Raccoons may play an important role in the local ecosystem, but that doesn’t mean homeowners should consider them to be welcome house guests. These critters can make themselves a serious nuisance once they’ve taken up residence in a home.
Raccoons can be aggressive, destructive, and, even worse, they can carry potentially dangerous diseases. All of these problems can get even worse during the animals’ breeding season. Read on to find out about what to expect during raccoon baby season and how to tell if there’s an expecting mother or a new family trying to take up residence in the attic.
When Is Breeding Season?
Future mothers tend to start looking for places to nest in late winter, but they don’t give birth until mid-spring. Mother raccoons can produce litters of up to eight kits, usually in April or May.
Don’t wait until the babies are on their way to adulthood to call for raccoon removal. Pay attention to the common warning signs, and call a wildlife specialist as soon as it becomes clear that there are raccoons in the attic.
How to Tell There Are Raccoons in the Attic
From the perspective of mother raccoons, attics are the perfect place to raise a family. They’re warm, out of reach of predators, and usually feature plenty of materials for nesting in the form of attic insulation. From a homeowner’s perspective, that can be a huge problem.
Homeowners will only know it’s time to call a nuisance animal control specialist if they’re aware that there are problems brewing up above. Here are a few of the most common signs to look out for:
· Thumping and rustling sound occurring as mother raccoons prepare their nests.
Visible damage to siding, roofing, vents, or soffits that indicate a raccoon has created an entry hole.
Vocalizations like chirping and crying from baby raccoons.
Mother raccoons foraging in the yard or raiding garbage cans to feed their families.
Calling a wildlife specialist before the mother raccoon gives birth can simplify things dramatically. These experts can also safely remove the baby raccoons, then make recommendations about how homeowners can prevent new families from attempting to move in.
Timelines for Raccoon Pregnancy and Kit Rearing
It usually takes a mother raccoon several months to construct a nest before giving birth. Once she has birthed her kits, she’ll stay in the immediate area for the first three months they are alive while the baby raccoons remain in the nest. After around three months, the kits will start moving out of the attic and into the yard to explore.
The problem is, a homeowner’s troubles won’t end once the kits are old enough to get by on their own. Though raccoons don’t tend to be territorial, once females have found warm, safe places, they’ll stick to the same areas and will often return to old nests to birth future litters. Female kits are also likely to return to their own birthplaces when they are mature enough to start their reproductive cycle.
Trust the Experts With Raccoon Removal
It’s never wise to attempt DIY raccoon removals, especially when babies are involved. The mother raccoon could become aggressive, and she’ll definitely destroy whatever is necessary to get to her kits if the homeowner locks her out of the attic. Instead of putting both the raccoons and the household’s residents in danger, call a wildlife removal expert who can safely relocate the whole litter.
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