Raccoon in the Attic

Raccoons are intelligent creatures. If they can find a quiet, secure, safe place to live and raise their young, they are going to do it. Unfortunately, that place is often the attic of homes. Many homeowners are first alerted to the presence of raccoons in their home by the noises that keep them up at night- thumping around and strange growling noises. It is important to get them out of your attic as soon as you find out they are there, because they can cause damage to your home.

Why the Attic?

Your attic makes a great raccoon nest. There they find a dark, infrequently trafficked place to rest during the day. When night comes, they can easily make their way outside in search of food, which can come from any outdoor trash cans nearby. The enclosure protects young raccoon pups from the dangers of their natural environment, including bad weather and predators. In many cases, a mother raccoon will either give birth in an attic or bring her young into one, since it provides them such great protection.

Removal Issues

Because raccoons are so crafty, they can be exceedingly difficult to trap. Even if you are certain that there is a raccoon in your attic, that doesn’t mean you can just throw a trap up there and you will catch it within the hour. Trap placement is key, and unless you have experience trapping raccoons, there is a high probability that you won’t be able to catch it. In addition, if there are raccoon pups in the attic, they won’t be grown up enough to walk into a trap anyway.

Furthermore, raccoon control is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. You cannot harm or mistreat a raccoon by neglecting it when it’s trapped or by poisoning it. At all times, raccoons must be treated humanely. Failure to comply with state regulations can land you in legal trouble. In addition, the laws are in place for the good of the animal and the environment, so it’s important to follow them.

Hire Professionals

For all of these reasons, removing raccoons from your attic is best left to the professionals. At Critter Control® of Sarasota, we take pride in leading the animal control industry with our high standards and quality service. If a raccoon is in your attic, we will remove it humanely and legally, as well as fix any holes the creature used to enter the house and clean up any messes it left behind. If your insulation has been damaged by a raccoon nest, we can fix that too. Call us today at 941-355-9511 for your free consultation.