raccoon trappingUS Animal Controltips on how to trap raccoons

How to Trap Raccoons

Professional Licensed Wildlife Removal

 

Wildlife Removal and Exclusion Specialist

Traps

Types of traps vary for any application. Most homeowners will choose the live trap as their first choice when to attempt trapping raccoons from their home or yard. These traps can be very easy or very hard to use due to the many factors that come into play. First, if you have a problem assembling the trap then you have no business actually trapping the animal. These are mechanical devices and if you cannot put them together, then how do you expect to safely remove the animal, from the trap. The rear door release safeguard trap is a good use trap for the homeowner. It is delivered already assembled. The Havahart trap you can usually can purchase from your local hardware store needs to be put together and most times I find that homeowners assemble it completely wrong. It doesn't mean this trap doesn't work, just that the homeowner can't follow directions. This is the person who should find a professional trapper to remove raccoons. There are many ways to acquire your own trap for example www.craigslist.org  This is a good place to find a local assembled trap someone else bought and used and may also have some valuable tips on trapping in your local area. Most important, this trap most likely has some animal scent on it. A new trap has no scent on ti and may take some time for the animal to get used to it. Another place to acquire a trap is www.ebay.com This is a good place to research types of traps. From live to killing, most traps exist here. but beware of buying something you cannot touch or feel. returns will be difficult. Last but not least, at the bottom of these pages I always have a link to a company who sells traps

Identification of the raccoon is most important.

Are you sure it's a raccoon? Just because you see a raccoon in your neighborhood, doesn't mean the noise in your attic is a raccoon. Now actually seeing a raccoon on the roof, well, that's a raccoon in the attic! Raccoons tend to exploit openings under soffets, attic fans, attic vents, and rotten plywood or rotten trim wood. So, if you are going to  trap your raccoon, then get ready to do a through inspection from looking in the attic for raccoon poop to climbing on ladders and walking on your roof to find the entrance. The entrance to your attic can be as small as a three inch diameter hole, an area you can insert your fist, but try to refrain from inserting it, the raccoon might be waiting just inside the entrance.  Another thing very important to consider is the time of year it is. Spring is birthing season and if you trap a raccoon after April fools day, then you risk taking a lactating female.  What then, remove the mother, then the babies die. Try inserting 2 to5 pounds of hamburger in your walls or attic and let it rot, this is what these dead babies will smell like. Release the mother, then you are back to square one. "Eureka I have the problem solved" Call a person listed on this site. The one in your state. the one listed in your county or city. This situation is more than you want to handle. It can be difficult for the wildlife removal professional also.

Release or removal of the animal from the trap

Be careful releasing animals in your local park or wooded areas can be illegal in your state. Not to mention, if you trap a rabid animal that shows no signs of rabies, that animal can infect all wildlife in your park or wooded area that children play. Hell, it may get you on its way out of the trap. If you must trap wildlife make sure you contact your local animal control warden to see if its even legal. Always check your state laws concerning trapping of wild raccoons.

Raccoons


Characteristics

RaccoonThe raccoon has gray to brown fur. It has a black mask around its eyes with white fur around the mask. It has a stripe that runs from its forehead to its nose and white fur around its nose. It has a bushy, ringed tail and black paws with five toes. The raccoon's paws look a little like human hands. The raccoon's toes are flexible and it is very good at grabbing, pulling things apart and holding things. The raccoon is a  very good climber and can go down a tree backwards or face first!

  Range
RaccoonThe raccoon can be found in most of the United States except for parts of the Rocky Mountains, central Nevada, Utah and Arizona. It is also found in southern Canada and from  Mexico to northern South America.

    Habitat
RaccoonThe raccoon lives in wooded areas near water. It is very adaptable though and is also found in suburbs and cities. It usually makes its den in a tree, but it  may make its home in an abandoned woodchuck burrow, a cave, barn, sewer, or even a house!

    Diet

RaccoonThe raccoon is omnivorous and opportunistic. Common foods include fruits, nuts berries, insects, rodents, frogs, eggs and crayfish. In some rural areas, corn is a large part of the raccoon's diet. In suburban and urban areas it often forages through trash cans for food. If water is near, the raccoon will sometimes put its food in the water and roll it around. It looks like it is washing its food, but it is not. The raccoon is softening the food and looking for foreign objects on the food.

    Life Cycle

RaccoonMating season runs January through March. A little over two months after mating, the female gives birth to a litter of between four to six young. The babies are able to stand when they are about four to six weeks old. They are weaned at 70 days and start to hunt when they are between 9-12 weeks old. When they first come out of the den, the mother may carry them around by the neck, like a cat carries a kitten. The mother also teaches them how to hunt for food and climb trees. The mother raccoon is very protective of her young and will attack predators that come too close. Young raccoons have darker coats than mature raccoons. The babies may stay with their mother for up to a year.

    Behavior

 

To have Raccoons  removed and the damage repaired

Squirrel Removal Service Bat Removal Service Raccoon Removal Service