries, so they will gladly seek shelter in your basement, attic, walls, or any other place inside your household they can fit.
The reasons they will mostly haunt your place when the sun sets down are obvious since they see perfectly clear in the night and they tend to lay low while most people are active. Without question, that will not stop them from waking you up in the middle of the night. Thus, if you notice something odd is going on at night, feel free to blame it on the raccoons who explore your household as if it were their own.
Raccoon Waste
As we have mentioned earlier, raccoons are infamous for being reckless, and if we add the fact that they are wild animals, it does not really come as a surprise that they will leave the leftovers behind them. We are positive that discovering what they have left would not be an as pleasant experience as one would prefer, but at least it would help you determine the cause of recent issues you could not fathom.
Without question, you should focus on getting rid of the pests as soon as you notice you have a problem, so you can either try to deal with the raccoon infestation on your own, or hire a professional service such as raccoon-removal-toronto.com, and rely on their expertise to do the trick for you in the fastest way possible.
Scattered Garbage
You might have experienced similar issues with your dog or any other domesticated animal with access to a trashcan, but believe us that you will notice the difference when you see it. Namely, one of the reasons raccoons invade properties is reflected in their search for food. Unlike domesticated animals, they will make sure they eat anything they find in your trashcan, but they will also steal specific items they find interesting for some reason.
Surely, they will leave you a reminder of their visit and repeat the practice every night, so make sure you react as soon as you notice you have been visited by the uninvited guests. Also, make sure you recycle as much as you can and do not leave any food leftovers in your bin, since it is the smell of various foods and their further decomposition that attracts them the most.
Track the Tracks
Do not let yourself become terrified if you notice small star-shaped footprints in your backyard, since they would not lead you to a strange mythical creature. On the other hand, it should be more than enough to clarify that you have a raccoon problem that you need to take care of as soon as now.
If you suspect raccoons are invading your backyard or your home, make sure you inspect the land for tracks. Focus on moist areas and soft soil where the tracks are most likely to be seen and clear your doubts once and for all.
Direct Contact
The most secure way to determine whether raccoons infest your household is to catch them in the act. The chances they will run as soon as they notice you are around are huge, but some specimens are known for not caring less about the presence of people in their company.
Either way, seeing a raccoon in your yard should be a clear indicator that you need to do something about it, otherwise you could experience additional issues. Some people even try to domesticate them by leaving them food and water, which turns out to be a bad move in the long run, since more and more would be attracted to free food over time.
What Should You Do?
Prevention is what could save you from raccoon infestation, but nobody guarantees you will be safe from these cute pests if you do your part of the job. Still, make sure you do not leave food leftovers in your trashcans overnight and seal any potential holes that could allow them to infiltrate into your house.
Also, make sure you do anything in your power to drive them away from your place as soon as you notice their presence, either by yourself or by reaching out for help from a professional service.
You should not have trouble recognizing the potential threat upon reading the aforementioned pieces of information. Still, getting rid of the unwanted company might be more challenging. Therefore, make sure you react as soon as you notice you have a raccoon problem and do your best to keep them away from your property at all costs.
