When you are dealing with a raccoon infestation on your property, you have more than messes to worry about. If you have pets, they can get attacked by these creatures when startled, and your children can be at risk as well. Raccoons are most often attracted to homes for one reason: food. Pet food stored in the garage or left outside, garbage cans left on the curb, and even the growing items in your garden can all be inviting. Even worse, raccoons tend to bring their families with them so if you have one, you may have others. As these stubborn pests become more familiar with your family and your pets, they may even get bold enough to come inside. Calling a pest control specialist is the best way to get rid of these potentially dangerous animals. Here are ways a pest removal service can keep raccoons away from your property.

Traps

A live trap can be set up in key areas of your property, such as under your porch or in your garage, to tempt raccoons to enter. Once they walk inside a trap to retrieve food, the door locks behind them, effectively locking them in. The pest control specialist then removes the traps and either releases the raccoons caught back into the wild or surrenders them to the local wildlife department.

Live catch

Raccoons that have nested on your property can be caught by a pest removal specialist. Using a special catching noose and cages, the expert can nab live raccoons directly off your property and search the rest of your home and surrounding buildings for signs of others. It's important to keep pets and kids away from the pest removal expert when you are using traps or allowing for live catches to prevent accidental injury or distractions. It's also best to keep them indoors and under supervised outdoor play until you have been given the all-clear from your pest control expert on your raccoon infestation.

Prevention

Once raccoons have been removed, your pest control expert will give you a tour of your property and show you areas that need to be secured or altered to prevent future raccoon invitations. Simple fixes such as closing your garage doors, keeping pet foods in secured metal or plastic bins, and even keeping trash away from the curb can keep raccoons at bay for the future. You can also install motion detection lighting to startle raccoons as they rummage in the night since these creatures are often nocturnal.

For more information, talk to a professional like JD Termite & Pest Control Company.