Do you have raccoons stealing cat food in Eads TN? Raccoons are known as omnivorous animals because their diet consists of both plants and animals. This also makes them opportunistic in that they will eat practically anything they can put their little hand-like paws on. This is why you will often see them in and around trash receptacles.
What Types Of Food Do Raccoons Eat?
A raccoon’s diet in the wild consists of nuts, berries, plants, eggs, insects, fish, frogs, and small rodents. If other food sources are abundant they will stray from this diet. It is so much easier for raccoons to dig through trash for a quick meal of leftovers. If they live near a suburb then trash receptacles can be an abundant source of food. This can make raccoons the biggest wildlife problem in a suburban area because raccoons will eat practically anything.
They are extremely smart and have hand-like paws that allows them to open almost anything. The best deterrent for raccoons is to ensure that they have no reason to hang around. Make sure your trash can is tightly secured or put away in the garage until the morning the trash collector is scheduled to come. To learn more about raccoon removal in Eads, click here.
Raccoons Eating Cat And Dog Food?
Raccoons are drawn by the smell of food. Do you have pets that you feed outside? If so, you want to take into consideration that this may be what is attracting raccoons to your home. The trash may be one source of food, but finding a bowl of dog or cat food right in front of their nose just waiting for them is a treat they will not pass up. In fact, it will cause them to return again and again! It is a good idea to store your pet food in secure containers either in your house or garage. Pick up any food that is dropped or remains uneaten after your pets have been fed. By removing the food source the raccoons will move on to another area.
If you enjoy grilling and eating meals outside on your patio then make certain you clean the grill and any leftover food that has dropped on the ground. Also, do not leave food sitting near open windows which could tempt a raccoon to enter your home.
Once raccoons find a good source of food they tend to find a home nearby. Their new home can be someone’s attic because attics are a safe and quiet place for raccoons to nest. They are expert climbers that can easily access a roof, chew holes in the eaves to get into an attic. This, of course, can lead to structural damage to both the inside and outside of your home.
Possible Health Concerns When Raccoons Don’t Leave
If raccoons are on your property you may begin to notice their fecal droppings in your attic, yard, or around your trash cans.Their fecal contains a lot of bacteria that is extremely unsanitary and can cause several health issues. One of the main health concerns is a bacterial infection known as Baylisacaris that can be contracted by humans and other animals when they come into contact with raccoon feces. This infection originates from roundworms in the raccoon’s intestines and the roundworm eggs that are passed in the raccoon feces.
Symptoms can appear between 1 and 4 weeks from contamination and include fatigue, lack of attention to one’s surroundings, loss of muscle control and coordination, an enlarged liver, blindness and coma. Contact a doctor immediately if you begin to experience any of these symptoms or a veterinarian if you notice that a pet is exhibiting symptoms.
Raccoon Fecal Cleanup And Deodorization
Safety is a key factor whenever raccoon fecal and urine are handled. Apex Wildlife Control are the wildlife professionals to contact. We offer a fecal cleaning and deodorization service. It is
very important use the correct equipment to clean, sanitize and deodorize an area containing fecal droppings. A safety suit, goggles, gloves, and a mask with a respirator are needed for protection from fecal contaminants that can be breathed in or get into your eyes. Call Apex if you see fecal or urine stains in your attic or dark stains on your ceiling that could be an indication of urine that has saturated the ceiling from your attic. We will provide a thorough cleaning so you will not have to worry about your family or pets getting sick.
Types Of Bait We Use If You Have Raccoons Stealing Cat Food In Eads TN
Raccoons should move on once all food sources have been removed from your property. However, there are times when just removing the sources of food will not be enough. The raccoon may have settled into your area and made a home. It may then become necessary to trap, relocate, and release the raccoon. If that a becomes the case then our wildlife technicians have a good success rate with outside trapping and will be happy to assist you.
We use humane, live traps that do no harm to wildlife or domestic pets if a pet should accidentally become trapped. As a precaution to avoid trapping a beloved pet we use species-specific baits. Raccoons LOVE cat and dog food, but these are not the baits to use if there are domestic animals in the area. We will use a “sweet bait” such as marshmallows and Twizzlers to entice raccoons into traps. This is an example of a bait that dogs and cats do not enjoy and should not draw them to a trap.
Is A Family Of Raccoons Stealing Cat Food In Eads TN?
If you have seen a number of raccoons on your property there may be a family of raccoons. We would need to know the number of raccoons involved to help us determine the number of traps that will be needed. Our goal is to trap a family together so the technicians can relocate and release them together if possible. Even if we trap one member of the family we will hold it for a day or two while we wait to see if other family members can be caught.
There is good reason to keep a family together as they will have a better chance of survival when released. Relocating a raccoon family will place them in another animal’s territory. They may have to fight for territory, hide from other wildlife or avoid predators as they forage for other sources of food and water. There is a greater chance for survival if the family can remain together in the new area.
Call Apex Wildlife Control at 901-598-8555 if you have further questions or concerns. Let us solve your wildlife problems. It’s all we do, and we are happy to help!
