Raccoon Extermination

04.07.2003 - This is the largest raccoon that I've caught so far.  The customer told me that he had a very large raccoon that was continually ripping into his screened-in pool area, and that he needed a raccoon exterminator right away.  I told him that I could help him, but that I don't really exterminate raccoons.  I told him that I trap them in live cage traps and relocate them far outside the city limits, so that it will never be able to come back again.  "That's okay with me, just get rid of it!" he said, "But I think you're going to need an awful big cage, this sucker is huge!".

I have a special very large cage that I reserve for larger animals.  My usual raccoon cages are 10x12x32, but this cage is 16x16x48.  It can hold larger animals such as bobcats, fox, coyotes, and really big raccoons.  I wasn't sure if I needed it for this job, but the customer is always right (except about the extermination part), so I loaded up the big cage.

I set it by the torn pool screen with all matter of delicious raccoon bait.  Sure enough, I got a call this morning from the man, who said, "You've got him!  He's a big bastard!".   I drove out to retrieve the animal, and sure enough, it was big, and while technically all raccoons are bastards, since they not only fail to get married, but the father never (not once in history) sticks around for the birth, I don't think this animal is a figurative bastard.  I think he's pretty nice.   This is why I would never actually exterminate a raccoon.  They don't need to be killed, when I can catch them in live traps like this and relocate them safely away.

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What kind of poison will kill a raccoon
There are no approved poisons for racocons. If you're having a problem, the only option is to have the animal trapped and removed. Poison is reserved for rats and mice, and even then it rarely works. In order for a poison to be effective, it needs to be eaten in a high enough quantity to kill. If you think about the rat poison blocks, they are designed to contain enough toxin to kill a rat. Leaving one out for a raccoon would only result in a sick racoon—if it even ate the tasteless block to begin with. Raccoons are not like rats in their need to chew.

A rat might eat poison because it must constantly gnaw on something to keep its teeth filed down. A racoon has no such need, and that makes it even less likely to eat poison. Aside from the horrible death a poison would provide, killing larger animals in this way is frowned on by environmental agencies. It could cause a potential issue further up the food chain as was once seen with the softening of eagle shells from known pesticides. If you're determined to exterminate a raccoon, you need to shoot it or use a body gripping trap on it, and I don't recommend either.

Getting rid of raccoons is not the easiest of tasks. It is a tricky and sometimes frustrating process to make your house free of one of the most mischievous animals alive.

Raccoons live among humans and are a common sight in urban and suburban areas. They can be aggressive and always leave destruction in their wake. Damages to roofs, vegetation, vents, walls, and insulation are normal incidents when raccoons are involved.

From spring to summer, raccoons are normally found in houses, where they have established dens to raise their young. Their activities within the house are disastrous, forcing most residents to seek to exterminate them.

How to Get Rid of Raccoons
There are many ways to secure your house from raccoons but they work hand-in-hand with each other. There is no one way of eliminating raccoons. Many things are to be done to ensure that the raccoons don't get into your house, and if they already have, to make sure that they leave your house and don't return.

Firstly, you need to be sure you are not the reason there are raccoons around your house. Raccoons are scavengers, so you have to be careful that your house does not provide sustenance for them. Remove bird feeders, shrubs, dead leaves, and pet food droppings from outside. All your trash should be stored in sealed areas, but if you don't have any sealed areas, ensure your garbage cans are tightly fitted and wedged to prevent raccoons from opening it or tilting the can over. Raccoons are constantly searching for food so if they are not able to get any on your property, they will not have any reason to stay around your house.

Secondly, make it a habit to regularly inspect your house. Check for holes, cracks, open windows, or any space through which a raccoon can get in. Close your chimney with a fitting cap and trim the trees close to your roof. Raccoons have sharp claws that can burrow, tear up, and create holes in your house to get in. So regular inspection is a must.

Finally, if raccoons have already made your house their home, there are ways to catch them with traps. However, if you are intent on exterminating them, you have to be careful that it is not illegal in your state. There are some traps such as the chain trap and spring trap that are made to injure and kill raccoons respectively. Setting up these traps is relatively easy but handling the raccoons after they have been caught is the tricky part best left to professionals. While some states require a caught raccoon to be transported then released about 10 miles away from the human population, others have different laws. It is in your best interest to familiarize yourself with the laws regarding raccoon trapping, removal, and extermination in your state.

Conclusion
The best way to exterminate raccoons is to call expert wildlife removers and have them carry out the task. Not only will they get rid of the raccoons, but they will also inspect and set up preventive measures to make sure the raccoons have no way to reenter your house.