5 Things Every Houston Resident Should Know About Raccoons
If you want to learn about raccoons, there are all kinds of amazing resources on the internet that are filled with all kinds of interesting facts. If, however, you're looking to protect your home and your family from the threat raccoons present, you've come to the right place. Here are 5 things the experts here at Modern Pest Control believe you should know about raccoon pests in Houston.
Raccoons Spread Diseases
The diet of a raccoon is quite extensive. They will eat meats, vegetables, eggs, fruits, worms, bugs, and more. In an urban environment, like Houston, they will often get into dumpsters to find a meal. When they do, they expose themselves to harmful bacteria and parasitic worms. They are a particular threat for contracting and spreading roundworm, also known as Baylisascaris procyonis.
Raccoons Carry Parasites
When ticks come into our Houston yards, they don't come alone. Raccoons are common carriers of fleas, ticks, lice, mites, and other parasites. The most serious of these are ticks. The list of tick-borne diseases is quite long and some of the diseases that can be spread by ticks have lifelong medical implications.
Raccoon Are Incredibly Smart And Dexterous
If you want to keep a raccoon out of your Houston home, you need to guard your home the same way you would guard your home from a human burglar. These furry, masked bandits are incredibly smart and their fingers are agile enough to get a quarter of your pocket. They can flick latches and turn knobs with ease.
Raccoons Can Attack
While raccoons aren't predisposed to attack people, they can and do attack when they are cornered or when they are protecting their young. If a raccoon attacks, it is equipped with claws and sharp teeth that can inflict disfiguring wounds. The potential for an attack is great if a raccoon is infected with rabies.
Raccoons Carry Rabies
The rabies virus can be carried by any warm-blooded mammal but there are a select few that are considered a high risk in North American. The five animals that top the list are raccoons, skunks, bats, coyotes, and foxes. If a raccoon comes into your yard and attacks you or your pets, it can spread the rabies virus. This is a lyssavirus that affects the central nervous system and can lead to death when not treated early.
Watch for the signs:
- Irritability
- Disorientation
- Aggressiveness
- Strange vocal noises
- Does not run away when you get near
- Slow movement
- Muscle spasms
- Foaming at the mouth
- Paralysis of a part of the body
A healthy raccoon will be perky, curious, and alert. When you approach a healthy raccoon, it will run away. Be extremely cautious around a raccoon that is behaving in a strange manner.
What To Do If You're Being Visited By A Raccoon
When raccoons get into your trash or find a way to break into your Houston home, it's time to call the wildlife control experts. At Modern Pest Control, we offer comprehensive wildlife trapping and exclusion services in the Greater Houston area. Our licensed and experienced wildlife control professionals use the latest technologies and strategies to locate, trap, and remove raccoons and other pest wildlife. Your technician will:
Perform a detailed inspection, assess the extent of the infestation, and catalog important information such as entry points.
Use the findings to develop a control plan which may include a variety of trapping devices. These devices are designed to capture and hold wildlife for extraction. They do not harm the animals.
Offer exclusion services. These are separate services because we understand that some customers just want the animal removed. We do, however, strongly recommend that entry points are addressed to prevent new animals from coming in to replace the animal(s) removed. This service comes with a warranty. If holes that we have sealed are re-opened by pests within the year of your warranty period, we re-seal them at no charge to you.
Decontaminate areas where the animal(s) nested. This can help to prevent the spread of harmful organisms.
Are you dealing with raccoons in Houston? The Houston Wildlife experts are standing by to help. We have the experience to get the job done right. Get started by requesting a free inspection.
Perform a detailed inspection, assess the extent of the infestation, and catalog important information such as entry points.
Use the findings to develop a control plan which may include a variety of trapping devices. These devices are designed to capture and hold wildlife for extraction. They do not harm the animals.
