Are raccoons in your dumpster in Arlington, TN? First, let’s consider the things that raccoons love to eat. Their diet consists of a variety of nuts, berries, plants, fruits, and acorns. Raccoons love to eat small rodents, frogs, fish, squirrels, rabbits, bird eggs, insects, and insect larvae (grubs). They are opportunistic eaters meaning they will eat practically anything they can get their little paws on including leftover human food from trashcans.
How To Keep Raccoons From Getting Into Your Dumpster
Here are a few methods to try yourself if raccoons are getting into your trash can or dumpster:
- Clean up and remove any trash that is open or on the ground around the trashcan or dumpster that is easily seen or accessible. Smells attract wildlife and provides them with an easy meal. If food is easily accessible, they will continue to come back to this feeding source.
- If you learn that a neighbor is feeding raccoons make sure to let them know that their kind-hearted effort is affecting you and other neighbors. They may realize the impact this is having on the neighborhood.
Make Sure Your Garbage Is Safe From Those Raccoons!
Tightly secure the lids on your trashcans and dumpsters. Raccoons are strong and can easily open trash lids because of their hand-like paws. Raccoons are extremely smart, too, and can figure out how to open most lids, jars, and other objects. Place bungee cords around the lid in ways that will keep the top secure and raccoons from getting in. These are a few simple tips to deter raccoons from getting into your trashcan or dumpster. For more information about raccoons, read Raccoon Removal In Arlington TN.
Purchase a trashcan with a locking mechanism. Keep the trashcan in your garage until the morning that trash collector is scheduled to come. This will remove any opportunity for raccoons have gain access to the trash receptacle in their search for food. They should move on to another area if they see there are no easy meals at your home.
Is Your Dumpster Secure But You Still Need Raccoons Trapped?
If you have tried to discourage the raccoons from coming around, you may need to consider trapping them. Fortunately, you have come to the right place! Apex Wildlife Control offers outside trapping services for most wildlife species including raccoons. Our technicians will come out to to your property and set out several live traps around your trash receptacle. These are humane traps that enable raccoons to go in easily, however they need our help to get out. Our technician will use species-specific bait. This will prevent cats or other animals will not go into the cage and be trapped accidentally. Because of this, we will always ask about pets and stray animals in an effort to avoid this.
We will trap the raccoons over a period of seven days. Our technicians will return three times (every 36 hours) to check the traps. He will remove any animal that has been caught, re-bait and reset the traps as needed. He will also move the traps if there is a change in the raccoon activity in our area.
If you find an animal has been caught, call us immediately. We will come out that day to remove the animal.
What If A Cat Gets Into A Raccoon Trap?
If a cat does go into the trap, it is no big deal. We can release the cat completely unharmed. After baiting the traps, we will trap for seven days. We come out every other day to check on the traps and re-bait them or move them as needed with the changing activity in your area. Call us if you see an animal has been caught in a trap and we will come out that day. We try to make this as easy as we can for you. As a result, it is not necessary for you to be home while we are doing our trapping services.
Raccoons Trapped in Your Dumpster Or Trash Can
If a raccoon should get stuck in a trashcan gently tip the receptacle over and quickly back away. The raccoon will usually not be in attack mode. As a result, they will simply be glad to get out and should run away quickly.
Sometimes raccoon removal can be a bit more tricky. For instance, raccoons sometimes get stuck in a dumpster. Open any side doors to the dumpster, if any. If no side doors to enable the raccoons to get out, try placing a board or something they can use as a ladder to climb out by themselves.
Call us immediately if an adolescent or baby raccoon is stuck in the dumpster and the mother is not around. Typically, a small baby is harmless. Because of this, we will just need a pair of protective gloves to handle it. We then turn to a wildlife rehabilitator trained and experienced with baby raccoons without a mother. The rehabilitator knows how to properly feed and care for babies. For instance, they will help get the baby healthy, and at the appropriate age, they reintroduce the raccoon back into the wild for its best chances for survival.
Time To Call A Professional!
If you have tried to help the raccoon get out without success, then it is time to call in a wildlife professional. We do not advise that you to try and remove the raccoon yourself. Because these are wild animals, they may feel trapped, become defensive, and lash out to scratch or bite you. If this happens, call Apex! Let us know everything you have tried and the number of raccoons involved. Our technicians will come out promptly with a net and noose. After assessing the situation, they will determine the best way to handle it. Animals can tire themselves out from struggling to free themselves. The technician can scoop the up and easily rescue them from the dumpster
Often the raccoons are afraid of the noose we use. Our technician wraps the noose around its body, under its front legs. He will never place the noose around a raccoon’s neck. The technician must perform this maneuver correctly to avoid harming the raccoon. We will then relocate the animal far enough away from your property that they cannot return.
Rescue And Relocation
Call us immediately if an adolescent or baby raccoon is stuck in the dumpster and the mother is not around. Typically, a small baby is harmless. We will just need a pair of protective gloves to handle it. We turn to a wildlife rehabilitator trained and experienced with baby raccoons without a mother. The rehabilitator knows how to properly feed and care for babies. For instance, they will help get the baby healthy. And at the appropriate age, they reintroduce the raccoon back into the wild for its best chances for survival.
If a family of raccoons is trapped in a dumpster, let us know how many there are. Relocated raccoons in a new territory will have to fight for territory and find new water and foods source. Because of this, we prefer to trap and relocate families together. Most areas are already occupied by other raccoons, and it is their territory. Raccoon families relocated together can protect each other, forage together for a greater chance of survival.
If you have raccoons in your dumpster in Arlington TN, call us today and we will be glad to help!
