How can raccoons be relocated?

Nobody wants to live with freeloaders -- and that’s especially the case when the freeloaders are living creatures that don’t seem to understand the boundaries of privacy. Alas, sometimes, you just have to accept that another tribe of animals has set up camp at your property. In Toronto, there’s no shortage of things that can call your house their home, including raccoons, which are one of the most common infestations.

But good news: just because a family of raccoons has decided to move in, that doesn’t mean that you have to accept them with welcome guests. Quite the opposite. You’ll want them gone as soon as possible. To do that, you’ll need to learn about the raccoon removal process. On this page, we’ll run through some essential information that’ll ensure you don’t need to live with raccoons for any longer than possible. 

Signs of Raccoon

The first step towards relocating a raccoon is, well, figuring out that there are raccoons that need relocating! These creatures are smart and sophisticated, and because they want to stay in your home for as long as possible, they’ll hide themselves well. They won’t stroll through the kitchen and open the fridge for a snack.

There’ll be signs that they are there, though. For one thing, you’ll probably hear them walking around, or you’ll hear a meow from the babies. Signs of feces and other dirt can also be an indicator that you have a raccoon in your home, as can sighting a raccoon on your roof and damage to your trash cans. 

Catching the Raccoon

If you suspect that you have a raccoon or family of raccoons living at your property, then you’ll want to work on getting rid of them as soon as possible. However, this isn’t something that you should undertake yourself. You may be able to trap the raccoon, but you can’t legally relocate it -- that’ll require the hands of a professional, such as Swat Wildlife.

While you can trap a raccoon yourself, it’s not recommended that you do so. Raccoons rightfully become aggressive when they’re backed into a corner, and while they don’t generally attack humans, they will if they feel like they have no other choice. Raccoons can also carry several diseases that pose a threat to humans.

By working with a professional pest removal company, you can ensure that both your family and the raccoon is kept safe. People that try to relocate a raccoon themselves often end up causing unnecessary stress for the animal, and in many cases, it can result in the raccoon becoming injured or, worse, even dead. It’s especially important to work with a team that can safely remove raccoons if there are babies involved; raccoon offspring won’t survive without proper care and attention. 

How to Prevent Future Problems

Once the raccoons have been removed by an expert team, you’ll hope that the problem is over once and for all. Alas, given the number of raccoons in Toronto, this won’t be the case unless you take additional steps to prevent the issue from occurring again. 

You can prevent raccoons from eyeing up your property by securely fastening your garage can lids, closing any openings that would allow raccoons to access your roof, and adding cayenne pepper to your garden beds and lawn. 

First and Foremost: Keep Things Humane

You’ll be eager to get rid of raccoons. But it’s important to remember that they are living creatures who, we assume, don’t know that they’re doing anything wrong! So it’s essential to take a humane approach. This isn’t just the morally correct thing to do; it’s also the legally correct thing to do. By working with an expert raccoon remover, you can ensure that the raccoons have the best possible chance of surviving, well away from your home. 

Final Thoughts

Nobody wants to find that they have raccoons living in their attack. However, by taking the right approach, you can ensure that you don’t have to live with unwanted guests for any longer than necessary and also ensure that the raccoons are safely relocated elsewhere. 

If you have an issue with raccoons on your property or you have any other pest issue in Toronto, be sure to get in touch with us here at Swat Wildlife. We have extensive experience and expertise in handling a wide range of domestic pest issues. You can get in touch by calling us at 416-792-5181 or by clicking the ‘Contact’ button at the top of this page and filling out the contact form.