Raccoons in Chimneys and Attic
Every spring, hundreds of female raccoons break into attics and crawl down chimneys in our area in search of a safe place to give birth to their young. It’s usually during the second week of April that we start getting calls from people asking how to get rid of raccoons in the attic.
Raccoons are very strong and can easily break blades out of louver-vents and tear shingles off a roof to gain access to an attic. They can also dismantle faulty chimney caps and tear off chimney screens. Once inside an attic or chimney, raccoons will create a nesting area and designate a spot to be their toilet – raccoons always defecate and urinate in the same spot. This can cause a terrible odor as it soaks into the insulation, sheetrock or sealing tiles.
Raccoons are also very destructive by nature and will often tear apart insulation and wiring and rip shingles off the roof for no apparent reason. A raccoon is a very dangerous animal to have living in your attic or chimney for a number of reasons, and we feel it’s wise to hire a professional to deal with your raccoon problem
Common Symptoms of a Raccoon Problem
- Loud noises in your attic, especially at night.
- Juvenile raccoon chatter, which sounds like a nest of baby birds chirping.
- Scratching, loud noises or chirping in your fireplace.
- Noticeable damage on the outside of the house
- Raccoon sightings on roof or porch
Raccoon Trapping and Removal
Raccoon trapping is the only permanent way of getting rid of raccoons. Raccoons must be trapped and removed from the location to completely solve the problem. If the raccoon’s entry point is blocked while it is out searching for food and it is separated from its young, it will literally tear a house apart to get back in. For this reason the raccoons must be trapped and removed. AAA Pest & Wildlife uses the most humane traps available to trap raccoons. We check our traps daily and cover all traps to avoid exposing the animals to the elements.
Raccoon Exclusion
Once all raccoons have been trapped and removed we will perform raccoon exclusion services. In raccoon removal services the term “exclusion” refers to securing the hole(s) or entry point(s) the raccoon(s) were using to gain access to the attic. This will prevent any raccoons from entering these areas in the future. If the raccoons inhabit a chimney, we will install a stainless steel chimney cap to secure the chimney. All of our exclusion services and chimney caps come with written warranties. If any raccoons get through any of our work during the warranty period we will return to make repairs at no cost to the customer.
Damage Assessment
Once the raccoons are removed from the attic or chimney and the entry points are secured, we will conduct an inspection to determine the extent of the damage. We inspect the inhabited area for urine damage, feces deposits, parasites, damaged/soiled insulation and chewed wiring. Once the assessment is complete we provide the customer with a quote for additional cleanup and restoration services.
Attic Cleanout Services
Our attic cleanout services involve the removal of all raccoon feces and contaminated insulation from the inhabited areas. Using commercial vacuum equipment we can remove all contaminated materials using a large vacuum hose to ensure that no contaminants are transferred into the living space of the home. Once the area is emptied we will apply disinfecting & deodorizing treatments as well as parasite treatments throughout the area.
Damage Repair Services
Besides being licensed to remove and control wildlife, AAA Pest & Wildlife Removal is also licensed general contractors, providing a wide array of damage repair services. This gives our clients the convenience of dealing with one contractor for the entire project rather than having to use multiple companies. Some of the most common damage repair services we provide in raccoon damage situations are:
- Insulation replacement
- Gable-vent and ridge-vent replacement
- Soffit replacement
- Ceiling replacement – sheetrock
- Attic Fan Covers
- Fascia Board
