 Each year raccoons, possums,
bats, pigeons and other wildlife create a variety of nuisance
problems for people. They surface in a variety of ways,
ranging from raccoons and possums going through your garbage,
squirrels chewing through wires to bat inhabiting buildings.
Raccoons may be carrying fleas or worse have rabies, Bats and
pigeons can cause a health risk because their feces known as
"guano" can cause histoplasmosis.
In North Carolina, PEST ARRESTERS is your local area
specialist in nuisance wildlife control. We have a NC
Wildlife Damage Control Agent on staff at all times. We
are experts in our field and can offer professional,
dependable service. We are fully licensed and insured and
offer a full warranty on our work.
Raccoons
Biology
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Raccoons
breed mainly in February and March, but mating may occur
from December through June. Most litters are born in April
or May, but some late-breeding females may not give birth
until June, July, or August. Raccoons produce one litter per
year. The average litter size is 3 to 5 young. |
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The diet of the raccoon is extremely diverse. They will
eat fruits, berries, grain, eggs, poultry, vegetables, nuts,
mollusks, fish, insects, rodents, carrion, pet food and
garbage. Raccoons are nocturnal or night-time active
animals. If you are seeing raccoons during the day around
your home there is a problem. The raccoon may even have
rabies.
Please contact us for a
FREE estimate
to remove this potentially
dangerous animal. |
Damage
| Raccoons can cause
substantial damage. In urban areas, raccoons damage
building (particularly attics and roofs), gardens, fruit
trees, lawns, garbage cans and trash containers. They are
also attracted to pet food left outdoors and will attack
pets. Occasionally, one or more raccoons will establish a
communal toilet area resulting in time of the deposition of
a large number of scats. Raccoons are also serious predators
of wild bird populations. Reports indicate that raccoons
have been responsible for eliminating local populations of
some nesting waterfowl. |
Disease
| Raccoons are known
carriers of rabies, canine distemper, encephalitis,
histoplasmosis, trypanosomiasis, coccidiosis, toxoplasmosis,
tularemia, tuberculosis, listeriosis, leptospirosis,
roundworms, and mange. They are also infested with fleas,
ticks, lice and mites which are known transmitters of
disease. Children and pets are particularly at risk.
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Direct Control
| Where raccoons become so
numerous that they are a serious pest, they must be
excluded or removed. In rural areas, nuisance and
damaging raccoons may be trapped. Since raccoons are
classified as furbearers, a trapping license or depredation
permit may be required before taking any animals. In urban
areas, trapping with baited cage traps is the most
satisfactory way to remove raccoons. There are no federally
registered chemicals to control raccoons. Approved chemical
repellents have not been found to be effective. |
Laws and Regulations
| Raccoons are not
threatened or endangered. They are classified as
furbearers in North Carolina. Fur harvest regulations are
set by the North Carolina Department of Fish and Game. A
trappers license or depredation permit will be required
before taking any raccoons. It is a violation of North
Carolina state law for any wildlife to be kept as pets. Only
authorized wildlife rehabilitators may keep injured or
orphaned wildlife and then only for limited periods of time.
The North Carolina Department of Fish and Game
regulations prohibit the relocation of raccoons.
For further information
or assistance in solving raccoon problems,
contact
PEST ARRESTERS
and speak with our on staff NC Wildlife Damage Control
Agent. |
Interesting Raccoon Facts
| Washing their food:
Contrary to popular myth, raccoons do not always wash their
food before eating, although they frequently play with their
food in water. Raccoons do not
like tomatoes. The tomatoes are acidic and it does not
agree well with the raccoons digestive system. |
Choice of Home
| The size of a raccoons
territory depends on how much food there is in that
area. The usual territory is 2.5 square kilometers. They
usually don't make there dens. They take over a den that was
made by a skunk or a fox. Sometimes they sleep in the day,
but not in their dens. They'll sleep in a fallen log or a
tree.
Raccoons don't really hibernate and
they aren't really active in the winter. They sleep during
the winter but can be awakened easily. Raccoons may be small
but are skillful at fighting. They need to be skillful
fighters because they need to protect their young from
predators. |
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