One of the Top Raccoon Removal Companies in La Jolla, CA and Beyond

Raccoons are found throughout North America. Because they are excellent climbers and skilled swimmers, they’ve been able to spread out across the entire continent with little trouble. Another reason for their populating the land and its array of habitats is that these mammals are omnivorous, eating both plants and meat. These critters are scavengers to the point where they will eat whatever they can find. Most humans who have had to call for professional raccoon control will know that the above point applies to them greedily investigating trash cans in residential neighborhoods. They don’t discriminate between caloric opportunities. And because their hands are fantastically designed to pry open sealed containers, they feel perfectly within their rights to take what they find until someone, or something, suggests otherwise.

That being established, a raccoon’s diet is largely dependent upon what’s available, and what’s available is contingent upon what the environment produces, in addition to seasonal variables. However, raccoons are not without their staples, among them being fruit and nuts. So, make sure you don’t leave your trail mix (or GORP) outside after a night snacking on the back patio!

In the summer, when the getting is usually good, raccoons will climb fruit trees to find apples, cherries, or whatever else they can get their busy little claws on. If that food isn’t available, it isn’t unheard of for them to forage into the ground, collecting worms or insects. When summer turns to fall, raccoons will usually turn to nuts as their primary food source. They’ll hunt for acorns, walnuts, beechnuts, and the like. Finding rich foods like nuts before winter is vital for the raccoon, as she needs to store up fat before the long cold. If she can’t boost up her stores of fat, she’ll lack the requisite energy to survive winter. Of course, that is less of a problem here in Southern California, as raccoons have a viable habitat the year round, just like we humans like to brag to our out-of-town relatives about!

Grains, insects, eggs, fish, shellfish, frogs, snakes, and seeds are also viable caloric sources for raccoons. As we’ve mentioned, they’ll go with the flow. Unfortunately, that means that if there is a dearth of fish, nuts, fruit, or invertebrates to munch on in a local ecosystem, these critters will likely come knocking on your door for whatever you’ve got left unsealed and unprotected.

But before we dive into raccoon and human interaction (and what you can do to protect your premises), let’s take a brief look at raccoon behavior.

Raccoons are common wildlife in the area. They are mainly nocturnal animals, foraging at night, tipping over garbage cans, and eating leftover pet food. They are even known to enter through pet doors. They are also known to cause major damage to lawns and gardens, turning over sod and digging holes in the soil foraging for grubs and worms.

• Activity – Raccoons have a social life outside of their wanton ways with which we are most familiar. As we mentioned they are nocturnal, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be observed out and about in the daytime, it’s just less likely. They are most active during the spring, summer, and fall. In temperate climates, raccoons will hibernate for much of the time. Here in San Diego, Temecula, and Orange County, we see raccoons the year round. If there are opportunities to eat and the weather doesn’t get too severely cold, raccoons will thrive! And while this is good news for them (it’s an arduous task to store up sufficient fat to last throughout the winter), it means there is no off-season when it comes to raccoon prevention and raccoon exclusion.
• Reproduction – Reproductive practices begin toward the end of winter and beginning of spring. Sows, or female raccoons, have somewhere between one to six baby kits between April and May. These kits will stay with their mother for about a year, but until then they are mostly inseparable, as mothers are quite protective of their young. Speaking of which, we don’t recommend you attempt any kind of rodent removal services on your own, should you be faced with a mother and her kits. Leave the Orange County raccoon control to us here at Wildlife Removal Service. We will safely and effectively remove them from your yard, attic, or your business premises. Plus, we’ll make sure they don’t come back with our humane raccoon exclusion methods.
• Dialogue – Somewhat amazingly, raccoons have their own rudimentary form of communication. What some might call a language is them using some 200 sounds and up to 15 different calls, each with their own unique meaning.
• Abilities – Their claws are remarkable tools. They can open latches, bottles, jars, and many other items that might surprise you. These claws afford them the ability to climb as well, which makes them more difficult to detect and trap.
• Social Behavior – Their social communities are interesting as well. After they actualize to become fully independent, usually around the one-year mark, adults will form pseudo-family groups usually around four to five in number. These groups are loosely knit, as they might go days or weeks without interacting. Somewhat solitary, somewhat social, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to these masked creatures.

Most people’s minds go straight to rabies when they think of common diseases that raccoons are capable of spreading. Since rabies is contracted through saliva, the only way you would have to worry about contracting rabies is if you are in a head-on confrontation with a raccoon. Usually, raccoons will avoid confrontation. So, unless you are planning on being an amateur raccoon control specialist (not something we recommend), you should be okay.

However, one aspect of a raccoon infestation that should get your attention is the risk of disease transmission through waste. Raccoon feces and urine are known to carry diseases such as giardia, roundworm, and leptospirosis.

• Raccoon Roundworm – This parasite finds a home in a raccoon’s digestive tract. The parasitical eggs take after their folks by latching themselves onto the passing waste, making anyone who interacts with the fecal matter at risk of contraction. Most often this applies to pets more than people, but both can become infected. Symptoms of this condition include liver complications, loss of muscle control, fatigue, and even blindness if the eyes become infected. As far as we are concerned here at Wildlife Removal Service, that’s just one more reason to call in the San Diego critter catchers if you see raccoon droppings or other tell-tale signs!
• Leptospirosis – An infection of the bacterial sort found in many animals, leptospirosis is expunged and released into an environment through a raccoon’s urine. Again, pets might take more interest than humans (ideally), yet it’s important to be aware that can contract this infection, even if the contact is mild. Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, jaundice, diarrhea, aching muscles, and headache.
• Giardia – Giardiasis is another infection not exclusively carried and transmitted by raccoons. Yet raccoons carry this organism in their fecal matter. Unfortunately, it can be transmitted through contaminated water, soil, or really, any surface that the infection contacts. If a human were to contract this illness, symptoms typically would include cramps, dehydration, nausea, and dehydration.

Although we are roughly eight times their size and six times their weight, raccoons present threats to us that we are obligated to consider. Here are some practical methods of reducing the potential of disease on your property.

• Raccoon Inspection – While we provide professional and affordable raccoon inspection services here at Wildlife Removal Service of San Diego and the O.C., you can look for yourself, too. You want to keep an eye out for anything that might cause or promote the likelihood of disease on your property or even within your home itself. Raccoons will typically designate one area as a “latrine”. These can be found in your garage, attic, outside a shed, or near a particularly wooded area close to your home.
• Pest Control – As noted above, raccoons feed on invertebrates. If you are looking for a way to attract a host of critters from all around, a great way to advertise that your abode is open for business is to get yourself a pest problem. We don’t envy folks who must deal with insect infestations and a critter management issue at the same time, so make sure you are proactive about dealing with the pests in or around your home.
• Disinfection – Using a mask, goggles, long pants, boots, and gloves, remove any diseased organisms from your premises. Further, use appropriate disinfectants where any waste (like the latrines) is found.

Excellent question, we are thrilled you asked! We recommend the following:

• Remove the food and water sources found on your premises, where possible.
• If you have a pool, put a cover on it.
• If you have a koi pond, that’s a little more difficult of a situation. Please ask us for details.
• In terms of food sources, make sure to secure garbage cans and remove trash bags that might be left exposed. 
• Clean up after yourselves. Don’t leave out leftovers on the back patio after a night out. Otherwise, you might wake up to some unwelcome neighbors who had invited themselves in to stay for the night. 
• Pick up fallen berries, fruit, and nuts that might have fallen in or around your yard. 
• Birdseed is another food raccoons have no problem munching on, so keep that in mind if you have an accessible bird feeder on your lawn.

During spring and summer having raccoons in the attic is a common problem. Mother raccoons are looking for safe places to give birth to their young during this time of year. Regularly entering attics and crawl spaces, raccoons can cause serious damage, ripping off shingles, fascia, and rooftop vents. Once inside the attic, insulation may be torn up and displaced. Insulation on heating and cooling ducts may be ripped off and destroyed, too. Raccoons may also begin using an area of the attic for a latrine, and the ceiling beneath may become stained with urine, accompanied by a foul odor.

Other common raccoon activities include stealing fish from your pond, living underneath your porch, and even eating your crops, if you have any. If you are faced with any of the above predicaments, you might want to consider investing in an electric fence to dissuade raccoons from entry. Although it may not be practical or cheap, it’s worth considering. 

For more information about exclusion practices that are best for your home or commercial property, contact Wildlife Removal Services today.

We’ve covered a broad range of raccoon-related topics here because it’s no secret that having a raccoon infestation on your property can be annoying. The prospect of raccoons setting up camp in your attic, or really, anywhere on your premises, is nothing about which you should say “Oh well, I hope it never happens to me!” 

Instead, make sure your grounds and home have the integrity necessary to deter raccoons from deeming your attic as an excellent nursery for the next few months or so. Understanding their biology, habitat, dietary practices, and general behavior is a great first step, but often it’s best to have a wildlife control expert look at your homestead to be sure that you are set up for success. To request an inspection, give us a call today.