One of the most common wildlife species found in the Greater Pittsburgh area, raccoons can quickly become a destructive nuisance if they gain access to your property. Their behaviors can cause serious damage, spread disease and threaten the structural integrity of your home or business. They can also transmit dangerous respiratory illnesses through both direct and indirect contact. Fortunately, there are five raccoon prevention steps you can take to keep the mischievous critters off your Pittsburgh property.
Effective Raccoon Prevention Techniques
The easiest way to deal with a raccoon infestation is to prevent one from starting. Common steps to take in protecting your property from raccoons include:
- Taking Away Their Food Sources: Raccoons will eat nearly anything they can find. To prevent hungry raccoons from feasting on your property, secure your trashcans with a locking lid, store pet food bowls indoors whenever possible, and pick up any fallen fruit or garden vegetables.
- Sealing Entry Points: Despite their relatively large size, raccoons are agile enough to squeeze through gaps in your roof, chimney and soffits to access the safe warmth of your home. Examine your property’s exterior for vulnerable points, and repair any gaps with strong, sturdy materials. Any holes larger than three inches wide should be sealed. Chimney caps, wire mesh and hardware cloth can also help prevent raccoons from sneaking into your property.
- Landscaping Your Yard: Raccoons are excellent climbers. They’ll often scale gutters and trees, using branches as a way to get onto your roof. Trim nearby tree limbs at least six feet away from your property, make sure to clean up any debris or leaf piles in your yard, and store firewood as far away from your property as you can.
- Installing Natural Deterrents: Raccoons are naturally skittish and will run if they feel threatened. Scare them off when you’re not around by installing motion-sensor lights or sprinklers, which will trigger when raccoons enter your yard.
- Calling a Raccoon Removal Professional: While the above DIY raccoon-proofing methods may help with prevention, there’s little you can do on your own once an active raccoon infestation has begun. Raccoons are wild animals that should only be handled by trained professionals. To avoid potential injury, rely on the raccoon removal experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh.
Fast and Efficient Raccoon Removal Services in Pittsburgh
The licensed and trained technicians at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh use a proven four-step method to effectively remove raccoons from area homes and businesses. Our safe and humane process includes:
- Inspection – We conduct a comprehensive property walkthrough to locate all pests.
- Removal – Low-risk and eco-friendly methods are used to completely remove all raccoons.
- Restoration – Any contamination or property damage is cleaned and repaired.
- Prevention – Exclusion devices and deterrents are installed to keep raccoons from returning.
To schedule an inspection and receive a free raccoon removal estimate, call us today at 412-767-4067.