Raccoon damage to yards, roofs, attics, and crawlspaces costs homeowners thousands of dollars in repairs every year (a standard homeowner's insurance policy might cover the cost of repair but not trapping and removing. Contact your insurance company).
These critters are smart and constantly on the hunt for both food and shelter. Bird feeders, trash cans, and pet food will attract a raccoon to your property. Their agile paws allow them to tear into materials that would deter other animals, resulting in harm to property
Raccoon Damage in the House
Raccoons are fairly industrious when it comes to finding a way into your home. When possible, raccoons will exploit an existing hole. Despite the fairly large size of raccoons, the hole doesn’t have to be big. An adult raccoon can fit into a hole the size of a softball (3-4”).
In the worst-case scenario, a raccoon will create or expand holes, tear off roof shingles, or destroy vents. Raccoons are powerful creatures for their size, and they have tough paws and sharp claws to help bypass obstacles that other animals would have trouble with. Here are a few examples that Critter Control technicians have encountered in the field.
Despite protests from the homeowners, this raccoon was determined enough to tear through roof shingles and past insulation. Raccoons will go to extreme lengths to enter a house in certain circumstances, especially if kits are already in the attic. Without the proper raccoon-proof architecture, they will find a way inside the attic. Critter Control removes wildlife and repairs raccoon-damaged areas with the proper material necessary to keep raccoons out for good.
Vents are another common access point that is not protected by a thick wooden board. To ensure you are getting rid of raccoons for good, raccoon-proof materials are recommended for every potential access point even if damage has not yet occurred.
Here, a raccoon made its way into the house through the soffit. Soffit and fascia are common weak points that Raccoons exploit to make their way into the attic for denning.
Raccoon Damage in Attic
Raccoon Damage to Ceilings
Raccoons can weigh up to twenty pounds! This raccoon caused the ceiling to cave-in from within the attic. It feel into the living area of the house along with attic insulation and dust. Critter Control caught the raccoon with a catch pole.
Raccoon Latrine Sites
When they den in residential areas, raccoons create separate latrine sites. They consistently return to these locations, which are commonly found on roofs, in attics, woodpiles, haylofts, and on or under decks.
Their accumulated feces and urine quickly destroys insulation and saturates woodwork. Their feces spread raccoon roundworm, which is a serious health hazard for residents repairing raccoon damage to homes. In addition, fleas and ticks in raccoon fur can transfer to people or pets.Raccoon Nests
Raccoon Damage to Lawns
Grubs and earthworms are easy food sources, especially for young raccoons. From mid to late summer, homeowners may find holes and piles of sod scattered across the yard due to the pests' nightly foraging. In addition to raccoon damage to lawns, the animals rip open trash cans and sift through the contents to find a meal.
Controlling Raccoons
Using scare tactics with raccoons will sometimes drive them away, but these methods don't work when the animals become familiar with humans. Furthermore, excluding a mother raccoon from her nest may result in a litter of babies left inside a chimney or attic den.
Residents concerned about raccoon damage to the home, roof, or yard can contact Critter Control for humane and effective wildlife removal.
Learn more about raccoon removal.
Get them out.
Keep them out.®
Experience wildlife or pest issue? We can help! Complete this form and your local Critter Control® office will contact you to assist.
Best Bat Removal
Brandon was out to please and make out lives easier with out bat situation. Above and beyond of the call of duty and got the job done. Thank you!
BAT POOP CLEAN-UP AND PREVENTION! Bat guano removed from gables. No bats found in attic, so put new screens on all gable vents, as one screen was close to breaking and then bats may have gotten in! Great work in
Tulsa!
Squirrels and chipmunks were in our attic. So we called Critter Control to do an inspection. Their representative climbed all over our very steep roof and found several places where squirrels had entered our attic.
Upon inspection of the attic, evidence of bats was also found. The Critter Control team came on time to completely caulk the entire perimeter of the house and create an exit strategy for the squirrels and bats.
Because
bat droppings can cause histoplasmosis, this also required total removal and replacement of our attic insulation and sanitizing the space. Not a small job in a 1,300 sq. ft. attic! While Critter Control’s cost was high, our homeowners insurance covered most of it. Everyone representing Critter Control was professional, courteous and timely. I would highly recommend them to anyone who thinks they might have unwelcome guests living in their attic
On recommendations from a nearby pest control company, I called Critter Control for suspicious
bat droppings.
Madison came out the same day to do an inspection. She was knowledgeable, thorough, and highly professional. She examined the ‘matter’ that had been scattered on my threshold and thought it was foliage. But she then asked to go up to my attic space where the bats could be roosting. She had to walk up 3 flights of stairs with a heavy ladder. She again spent some time searching all the nooks and crannies and found nothing.
She seemed so interested in her craft, it was truly inspiring to see! She reassured me and is writing up a prevention strategy for my appraisal. She charged me NOTHING!! I am so impressed. We need more Madisons in this world!
Service:
Bat Removal
We noticed droppings on our brand new deck - we were given their number from our contractor. They came the next day. Brian looked at it and said - yeah, bats!! He then checked every area in our attic and he explained exactly what needed to be done.
He found evidence of a mice infestation, provided a referral and they are helping us as well. Great service, very informative, very professional! We are very satisfied and would recommend them to anyone who has any issues with any critters!
Quicklinks