What Type of Damage Can Racoons Cause to Your Connecticut Home?

Raccoons are intelligent and curious creatures, and their curiosity often gets them into trouble. Their front paws are known for getting into garbage cans, raiding bird feeders, rummaging through the garden, and causing trouble around your home.

Property damage caused by raccoons:

Adult raccoons are the size of a smaller dog and are quite hefty.   Male raccoons are significantly larger than females

Depending on the environment and food supply, the average female raccoon weighs up to 12 pounds and the average male raccoon weighs around 20 pounds. 

One of the worst things a raccoon can do to your house is break in via the roof or siding to build its nest inside your attic. It causes significant damage to your home and puts your family at risk for diseases carried by raccoons.

The following are some of examples that raccoons can cause

#1 Raccoon waste

Raccoons may turn your attic into a massive litter box and nesting site. The smell of raccoon waste is powerful and can penetrate through the walls of your home, making it unbearable to live in.

The mold and rot caused by raccoon feces can cause severe health problems and other diseases

#2 Insulation damage

A well-insulated home is vital to maintaining a comfortable temperature, especially in the winter months. 

Raccoons often tear open the insulation in your attic to build their nests. This is how a mother raccoon takes care of their young. This causes substantial damage to your home and drives up your energy bills.   Insulation sheets will have to be completely replaced if this happens. 

#3 Electrical damage

Electrical damage is one of the most dangerous types of damage that raccoons can cause. They regularly harm electrical and ventilation systems that pass-through attics. When raccoons gnaw on electrical wires, these frayed wired can result in extreme risk of fire if they are not replaced.

#4 Air quality

The raccoon waste dumped in your attic or wall could potentially carry pathogens that can infect humans. Still, they will also contaminate the air in your house. Homeowners will first detect a slight odor, which will only worsen over time.

Detecting the exact location of the smell can be a frustrating scavenger hunt. The last thing you want is your family breathing in dangerous particles in the air just because it is difficult to locate the source of the smell.

#5 Infectious diseases from raccoons

The most dangerous part of a raccoon infestation is the high risk of disease transfer to your family. Raccoon waste can cause health complications for humans and pets.

They typically carry the following diseases:

Baylisascaris is a species of roundworm that can seriously harm your nervous system or cause illness.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that could potentially lead to organ failure.

Rabies is a dangerous and often fatal disease that attacks your nervous system if not treated quickly. 

Canine Distemper Virus is a potentially fatal illness that attacks your respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems.

Parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that will attack your gastrointestinal system and can be deadly for puppies.

# 6 Exterior damage

Raccoons are notorious for exploiting poorly secured garbage cans. This often leads to trash strewn around the yard.    Watch out for any gardens or chicken coops, they will look here for food as well.  

Raccoons are known to eat just about anything, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even insects. Raccoons will dig small holes in search of food, damaging your grass and trees and making it more difficult for your plants to grow.

If you have a pool, you need to pay very close attention to raccoons around home. These critters can contaminate your pool water with their waste, making it unsafe for your friends and family to swim in.    This is not only unsanitary but will cost you $100’s in pool service. 

They are also known to kill small animals such as birds, chickens, and rabbits. When having raccoons on your property, it is essential to protect them.

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