Like a toddler on a constant sugar high, raccoons are the not-so-sneaky little thieves getting enjoyment out of making the biggest mess you have ever seen. 

Raccoons are one of the few species that have thrived off the spread of humans. These adorable little bandits have adapted to urban and suburban life despite the destruction of their natural environments. 

If you suspect you have a raccoon living in or around your house, keep reading! We’ll let you in on how to tell if it’s time to call a professional for raccoon removal.

Sign Number 1: Trash And Footprints Around the House

The first raccoon signs and symptoms will be the interest these little critters suddenly have around your house. Raccoon damage usually looks like toppled trashcans, droppings in your pool, and trash scattered around your front yard. Keep an eye out for human-looking footprints about 4 inches long.

These will appear in soft ground near trees and trash. In the months leading up to spring, mother raccoons are looking for somewhere dry and isolated to nest. Your attics and crawl spaces make prime nesting dens, especially for housing in and around swampy areas and near fruit trees.

Sign Number 2: Strange Sounds Coming from The Attic

It’s not unheard of to find a gaze of raccoons living in your house (yes, a group of raccoons is called a gaze). A house has dry and isolated nooks and crannies ideal for mama raccoons. It’s normal to find raccoons in the basement, but the most common cases are raccoons in the attic above the bedroom.

Raccoons like quiet when they sleep, and your bedroom is the quietest room in the house during the day. However, as you drift off to sleep, these little bandits are just waking up. You might hear chattering or the pitter-patter of little feet above you during the night.

Sign Number 3: A Lingering Smell Throughout the House. 

Finally, we have the unmistakable smell that builds and builds as the bandits continue to take up residence. Raccoons don’t urinate or defecate where they sleep, but they will revisit the same place every time they need to relieve themselves.

It is extremely important not to interact with a live or dead wild raccoon or its feces. Raccoons carry contagious diseases, and their droppings should not be handled without gloves and a mask. If you find yourself in the adorable but treacherous grips of a raccoon family, the safest course of action is to call animal removal professionals.

Safe Raccoon Removal

Raccoons are equally as adorable as they are destructive. It might be a unique family experience to find a nest of baby raccoons in your attic, but they will not hold back tearing your house apart. 

Evicting these critters doesn’t have to be dangerous for you or your family. Check out our raccoon removal service for safe and humane extraction.