Here in New England, raccoons are a common problem in the summertime, whether you live in a city or a rural area. This is because raccoons can thrive in areas with livestock and abundant water sources, as well as in urban areas where they have access to trash and other resources. Raccoons, while sometimes cute looking, can be extremely dangerous when it comes to spreading diseases like rabies, canine distemper, and much more. According to the CDC, raccoons are the second most common animal to be found with rabies (after bats), and rabid raccoons can be found all along the east coast. In this article, we’ll discuss some tips on how you can prevent raccoons from frequenting your property and spreading disease to you, your family, and your pets. 

Preventing Raccoons On Your Property

Raccoons are nocturnal animals, meaning they are typically only active at nighttime. For this reason, signs of raccoons are often noticed before actually seeing them. Signs of raccoon activity include droppings, tracks, unusual sounds, and trash that has been dug through overnight. If you believe raccoons are terrorizing your property, the best course of action is to contact a pest control professional right away. Because of these animals’ high rate of disease, attempting to deal with them on your own can be extremely dangerous. 

There are some steps you can take to prevent raccoons from frequenting your property in the first place. Some of these steps include:

• Ensuring garbage is properly sealed with tightly fitting lids.
• Removing bird feeders and fountains altogether or monitoring them closely.
• Removing anything from the surrounding area of your home that could act as a hiding place or home for raccoons, including brush or leaf piles and firewood stacks.

Raccoons can also make their way into your home through small entryways like cracked vents, uncapped chimneys, and any other entrance leading inside from the outdoors. Raccoons and other pests have also been known to access homes by getting on the roof using tree limbs, so you should cut back any branches that are within 8 feet of your home.

Contact Absolut Pest Control!

If you have any questions about raccoon control or believe that you have a raccoon problem on your Massachusetts or New Hampshire property, contact Absolut Pest Control! We provide a wide variety of pest removal services at affordable prices throughout the region! Contact us today by giving us a call at (978) 388-4589 or by filling out the contact form on our website!