Raccoon in House - What do Do
How To Remove A Raccoon Inside Your House - Raccoons are naturally inquisitive and quite bold animals that will explore their surroundings, and one of the most unfortunate problems will happen if a raccoon finds its way inside your house, but then can't get back out again. The creatures are easily spooked, so you will often find signs of gnawing and scratching where the raccoon has been, while it may also leave urine and feces in the part of your house where it is located. There are several things that you can do to try and deal with the situation, but one of the most important things is to make sure that you remain safe, and if you have any doubts that the animal may be ill or rabid, make sure that you call a professional.
Avoiding Confrontation With The Raccoon
Like most animals, raccoons will not actively seek out confrontation with people unless they feel that they are cornered, and there is no other escape route available for them apart from to attack. If you find the animal stuck in a particular room, try not to go directly into the room if possible, and make sure you put on some heavy clothing with long sleeves that will protect you if it tries to scratch or bite. The best case scenario is that the animal is in a room that leads directly to the outdoors, meaning you can just open the door, and the raccoon will understand what it needs to do to get out.
Opening Up A Route To The Outdoors
GET HELP: Do you need professional help with a raccoon problem? We have wildlife experts servicing almost every area of the USA! HIRE US IN YOUR TOWN
COSTS: You may want to read more about raccoons or the prices we charge for our services: READ ABOUT OUR RACCOON PRICES
If the raccoon has made its way further into your house, then you may need to open up a path for the animal from the room of your house where it is to the outdoors. In order to help the raccoon to understand what you are doing, you can also leave a trail of pet food or chunks of fruit and veg guiding the raccoon out towards the fresh air and away from your home. The most important thing when setting this up is to try not and appear to be blocking off the raccoon, as that may make it feel trapped or cornered, and in this situation the raccoon could react unpredictably.
Ushering The Raccoon Out Of Your House
In some cases, the raccoon simply won't understand what you are trying to do and how you are trying to help it, and it may either become scared or agitated that it cannot find a way out of property. An useful implement at this point will be a broom, as you can use that to gently usher the raccoon towards the door which offers its freedom, while doing it in this way can also give you the ability to nudge the animal in the right direction without having to get too close to the raccoon.
Trapping The Animal
When it comes to getting the raccoon into a trap so that it can be relocated, it can be quite a difficult task and is definitely a last resort after trying other methods of getting the raccoon out. Using a snare pole to loop a cord over its head is one way to get the raccoon outside, but if the raccoon is quite scared and still you may even be able to trap the animal under a heavy towel or a box, which can also trap the animal so it can be removed. Using a cage trap in this situation would simply be ineffective, as there would be no way that the raccoons would enter into the trap that it has seen you set.
Finding A Professional To Remove The Raccoon
Having tried all the other option, or if you simply want the problem solved as soon as possible, calling a wildlife removal expert can be the simplest way to get the problem of the raccoon out of your home. Once you have called them in they will usually arrive fairly quickly, and once you have pointed them to the right room, they will usually have the experience to catch the raccoon quite quickly. Depending on the rules of the state, the animal will then either be killed humanely, or it can be released some distance away from your property.
Cleaning Up After A Raccoon Has Been Removed
Once the raccoon, you can start on the work to clean up after the animal, and particularly if you have raccoon feces to deal with, it is well worth wearing a breathing mask and goggles to do this work. If the carpet or furnishings have been soiled you may be able to clean it, or in some cases it may need to be replaced if it is heavily soiled. Once you have finished cleaning, make sure any areas where the raccoon was busy are disinfected, to make sure that those in the house aren't exposed to any of the diseases that can be transmitted by raccoons.
Go back to the main Raccoon Removal page for more information about raccoons in your house. How do you get a raccoon out of your home? What to do if you have raccoons in your house.
