Raccoon Removal Ottawa

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Identifying Features

Colour Grey to reddish-brown
Size Up to 95 cm
Description Raccoons have rings around their bushy tails and distinctive mask-like markings on their faces. They have five digits on all four of their feet, and their front paws work similarly to human hands.

Ottawa Raccoon Removal Professionals

With 30-40 raccoons per square kilometer, Ottawa’s raccoon population is still nowhere near that of Toronto – the world’s raccoon capital with 150 raccoons per square kilometer – but as the city is growing, so is its raccoon population. If you find a raccoon living in your attic, garage or under your porch, contact the experts at Get ‘Em Out Wildlife Control right away.

If there is one animal that consistently drives homeowners crazy – especially in urban areas – it is raccoons. While they are best known for making a mess outside your home by going through your garbage, they can create an even bigger mess inside your home. Their combination of intelligence and strength enables them to exploit any weakness in your home and find ways into your attic or garage. In the process, they can cause damage to your pipes, shingles, insulation or wiring.

Once it decides to take shelter in your house, it is hard to get rid of a raccoon. They make themselves at home in your house, for example by bringing back food, raising their kids and customizing their chosen place to suit their needs. They put in new entryways, expand existing ones, and defend their turf from invaders.

When to Call Raccoon Pest Control in Ottawa

Raccoons are a seasonal phenomenon. They sleep in their den during most of the winter and begin to turn up with warming weather in the spring. Raccoon mothers usually give birth to their litter between March and June, which is when raccoon pest control season usually begins.

Raccoons are nocturnal, meaning they are night-active. However, they may show signs of activity during the day in certain circumstances. Some of those may be harmless. For example, a raccoon mother may support her litter or examine the surroundings of a new nest during the day. However, a day-active raccoon may also be infected with rabies.

However, not only day-active raccoons can present potential health risks. You can contract other ailments like roundworm, giardiasis, and leptospirosis (among others) through raccoon droppings.

This is why we strongly recommend that you do not try and remove a raccoon from your property yourself! Instead, make sure to call experienced professional raccoon exterminators that ensure the safe and lasting removal of the raccoon or raccoon family from your home.

Raccoon Removal Services Ottawa

Much like the first step to solving a problem is acknowledging it, the first step in removing a raccoon from your home is detecting that you actually host one (or an entire raccoon family). This is not as easy as it may seem: raccoons can be tricky to identify inside your house. A slow shuffling sound at night that may be reminiscent of birds can turn out to actually be a family of raccoons.
Therefore, the first step is to inspect and evaluate the situation. This includes asking you about the situation and what you found to gather as much information as possible. Then, our raccoon exterminators will look for signs of the raccoon or raccoon family, for example footprints, large openings or raccoon droppings.

Once we have confirmed the raccoon family, we proceed by separating the mother from the nest and removing the babies. Then we install our one-way door system that allows the raccoons to exit your house but not to re-enter. We put the babies into a heated custom reunion box just outside your home and lure the mother away from your home with the sound of her babies. Once they are reunited and find that they cannot return, they will relocate to one of three or six backup nests.

Tips to Keep Raccoons Away

You may ask yourself now: How do I keep raccoons away from my home? The bad news is: there is not 100% protection from raccoons entering your home. However, there are certain precautions you can take that will make regular visits (and eventual housing) of raccoons less likely.

Protect your garbage: human garbage is a vital source of food for raccoons since they are omnivorous and human beings tend to throw away large amounts of food. If you have non-locking garbage cans, secure their lids with ropes or cords. Using heavy-duty garbage bags and double-bagging organic waste can help reduce the odour and prevent attracting raccoons.

Reduce hiding places: raccoons love to take shelter in yards – they will most likely stay in close proximity to your house before they make the move to go into your attic or garage. You can limit the number of potential hiding places (for example underneath decks or brush), making it harder for raccoons to stay in close proximity to your home.

Repellents: if you notice signs of a visiting raccoon, a repellent may be the first attempt you want to try. Keep in mind though that raccoons are very persistent and intelligent, so make sure to check for any underlying issue that may have attracted them (open garbage cans? Fallen fruit or openly accessible vegetables in the yard?)

As mentioned above: these steps may not prevent raccoons from entering your home, but they can reduce the chances. If you notice any signs of raccoons inside your home, do not confront the raccoon(s) yourself or attempt to remove them yourself. Instead, make sure to call Get ‘Em Out Wildlife Control, your local Ottawa raccoon removal service, right away.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Signs That I Have Raccoons On My Property?

Outside your home, spilled garbage is probably the most prominent sign that raccoons live on or around your property. Shuffling and thumping sounds inside your house are indicators that raccoons have found their way into your attic. While raccoons are generally nocturnal, those sounds may also occur during the day.

How Can I Prevent Raccoons From Coming On My Property?

There are a few general steps you can take to discourage raccoons from visiting your property. Those include securing your garbage and making it inaccessible to raccoons, for example, by double-bagging it and either using locking garbage bins or securing them with a rope. There are also repellants available that you can spray to keep them away, although they may only be effective for a certain time. For more information or if you want the help of our professionals, then contact us today for all your raccoon removal Ottawa needs.

What Damage Can Raccoons Cause?

Raccoons are well-known to present a health hazard as they may carry rabies. However, even if they do not cause you bodily harm, raccoons can wreak havoc, especially when they find a way to enter your home. They can tear away at roof vents, pipes, or shingles. Inside the house, they can tear apart insulation or chew on electrical wires (which poses a fire hazard). As part of our raccoon removal services, we offer to do any necessary repairs to your home caused by the raccoons.

Where Do Raccoons Live?

In the city, raccoons usually make their homes in chimneys, garages, attics, crawl spaces, or outbuildings. In more rural areas, they tend to stay in hollow trees, barns, or empty fox burrows. It is best to check any barn or shed regularly for potential cracks or holes that could serve as potential entry points for raccoons or other animals. Also, listen for shuffling or thumping sounds in your home, as they can indicate that raccoons have entered your attic.

The Raccoons Don’t Bother Me. Why Do I Need To Get Rid Of A Raccoon?

Raccoons actually have some benefits, for example, the fact that they prey on other pests, such as smaller rats and mice. In some cases, having raccoons simply visit your property may seem like nothing more than a mere nuisance. But raccoons can carry parasites and serious diseases, most significantly rabies. They can also cause serious damage to your property and especially your home (if they find their way in). So even if the raccoons on your property seem like a small issue, it is best to play it safe and have them removed by a raccoon exterminator as soon as possible.

Can I Trap Raccoons?

In Ontario, it is illegal to trap and relocate animals 1km from where they were captured according to the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. Improper use of a live trap, which results in animal suffering, could lead to animal cruelty charges through the Ontario PAWS Act.