The most famous physical feature of raccoons in the Raleigh area is of course their “mask”-like appearance. But while the mask makes the animal resemble a bandit, a more fitting description would be a vandal, because Raccoons can cause an enormous amount of damage in and around your home.

Raccoons are known for causing damage to home roofs and roofing by trying to gain access to the house or attic. They can tear off shingles or chew holes into soffits or fascia boards, and raccoons are strong enough to tear apart rooftop ventilators to get into attics and upper floors of a home. (Tree branches are an easy way for raccoons to get onto a roof, so make sure you have no tree branches touching the roof of your home or hanging over portions of your house.)

Raccoons might seem larger than other animals that usually find their way into homes, but they still don’t need much space to get inside. It only takes a tiny opening for a raccoon to pry its way in. Once inside, they can cause even more damage. They will tear up installation on ducts, rip the insulation off the wall and trample down insulation reducing its effectiveness. This can be extremely difficult to clean up and will often take a professional skilled in animal damage repair to fix.  

Of course, the worst damage raccoons can cause is to your health. Raccoons that have made their home in your house will use your attic as a giant litter box. The amount of urine and feces produced by just one raccoon is enough to create serious health concerns such as bacterial infections like ringworm, parasitic infections like scabies, or even life-threatening viral infections such as rabies. These problems are multiplied if and when raccoons are breeding in the area as well, as raccoon babies will cause the problem to multiply and give their parents a reason to become more aggressive.

Once raccoons are you in home, or you even suspect that raccoons might be in your house, it’s best to get a professional to remove them. Critter Control of the Triangle has many techniques to prevent raccoons and other animals from entering your home, as well as remove them. Give the wildlife experts of Critter Control of the Triangle a call at 919-382-0651 in Raleigh, Durham, Apex, Cary NC and the Triangle area.