Raccoons are one of the most dangerous animal infestations that can exist on your property. The greatest danger you can face from a raccoon is rabies. Raccoons are known as the vector species for rabies. They are the most common animals to have it and are the primary species to pass it on to others. The reason for this is not known but it is clear that raccoons are the source of the disease. Rabies is a deadly illness that causes inflammation of the brain in humans and other animals. The earliest symptom is a fever, so if you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal you need to call an ambulance right away, do not wait to see if other symptoms occur. Call emergency services and wait for them to come, relaxing calmly to keep your heart rate down, this will slow the virus’s path through your circulatory system. The greatest danger of rabies is that the symptoms can take months or even years to set in. It can be as short as just 4 days but most of the time it takes longer and creeps in. When inflammation of the brain begins the subject will experience paralysis, anger, confusion, delirium and a host of other issues. They will be hydrophobic and unable to drink or go near water and will eventually fall into a coma and die in a short time. There is no way to cure rabies once the brain swelling has set in. Only in the very early stages can it be treated. So if you see a raccoon coming down the street stay away, cross to the other side if you can. And if you have them on your property, or worse, breaking into your attic you will have to take some extreme precautions to either prevent their entry or to get them out once they are in.
Prevention is the best and easiest place to start. One blinding and glaring thing that brings raccoons to your property in droves is water. If there is access to drinking water outside of your home or even slightly off your property like if your yard backs onto a ravine, then raccoons and other animals will come to your property. The second thing they will look for is food. If you have bird feeders or frequently eat outside and let food fall on the ground then you will have lots of pests and animals coming to your property from wasps to squirrels, skunks and raccoons, cockroaches and many more others. You must make sure that you clean any spills or fallen food outside. The liquid is hard to clean but can be piled over with soil. Solid food must be picked up and disposed of. Garbage on the property is one of the easiest ways to attract wild animals. Make sure you tie all your bags very tightly and seal them in a container that locks and is strong enough not to break open if it is knocked over. If you have a barbeque then you will need to scrub it clean after every use as raccoons will live inside them.
The last step is to inspect your house. Look for places that may be easy to access. Get a piece of wood, maybe even a crowbar and see how weak parts of your home are. If you can tap something and move it or tug on something and pull it off then so can a wild animal like a raccoon. They are one of the few animals with usable hands that can handle manipulation and tools. They also have all the time in the world to shake your soffit free of its frame or to keep incessantly chewing on the fascia or tearing at the siding in a corner of the roof. They will eventually get in unless you do something about it. Now doing this on your own is dangerous. Getting up on a roof can be deadly for someone who is not trained. So if you need to seal possible openings on your roof, think about calling in a technician to do the work professionally
