Raccoons can wreak plenty of havoc in, around homes

Last week was a very interesting week for my company. We received a call from a homeowner who had just bought a home.

They said when they had placed their offer on the home they knew there had been some animal activity in the attic, however, thought it was minimal. They closed the purchase and started their renovation process.

As the outside temperature started to raise, the odor in the home increased, finally the smell became overwhelming and that's when they decided to call a professional remediation company to deal with the problem.

When I arrived at the home, I parked at the curbside of the road. As soon as I opened my truck door I immediately knew what the problem was - raccoon infestation.

To make a long story short, we removed eight cubic yards of debris and feces from the attic of that home. We had to disinfect and deodorize that cavity twice just to eliminate the smell of urine and feces.

I share the above story with you, the reading audience; because wild animal infestations in your home can, and will, cause substantial damage to your property.

I thought for the balance of this article, I would share with you some baseline information about raccoons which may help you in your decision-making process the next time you come across a raccoon.

Raccoons are native to North and South America. They range from northern Argentina to southern Canada. The common raccoon grows to about 32 inches and weighs as much as 33 pounds.

Their lifespan averages about seven years. They are omnivores; they eat the same things we enjoy. They are active primarily at night; however, you may see them in the late afternoon. They mate mid-winter and cubs are born in early spring after a 63-day gestation.

If raccoons have decided to make your attic or crawl space their home, there are several ways of dealing with them without harming them. The first thing you have to do is determine what has attracted them to your home.

A raccoon's life consists of searching for food and water and if you have inadvertently made these available, remove them.

Do not leave pet food or water dishes out over night, keep trash cans tightly covered and placed in the garage if you have one.

Raccoons like their dens and quiet. In order to permanently remove raccoons from your property, you must create an environment which they hate. Install a radio into the cavity with head banging music playing on high volume. Also install some construction floor lamps to brighten up the environment. Leave the radio and lamps in place for several days. Trust me, they will leave. Wouldn't you?

After several days of light and music someone will have to enter the cavity to make sure they have vacated.

Please put on heavy gloves and face protection before entering the cavity. Mother raccoons are very aggressive, especially if they have young cubs present. She will be on you like white on rice. Trust me, I know!

Once you are certain they have left, the entrance must be blocked and sealed to prevent re-entry.

If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (255-2266), e-mail them to madan@surfl.ws or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do? For more information about Ed, check him out at nwees.com.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified forensic, fire, flood, mold inspection and remediation contractor. Ed is the president of Northwest Environmental Services, Inc.