If you figure you may have a raccoon infestation, here are five signs to look out for:
The horrible smell of dung or urine
When raccoons make a den out of your attic, the last thing they think to do is head outside in order to defecate and urinate. This goes double if it is cold outside during the winter months.
They will drop the majority of their scat right above your head in that attic and likely inside your insulation.
Make no mistake! You will smell that dung and urine if you have a long term raccoon problem. If you notice a funny odor, trust your senses! You could very well have a raccoon family squatting inside your attic.
Exterior damage to your home
Some of the time, you can detect an infestation before it gets out of control. You can spot signs of raccoons hanging out around your yard and evidence of them trying to break in.
If there are small gaps in your roofline, soffits, fascia, or vents, raccoons will work away at it with their teeth and claws to try to widen their preferred entry point.
You may notice this exterior damage around drains, shingles, and vents from the outside.
If that damage catches your eye, it might be time to call in the professionals at AAAC Wildlife Removal to come help you have a look.
The sounds of scratching and footsteps coming from the attic.
Raccoons are generally the most active around dawn and dusk, so you most likely won’t hear them moving around much during the day.
If you hear scratching or heavy footfalls in the early morning or just after dark, it’s likely you’ve got a big critter up in the loft. Sound in the attic are always a concern!
Most other animals make small scurrying noises (think squirrels or rats), but raccoons are large enough to make it sound like you’ve got a real problem up there!
Tree limbs too close to your roof
Raccoons aren’t magic creatures. They can’t simply teleport to the top of your roof. They need a safe way to climb up there.
The most common way that we see raccoons get roof access is due to untrimmed tree limbs hanging too close to the roofline.
This makes it easy for a raccoon to quickly scale the tree, walk right over to your rooftop, and start looking for a way in.
Garbage strewn around your yard
Raccoons are messy house guests. You could almost say they party like rockstars and leave you to clean up the garbage they scattered around your yard last night.
If you notice trash strewn about, missing pet food, or doors left mysteriously ajar, a raccoon infestation is a certain bet.
Pets behaving strangely
Humans have dull senses. Maybe we’ve spent far too long in comfort to quickly pick up on the presence of a wild animal.
Our pets, on the other hand, still have quite keen hunting instincts. They often know something is up before we do.
If your pet begins acting strange, running around your house while whining and trying to communicate with you (and it doesn’t just come off as garden variety neediness), they may have picked up on a raccoon infestation in the attic.
Tell Lassie to cool her heels for a minute while you pop up to the attic to check for beady eyes staring back at you in the dark.
