If you’ve realized that you have a raccoon living in your basement, it is very important that you know why. Since raccoons can be very dangerous to your family’s safety and health, you need to understand why your home has recently become their home.
Honestly, if you see a raccoon lurking around, be it in the basement, attic, or any other space in your house, at any time of the day or night, do not ignore it. In fact, it may be the right time to investigate its presence on your property. Raccoons are wild animals that you don’t want to roam about freely without seeing what they are up to.
That said, here are 5 things that you need to know about raccoons taking up residence in your basement.
– Your Place Provides Them Warmth During The Winter Months
The wintertime is not the best time for raccoons to survive outside in the cold weather. Instead, when the air temperatures drop considerably and it is difficult for them to find food, raccoons are looking for a warm and cozy place to live and nest.
They also need some food to eat, so if you have food scraps in your garbage cans they can easily get to, your house is a very attractive place for them to stay, especially during the winter months. Thus, if they can find any entry point into the inside of your home, specifically your basement, they can easily set up a living space that you may not even know about.
– Your Property Is A Good Place To Find Food Outdoors
Do you empty your garbage cans regularly? Or, do you leave bags full of trash next to your garbage cans to be picked up by garbage collectors later on?
If this sounds like you and your common practices, this may be one of the main sources of your raccoon problem. Because these animals are looking for food to eat, they can feed on your leftovers for a long time.
Even though they normally feed on plants, fruits, insects, animals such as frogs or fish and chickens, nuts, seeds, and eggs, they can also eat well out of your garbage cans, too.
For instance, in the winter, their diets can easily change to eating just about anything that is available. There are some common things that make your property a continual feast for them, for example human food scraps in garbage cans, bird seeds in feeders, pet food in bowls, pet birds in cages.
Simply stated, if you are providing good food sources anywhere around your property, your basement may become the perfect place for them to occupy.
– Can A Raccoon Get In The Basement And How Does It Get In?
Raccoons are considered to be relatively intelligent animals. Thus, they can be very resourceful in finding a suitable place to stay and creative ways to get into places like your basement.
For instance, if they find gaps or openings where pipes or utility cables lead into the inside of your home, they can find ways to get into your basement. You particularly need to look for open vents, furnace chimneys, and holes in the foundation.
– Do Raccoons Usually Live In Basements And What Are The Signs?
Normally, the attic in a home is where they seek to find shelter and a place to live when it’s cold outside. However, this is not unusual that they choose to live in basements, especially since they can scavenge urban areas for food in garbage cans.
Thus, here are some common signs that you should pay close attention to:
− As raccoons are primarily nocturnal creatures, you might be hearing some bumping, growling, screaming and other animal noises coming from your basement during the nighttime hours.
− You can see visible signs of raccoon droppings whenever you go downstairs to this area. You will be also able to smell the foul odor of their urine and feces.
– What Damage Can Raccoons Do To The Basement?
There are many reasons why you do not want a raccoon living inside of your home, especially in your basement or your attic. The damage that they cause can be very destructive which results in expensive repairs.
Some of the most common damages that many homeowners may see, include damage that has not been caused by humans or pets like chewed up wiring, ripped insulation, and destroyed air ducts in the house.
As the answer to why there is a raccoon living in your basement may differ from one household to another, there are some common reasons why they are actually attracted to your basement. As we’ve discussed earlier, a safe, warm shelter, and the ease of acquiring food are the main reasons.
Do you need wildlife removal from your basement? Raccoon trapping and removal from the house always requires professional assistance. Luckily, the expert team at Wildlife Troopers in South Florida is here and ready to help. Our wildlife control professionals can humanely trap and get rid of any wild animal that might be living in your home. So pick up the phone and call us now!
