Raccoon in the Attic

by | Sep 22, 2015 | Uncategorized

Last Updated: May 2021

Do you have a Raccoon in the Attic?

An attic provides a safe shelter for a raccoon, and usually meets all of their living requirements: shelter, safety and food. The first step is to identify if there really is a raccoon in the attic. Next, steps must be taken to remove the raccoon. Lastly, you must find a way to prevent future raccoons in the attic.

How to know you have a raccoon in the attic

The four main ways to identify if you have a raccoon in the attic is sight, noise, damage or odor.

Sight

The easiest way to know you have a raccoon is to spot it. You may see it entering or leaving however this could be rare as they are very skilled at staying hidden. Raccoons are nocturnal and they enter and leave mainly at night. If you do see a raccoon in the attic have it removed immediately.

Noise

The most common way to know you have a raccoon in the attic is to hear it. Noise is the primary way our customers know they have a raccoon in the attic. We get calls in the middle of the night as they can be very loud. Raccoons are much larger than cats and even some dogs so it is not surprising they make so much noise. Raccoons in the attic sound very heavy and move slowly, compared to squirrels who run around.

Damage

You can also identify a raccoon problem by the damage they cause. They often destroy anything that gets in their way in their search for food. They will knock over garbage cans, break glass, and destroy property.They have nimble fingers that allow them to open lids to gain access to food. The longer you have a raccoon in the attic the more damage they will cause. Having a raccoon for two weeks will cause a lot of damage to your attic. They will chew through the wood at the side of your house or chew through soffits to gain access. In some cases they don’t just make one entryway they make several. Having several holes on your roof and the feces on the insulation effects the energy costs in your house. They will chew on electric wires which may cause a fire hazard. As soon as you notice a raccoon in the attic you should have them removed immediately! For more information on Raccoon damages read our Raccoon Removal page.

Odor

Raccoon feces can contain roundworm disease which is dangerous to humans. If the feces is near your ventilation system it is possible for the spores to travel around your home. It is important for your health to have the raccoon in the attic removed. For dangers of raccoon feces read our Animal Feces Removal page.

What to do if you have a raccoon in the attic?

If you have a raccoon in the attic you have two options: Do it yourself raccoon removal or hire a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to remove the raccoon for you.

Do it yourself raccoon removal

This involves using sprays, loud music, sound devices and other gimmicks to scare away the raccoon. These methods may work, but only temporarily. In many cases, the raccoon will return.

Eliminate Attractants

Other ways you can resolve a raccoon problem without trapping the animal is to eliminate whatever is attracting the raccoon to your property – garbage, pet food, a pond, tree branches. Assess your house for weak points where they may enter and exit.

There are a lot of dangers with do it yourself raccoon removal methods, and you may spend a lot of time and money on gimmicks that don’t work. We highly recommend  removing raccoons professionally, by someone who is trained with the experience and knowledge to conduct humane raccoon removal.  We do not advise you to try live trapping as it should only be done by a professional. Also note the rules and regulations for you area in regards to wildlife on your property. If you are going to try this yourself, please read up on the Ministry of Natural Resources Laws.  It’s important to make sure the safety and welfare of the animal is in mind during any raccoon removal method. Check out out Raccoon Removal page for more information.

Baby Raccoon in the Attic

If you have a raccoon in the attic, be aware that during some times of the year, there are higher chances of finding baby raccoons. If you have baby raccoon in the attic, do not remove them by yourself, hire a professional. Mother raccoons are extremely protective of there young. You will not want to enter an attic with a mother raccoon and babies. A wild animal in a confined space protecting her young can be dangerous. Visit our Raccoon Removal page for information on our baby raccoon removal methods.

Prevent future raccoon in the attic

To prevent future animals entering your home SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated provides wildlife prevention for your home. Wildlife prevention keeps them out and is a very smart move to save you money in the future. Read our Wildlife Prevention page for more information.

Call SOS Wildlife if you have a raccoon in the attic

647-994-9453

 

Dead Animal Carcass Removal

by | Sep 14, 2015 | Remove Dead Animal Carcass

Last Updated: May 2016

 

Who do you contact for dead animal carcass removal?

This depends where you find the dead animal and on the size of the animal.

You have three options:

  1.  Do it yourself dead animal carcass removal
  2.  Call the city for dead animal carcass removal
  3.  Hire a private company like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated

Do it yourself dead animal carcass removal

If you find the animal on your private property you will have to either remove the dead animal carcass yourself or hire a private company like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated for dead animal carcass removal. If you decide to remove the dead animal yourself, research and take all necessary precautions. Dead animals carry diseases with parasites like flies, maggots and more. The odour can also be quite strong so make sure you wear gloves and a face mask. Never touch a dead animal with your bare hands, as it contains germs, and possible viruses – you don’t know what the cause of death is. The odour is a big indication that there is an animal carass nearby. The most common places are under the porch, dead animals under the deck, dead animals in the attic, dead animal in wall. If the animal is in the wall you may have to cut a hole to remove it. Once you locate the dead animal carcass you can put the dead animal carcass into a plastic bag and leave it on the curb. Call the city and they will eventually come and collect it. Depending on the season and how busy they are will depend how long it will take them to collect it. We all know the story of Conrad the raccoon and his 14 hour wait for collection. Here is more information and contact numbers for the city dead animal removal service.

Once you have removed the animal you need to disinfect the area well. You can use any of your store bought products to help remove the odour and residue left behind. This is a dirty job and we always advise our customers to get a professional to do it properly as there are possible health risks involved.

Call the city for dead animal carcass removal

The city usually doesn’t remove dead animal carcass removal on private property, but it is always worth the phone call to see if they will. Unfortunately, if you live in the city of Hamilton a new pilot scheme is being introduced where the city will charge $50 per hour for wildlife removal. They will remove small and large animals. A small animal is anything smaller than a raccoon, if it is a larger dog or a deer you need to inform the city its a large wildlife animal carcass and this is where it may take a few hours to remove.

The city will remove roadkill, animals in public areas like parks or beaches, streets, sidewalks and highways. Click here for Toronto GTA information on dead animal carcass removal by the city.

Hire a private company like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated

SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated will remove small dead animal carcass from private property. We do not remove large animals like deer or dogs nor be we remove roadkill as these are services provided by the city. If you have a dead raccoon in your wall, dead squirrel in your attic, dead skunk in your porch or deck we will remove all of these and clean up after. This is a very dirty job and hiring a professional is a better idea than doing it yourself. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated will deodorize the area and remove all residue and show you how the animal gained entry and offer wildlife prevention services to stop future wildlife from entering your home.

Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at
647-994-9453 

CALL US NOW FOR REMOVAL SERVICES