An Annoying Raccoon

Did you know... a raccoon's hand looks like human's. They have five fingers and use their hands to collect food, open shells, door or trash cans. Did you know raccoons are strong and determined animals in which they can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home? Raccoons are strong enough to rip apart the siding of your home, tear apart ducts, chew on wires, and play peek-a-boo with your installation.

These nuisance pests look for any easy access into your home where they will make their nest. These are extremely smart and have learned that buildings with garbage cans or dumpsters are great locations to live for their adequate food source. Raccoons start to breed in late January to mid March. A female can have up to five young.

It is extremely important to do the remediation process if you have had a raccoon in your attic or building. Raccoons feces is highly toxic to humans. They can carry Baylisascaris Procyonis which is a raccoon roundworm. It's a parasite that lives in the intestines and is transferred from the animal to human or pet when come in contact with it either by digestion or inhalation of the eggs. These nuisance pests are also a vector for the rabies virus. Pets and children are at a higher risk for rabies from infected raccoons by contact of the raccoon’s saliva from either a bite or scratch. Raccoons are also a host for parasites as in fleas, ticks and mites.

Another disease they can carry is Giardiasis which is an infection that raccoons carry and can be transferred to water, soil, and other surfaces. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that is transferred through raccoon's urine. This disease can be transferred through open wounds. The carry Listeriosis which is a bacterial infection that causes serious illnesses such as sepsis, meningitis or encephalitis. They also can carry salmonella or E. Coli, fungus and rare parasites.

If you have heard noises in the attic or have seen evidence of raccoons around your home, give Elite Wildlife Removal a call at 804-867-7184. Our trained technicians will be more than happy to conduct a thorough inspection to determine the animal activity, the entry areas around the home, and an action toward the remediation process. We want to ease your mind in knowing your biggest investment will be unwanted pest free.