With many federal and provincial laws protecting wildlife, there are even stringent ones protecting their offspring. One of the more common baby removals in Ontario is raccoon removal and it certainly requires professionally trained technicians to ensure removal is being conducted as per the guidelines and laws set by the government. If proper techniques aren’t followed, one can face hefty penalties, and even criminal charges for animal cruelty.
In most circumstances, baby raccoons are found in the attic. Female raccoons pick the attic as it makes a secure, quiet, and warm den for her to give birth and to raise her babies. They tend to give birth shortly after they settle in the attic. Female raccoon usually nurses her babies for up to 10 weeks, during which time; she actively goes on forages for food, leaving the pups securely in the warmth and quietness of the attic. After the 10 week nursing period, the female raccoon starts taking her young ones on her nocturnal trips to teach them how and where to look for food. While they live securely in the attic, and go on about their daily lives, unfortunately, the experience isn’t exactly as comfortable for the residents.
As with any other wildlife settling in a residential or commercial property, raccoons cause damage to one’s property as well as causing serious health hazards. For many reasons, adult as well as baby raccoon removal is key in keeping one’s property clean, damage-free and free of any health hazards.
Things to Know About Baby Raccoon Removal Process
• Raccoon puppies should not be separated from their mother during the captivity process
• If the raccoons (both adult & babies) are trapped in a cage, food and water must be provided
• If during the baby raccoon removal process, they are separated from their mother, they should be fed and cared for, until they are 6 weeks old, before being let out into the nature
• Animal Services and Shelters can be contacted to take in motherless babies to rehabilitate them before they can learn to survive on their own in the wild
• Federal and provincial laws protect wildlife such as raccoons, from inhumane methods of captivity and can charge the individuals doing the inhumane act with criminal charges or fine them for up to $5000
If professional services are seeked for baby raccoon removal needs, trained technicians can remove the babies immediately given they meet the provincial guidelines set for the removal procedures. At SOS Wildlife Control, we conduct baby raccoon removal with care and kindness. We use boxes instead of cages as they provide warmth and security. Upon capturing the female raccoon, we ensure she is never separated from her babies. Although captured in different methods, we ensure the family end up together in a safe, quiet, and possibly enclosed area in the nature. Under many circumstances, we will also ensure food and water are provided for the raccoon family.
Baby Raccoon Facts
• Female raccoon usually gives birth to 8 babies, but only 2-4 usually survive
• For the first 10 weeks, female raccoon collects food and brings it to her babies
• After 10 weeks, female raccoon takes her babies with her to teach them how to find food, repeating the same route with each baby individually
• Female raccoons are very maternal and they will only leave their babies orphaned under the most severe conditions
• Baby raccoons are often called “kits”
• Raccoons don’t hibernate but they can sleep for 2-3 days in a row under extreme weather conditions
• Because they are nocturnal, their masks reduce glare and enhance night vision
• They usually locate food with their sense of smell and touch as opposed to their sense of sight
If you discover baby raccoons anywhere on your property, it is not a good idea to remove them on your own. As previously mentioned, aside from harming them and facing criminal charges and penalties, you may also have an angry female raccoon coming back to find her litter. Baby raccoon removal needs can be easily sufficed by professional wildlife removal technicians. They must be handled gently and with protective gear as raccoons are one of the most common rabies carriers. More information on rabies and how it’s transmitted from wildlife to humans can be found on the provincial information site here. While the adult raccoon removal methods differ from baby raccoon removal methods, we, at SOS Wildlife Control, ensure humane and caring relocation services are provided every single time. Because adult raccoons are a lot more active, bigger in size, and are able to cause physical injury to people, we use trap & release methods. And with baby raccoons, we ensure they are each handled carefully, inspected for harm or other health concerns, and kept together with the rest of the litter and near the female raccoon until they are all released to their natural habitat.
If at any point during the removal process our technicians identify an injury or a problem with the wildlife, we ensure they are taken to a wildlife care shelter where they can be treated and rehabilitated properly, under professional care. Wildlife are necessary in our eco-system and we play our part in protecting these animals and helping them get re-acclimated back to nature, where their real homes are. Although not for baby raccoon removal needs, but for all other removals of adult wildlife, we help our clients understand the removal processes as we often require for them to communicate with us. If we are unable to capture immediately, our clients inspect the areas where our technicians set up cage traps, and let us know upon capture, at which time our technicians provide speedy pick up services.
At SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated, we provide superior baby raccoon removal services for residential, commercial, and industrial clients. Let us help you solve your raccoon problems. We can easily be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Don’t wait and call us to schedule an appointment for a thorough inspection to help evacuate all your unwanted wildlife guests in the most humane way possible.
Call SOS Wildlife Control at 1.800.981.0330 for baby raccoon control!
Autumn is a beautiful time of year in Toronto, with the leaves changing colour, the weather cooling down a bit, and signs of wildlife running around parks collecting food for hibernation. However, Halloween is the time of year you can find raccoons and other wildlife lounging around for treats. If you see a raccoon or any wildlife such as squirrels or skunks around this time on your property, we strongly advise you to assess your home to see how it stands against wildlife intrusions. Assess your property for entry holes, or weak areas where it is possible for wildlife to get through. Nuisance wildlife are now searching for shelter for the winter.
Raccoon Fact: Raccoons are much less active with the cold weather and will sleep for longer periods of time
October is the perfect time to wildlife proof your home as snow hasn’t yet fallen and there are no raccoon babies.
Baby Raccoons
As it is October there will be no baby raccoons which simplifies that raccoon removal process. When babies are involved, raccoon removal involves a the mother first needing to be removed, then the babies who are then reunited.This process is not necessary during the fall season due to the fact that it is not their baby season. Read more on baby raccoon removal here.
Check any overhanging trees and trim branches to restrict access to your roof. Put your garbage bins in a garage or secure with a bungee cord to restrict access. Remove any food scraps around your home, and place pet foods inside. Don’t overfill bird feeders. Stopping wildlife from being attracted to your property is step one
Fixing any weak areas of your home
Assess your home for weak areas. Replace any broken, weakened or missing roof tiles. Check all soffits and vents. If heat is escaping from parts of your home, fixing this will not only reduce energy costs but will not attract unwanted critters. If they can’t find any weak areas they will move on. If anything is torn open or got holes big enough for a raccoon can enter then you may already have wildlife in your home. Do not seal them unless you know there is no wildlife inside. You can either do this yourself but calling a professional is recommended.
Unfortunately your Halloween pumpkins might also attract wildlife to your property, but if you wildlife proof your property they will be restricted from getting in the property. .You can wildlife proof your property yourself or you can hire a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to do it for you. Doing this now will save you money in the long run. It is more convenient to prevent a raccoon from entering now than removing it in the middle of the winter when there is snow on the ground. Do not climb on an icy roof to cover holes yourself as this is dangerous, you may risk falling.
Denying raccoons access in the fall gives them time to search for another appropriate living space. If they are found and removed during colder months, their chance for survival is threatened.
Removing raccoons from your home or property is a commonly requested service, especially in Toronto GTA. Ontario has a large population of raccoons so it’s safe to get your home checked and proofed. Your property is the perfect shelter for a raccoon with heat and food supply. While good for the raccoons, this is almost always a nuisance to homeowner and property owners!
The most common raccoon complaints we receive from customers are:
removing raccoons from attic
removing raccoons from chimney
removing raccoons from crawl space,
removing raccoons from yard
removing raccoons under porch
Raccoons can be loud, cause damage to the building structure/contents and can be dangerous for your health with the diseases they carry. It is important to have them removed professionally, humanely and effectively.
Common Times for Raccoons to Enter your Home
Raccoons can enter your home anytime of the year but they are more likely to do so during spring and winter. During the winter period it’s more difficult for raccoons to find food and shelter making your home very appealing. In the Spring, raccoons give birth to a litter of 3-7 babies. The mother scouts several dens before choosing one, the attic of your house or under your porch is a nice secluded area that is a common spot for them.
Raccoons are quite large animals compared to squirrels and other wildlife animals that come inside your home. Since they are heavier you will hear loud thumping rather than scratches if they are in your attic. If it’s a family of raccoons consisting of a female adult raccoon and a litter of her babies living up in your attic, you will hear the baby’s unique whining and crying
Removing raccoons from your home
Raccoon removal once you find the raccoon is recommended because they can be very dangerous and damaging. Getting rid of raccoons involves scare tactics, baiting, cages, although we do not recommend this unless you are a licensed and trained professional. Wildlife can be quite aggressive when under threat so be careful and remember that raccoons can carry several diseases dangerous to humans like rabies and roundworm. If you are getting rid of raccoons it’s strongly recommend you use a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at 647.994.9453
Raccoons are pretty common wildlife animals that interact with humans in Toronto GTA. Sometimes the interactions are not wanted and humans are not pleased with it at all. They want the raccoons removed! But getting rid of raccoons can be a hard mission which is why many people just contact professional wildlife technicians like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated to do raccoon removal for them. To figure out how to get them out, you need to determine how did the raccoon get in in the first place. For raccoon removal, professionals usually use a one-way door. A one-way door is a door set up at one of the entry points the animal has made, usually the main entry point. All other entry points are sealed before the one-way door is set up. This allows the animal to exit and not re-enter. This is the most humane raccoon removal method and involves no human-wildlife encounters. In some cases we use snares when one-way door option isn’t suitable. When using snares, the raccoon is picked up around the waist to avoid any injury to the neck. There is no one size fits all solution but not ensuring humane removal is the ideal raccoon removal method.
How do raccoon get into your home?
Knowing a little about raccoons will help you understand what raccoons do what they do. Raccoons are intelligent animals and will seek out the weak spots on your property. They may rip open soffits, open vent hole, open walls, gable vents and other roof vents. There are various different ways on how raccoons are able to come inside your home which can sometimes be mind blowing once you find out. They are very good climbers, very strong and have agile hands which are traits that make it easier for them to climb into your house, or rip soffits/vents to make their way into your attic. They are not one bit scared of heights as they are amazing climbers. You may have seen the story where the raccoon climbs 213 meters up a Toronto condo tower? Our check our video at the bottom of the page with our raccoon removal from a 200 ft crane. It was the tallest we’ve ever been on a job and removing a raccoon up there I have to admit was quite scary, but we got him down! Getting rid of raccoons is tricky, but once they are in your home you should remove the raccoons immediately before they cause too much damage.
Most of the time raccoons pick their home based on previous homes they have had. Some homes may have bigger holes and easier access. Any ripped soffits, damage on the exterior wall makes it easier for raccoons to enter your house. These homes will have to call for raccoon control frequently to make sure there is no raccoons returning to live inside their house. Once one raccoon lives in a house they leave behind their scent which attracts other wildlife and predators. It is advised when you remove raccoons you should clean that area extremely well. If you had a raccoon in the attic check your attic insulation to see how badly it’s damaged and have your attic restored to its clean state. Wildlife proof your home! If you don’t want to pay a professional, take all the wildlife prevention methods you can yourself to prevent further unwanted critters entering your home. Houses with lots of tall trees surrounding them are higher at risk of having raccoons living in their home. Trim the branches from your house and check for any holes in your roof or soffits a few times annually to ensure there is no wildlife in your home. Read our blog Signs that wildlife are living in your home. Check for these signs and try to remove anything that makes your home attractive to wild critters.
As stated, raccoons usually come in your home and or attics by tore open soffits, open vent hole, tore open wall, gable vents, and other roof vents. You will want to seal any holes and or openings but you need to make sure you don’t trap the raccoon in your home as this is cruel and illegal. Close / fix all holes except for the one way door. Leave this opening open so that the raccoon will be able to come out. If there are babies involved you will have to contact a professional to have them removed. Read our raccoon removal page for info on baby raccoon removal. These are the most common ways raccoons come inside your home. Check these areas of your home to ensure everything is sealed.
Getting Rid of Raccoons
SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated does not advise on do-it-yourself raccoon removal as too often accidents happen. Getting rid of raccoons requires knowledge and experience. Be careful not to trap your neighbors cat, or hurt the animal. Wildlife can be quite aggressive when under threat so be careful. Raccoons may also carry a lot of diseases which are dangerous to humans (rabies and roundworm). If you are getting rid of raccoons I strongly recommend you use a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated. Read further on raccoon removal page.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at647-994-9453 to get rid of raccoons
