Raccoon (Procyon lotor), a medium-sized mammal, native to entire North America, is omnivorous. Hence being an omnivore (consumer of both plants and animals), human makes their excellent neighbors. With the easy availability of food and shelter and being an opportunistic feeder, raccoons generally prefer to enter residential areas. Trespassing in someone’s property at nighttime and damaging the garden, or crops or scattering garbage is common. For example, a raccoon damaging a sweet corn-field is a very familiar scene. Although they are found all over the USA, they are most common in the country’s eastern part.
How Raccoon Problems Can Cause Huge Damage
Signs of Physical Damage:
Well, first and foremost, Raccoons are wild animals and thus, they don’t make the best house visitant. And secondly, they are simply destructive and messy.
They can destroy anything in the house, like tearing down insulation of pipes or built-up materials from the garbage. Not only this, but people also complain that raccoons can even chew electric wires using their strong teeth. This problem is not limited to searching for foods. In search of nesting sites, female raccoons can rip off roof shingles or rooftop ventilators to get into the attic. Apart from causing such physical damaging, they also spread biohazard. Once trespassed into someone’s property, raccoons will spread urine-strain and poop everywhere they stroll.
Contagious Diseases and Raccoons:
Do you know that Raccoons carries the deadly virus Rabies? This mammal can also carry other hazardous diseases or parasites like raccoon roundworm.
Rabies:
Rabies is a single-stranded RNA virus that can cause devastating neurological disease. Yes, it’s rare nowadays for people in the USA suffering from rabies, but Raccoons are one of themost common species to carry rabies. Simultaneously, they represent the greatest number of reported rabies cases all over the United States. This virus gets transmitted by contact with the saliva of a raccoon which may occur:- through a bite
- by scratch or wound with the animal’s saliva
Baylisascaris Procyonis or the Raccoon Roundworm:
A type of parasite that mainly comes from the intestines of raccoons. These parasites lay eggs into raccoon’s feces (undigested food). Any exposure to feces during cleaning or handling can cause a disease known as Visceral Larval Migrant. Here exposure means oral ingestion.Leptospirosis:
A species of bacteria found in raccoon’s bio-wastes. Thus these bacteria may harm in case of exposure to raccoon’s urine or secretions through the oral channel or open wounds.
Why are raccoons a common sight in cities like NY today?
Yes, raccoons are indeed wild animals and hence they should be dwellers of woodlands. But these “nocturnal” creatures are a common sight even in downtowns of New York mainly because of two reasons.
- Great adaptive nature and
- Somehow woodlands are disappearing due to pressure of urbanization
The environment of NY is seemed to be very suitable for them. And the major reason is that the entire NY city is covered with several green spaces and there is a ton of trash. These trash places or scraps become their place to look for food. And that’s the reason finding a raccoon rummaging through trash cans in any public parks or outside your residential building is somehow usual.
Raccoons are wild animals
Just like other wild creatures, a raccoon can be ferocious and unpredictable at any time. Additionally, mother raccoons are very protective of their babies. So if anyone tries to grab or remove baby raccoons from the nesting area, the mother may attack the person. And not only about attacking, but their sharp canine teeth and claws can also cause severe wounds to our body. Also, there are evidences, that raccoons inflict serious wounds on pet dogs and cats as well.
Why does managing raccoon problems require a professional support?
Some people might think that raccoons are adorable creatures. But their annoying natures like denning into your chimney or scattering trash cans at midnight can be both horrible and scary. Also, they are wild, and hence if a raccoon feels threatened, it will attack. And most important, a bite or wound can cause fatal diseases like rabies.
This is the urgency why raccoon removal requires professional knowledge of handling wild animals in addition to equipment and experience. Raccoon management specialist possesses the required skills to deal with these intelligent animals in a humane way. Also, handling wild animals may cause you trouble with the law or even with some animal activists. But, their presence should not keep you away from living a comfortable life. So, you need to contact us if you are looking for a reliable and qualified raccoon removal specialist.