Are you irritated by all those raccoons digging up your yard in Cordova, TN?  You're not alone!  Raccoons can do an enormous amount of damage to your property in a very short amount of time.  Not only can they wreak havoc on your lawn and flower beds, but they can tear their way into your attic in their search for a home for the winter.

Raccoons are not the only wild animals that can tear up a beautiful lawn overnight.  Skunks, armadillos and opossums can also cause damage to your lawn, but in different ways.

Armadillos have cone shaped heads which they use to burrow into the soil.  These deep, narrow holes will almost look like you could set an ice cream cone into them!  Skunks will make wider cone shaped holes with their nose and claws, and will often leave a tell-tale scent.  And since opossums would much rather dig through your garbage than your lawn, they will rarely cause any damage to your yard. 

Now a raccoon is an entirely different story.  These little guys are equipped with human-like paws which they use to neatly roll back your freshly laid sod in search for tasty grubs.  These cunning little creatures are adept at picking through your yard for food, and they're almost aggravatingly neat about it!

As in all of nature, raccoons will stick around as long as they have a plentiful food source available.  Raccoons are omnivores, which means they will eat both meat and plants.  These hungry little hunters will eat frogs, mice, rats, snakes, grubs, worms, insects, eggs, flowers and vegetables.

There are many things you can do to make your property a bit less "raccoon-friendly".  You can start by keeping your trash cans tightly secured.  Raccoons love an easy meal.

Also, are you or your neighbors feeding dogs or cats outdoors?  Cat food is a favorite treat for raccoons, and they will also raid your bird feeders. 

And let's not forget the number one reason raccoons tear up your lawn!

GRUBS!

Grubs are the Easter eggs of the wildlife world for raccoons.  If you have an overabundance of grubs, then eventually you will have raccoons.  However, these little rascals can be quite lazy, so the harder you make it for them to dig for grubs, the sooner they will leave looking for an easier food source. Some homeowners have resorted to putting chain link fencing or netting over the top of the area that has the most activity.

Many homeowners have had success with grub killers.  Just keep in mind that most of these products will only kill young grub larvae in late summer or early fall.  Applying grub killer at any other time is just a waste of money.  Remember, only apply grub killers right when the new eggs have hatched into larvae.

So how does it work?  Grub killer is basically made up of tiny roundworms that wiggle through the soil looking for a host.  Once inside the grub, they will release a special bacteria that kills the grub. 

Hard to believe, but raccoons just don't care about how much time and money you put into your yard and flower beds!  A younger raccoon will look for the most accessible food sources, and that usually means the softer soil around your flowers.  Unfortunately, this means your flowers can be pulled out and mulch thrown everywhere.  Messy little things, raccoons.

One way to try to keep raccoon damage down is by placing pavers or bricks in and around your flower beds.  However, this usually won't work since raccoons are extremely strong and very intelligent. A simple fix like bricks won't slow them down one bit.  Grub killer and  chicken wire in and around your plants may help keep the raccoons away.  Unfortunately, once raccoons have learned where a plentiful food source is, they won't easily give up.  In these cases, trapping is the only real solution for these stubborn fellows.

At Apex Wildlife Control, we understand how frustrating wildlife can be when it invades your home and property.  Wild animals can be fun and interesting to watch, but when they start causing expensive damage, they just have to go.

Raccoons can be harmful in other ways as well.  They carry ticks and fleas which can invade your home.  And in the Memphis area, many raccoons carry rabies and distemper which can be easily transmitted to your pets.  Raccoons are nocturnal, which means they are active at night and sleep during the day.  If you see a raccoon during the day and it seems to be acting funny, it more than likely will be infected with rabies or distemper.  In this case, keep yourself and your pets away from the raccoon and call Apex Wildlife Control immediately. 

We think raccoons are cute too, but they just don't belong around your home.

As you can see by the look on the face of our unhappy friend to the right, raccoons are never happy to be trapped and relocated to a new area.  However, sometimes trapping is the only solution for problem raccoons.

Now before we release a trapped raccoon into its new home, the technician will check the animal for dehydration and any injuries that could cause the raccoon to be vulnerable to predators.  If the raccoon looks healthy, the technician will release it in an area near water and food sources so the raccoon can live its best raccoon life.

In the case of an injured adult or baby raccoons, we will contact a local rehabilitator licensed by the State of Tennessee.  This rehabilitator will nurse the injured raccoons back to health, and finish raising the babies in a manner to allow them to eventually be released back into the wild.

So if you have a furry little bandit causing problems in your yard, give us a call today!  We will be happy to take that rascal off your hands!