Are raccoons in your dumpster in Germantown TN? If so, consider what raccoons like to eat. A raccoon’s diet consists mostly of a variety of nuts, berries, plants, fruits, and acorns. Raccoons also eat small rodents, frogs, fish, squirrels, rabbits, bird eggs, and insects.
Raccoons will eat both plants and animals. They are also opportunistic foragers. Opportunistic eaters will eat anything they can get their hands on including human food like leftovers from trash cans. If raccoons can get their hands on it, they will definitely eat it.
How To Keep Raccoons From Getting Into Your Dumpster
If you have raccoons in your dumpster in Germantown TN, here are a few suggestions you may try to deter them yourself.
- Remove any open trash around the trash cans or dumpster that is easily seen or accessible. The smell will attract raccoons and provide an easy meal. If they know food is easily accessible, they will continue to come back.
- If one of your neighbors is feeding raccoons, this will affect nearby neighbors. Make sure to let your neighbors know in case they don’t realize the impact it is having on the neighborhood.
Make Sure Your Garbage Is Safe From Those Raccoons!
Once the neighbors have cleaned up their trash left on the ground, make sure your trash can is secure. It is easy for raccoons to open trash lids, because of their hand-shaped paws. Raccoons are extremely smart and will figure out how to open most lids, jars, and other objects. Placing bungee cords around the trashcan lid is a good way to help keep the raccoons from getting in. These are just a few suggestions to keep raccoons from getting into your dumpster. For more info about Raccoons, Raccoon Removal In Germantown TN.
We advise our clients to make sure to buy a trash can with a locking mechanism that is considered bear-proof. Also, keep the trash in your garage until the morning the trash collector comes. This will remove any ideas the raccoons may have to search for food. Hopefully they will move on to another neighborhood once they see there are no easy meals.
Is Your Dumpster Secure But You Still Need Raccoons Trapped?
After you have tried everything and you still have raccoons, you may want to look into trapping. Luckily, you have come to the right place. Apex Wildlife Control offers exterior trapping services for most species, including raccoons. A technician will come out with live cage traps and set them around your property. We will ensure traps are placed around your trash cans or dumpster to ensure we catch the raccoons.
We use bait that is species-specific. Please let us know if there are any cats or small dogs that could get into the cage. We use different bait if there are certain domestic animals around. Sometimes cats will get into the trap and we don’t want to risk hurting them.
What If A Cat Gets Into A Raccoon Trap?
If a cat does go into the trap, it is no big deal. We will release the cat completely unharmed. After baiting the traps, we will trap for seven days and 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. Give us a call 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, so 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 gets stuck in a trash can, try to gently tip it over and quickly move away. Raccoons will usually not be in attack mode, they are just be glad to get out and will try to run away quickly.
A raccoon stuck in a dumpster is a little trickier. Open any side doors if possible. If they are still unable to get out, you try to put a board or something they can use as a ladder to climb out themselves.
If an adolescent raccoon is stuck in a trash can or dumpster and the mother is not around, call us immediately. Typically if it is a small baby they are harmless and we have protective gloves to handle it. When a raccoon is without a mother we have to find rehabilitation to help with feeding and caring for it. The rehabilitation can help to get the baby healthy and reintroduce them into the wild at an appropriate age when they will have the best chance of survival.
Time To Call A Professional!
Once you have tried to help the wildlife out yourself with no success, it is most likely time to call a professional. We would not advise you to try to get the raccoon out yourself. They will feel trapped and be extremely defensive and will likely lash out and may try to scratch or bite you.
Apex Wildlife Control will send a technician out with a net and noose. They will assess the situation and determine the best way to handle it. Sometimes the raccoon has already tired itself out and they can easily scoop it up and remove it. Sometimes when the raccoons are defensive and afraid, we have to use the noose. In order to properly and safely get the raccoon, the noose will be wrapped around its body. A noose does not go around the raccoon’s neck and should never be used this way. Doing this incorrectly can severely harm the raccoon and they may be able to get free and harm the technician or people close by. Once we have the raccoon we will then relocate it.
When you call, let us know every effort you have tried so far, as well as how many raccoons you have seen together, if you have seen them. We prefer to trap families together if we can. Raccoon families relocated together have a better chance of survival. Relocated raccoons will have to find a new water source and feeding ground as well as looking for their new home. Many areas are already occupied by other raccoons and it is their territory.
The newly relocated raccoons will either have to fight for territory or avoid the local wildlife and hideout until they can find a new home. Raccoons relocated together will help to protect each other and forage together so their chances for survival are much higher.
So if you have raccoons in your dumpster in Germantown TN, call Apex today at 901-598-8555 and we will be glad to help!
