All About The Raccoon

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All About RaccoonsA Raccoon is an interesting mammal, an average raccoon is about 24 – 38 inches, and they weigh about 14 – 23 pounds this to a great extent depends on the availability of food.

The female raccoons are smaller than their male counterparts, the young ones are called kits. The most peculiar and interesting difference between wild and city raccoon is that in the wild raccoon has a lifespan of about 2-3 years only, however in captivity they can survive for almost 20 years! Raccoon is omnivorous by nature and they tend to eat at every opportunity, their favorite diet consist of plants, fruits, berries, nuts, eggs, frogs, rodents etc. Perhaps this is what lures the raccoon to the easy access of food in the from of garbage bins, sheds and gardens, no wonder then, why the raccoon is raiding your

Wild habitat:

The wild raccoon live in burrows or cavities they mostly emerge at night or dusk to hunt for food. They originally lived in tropics along riverbanks. They however over a period of time they moved up North Raccoon have very successfully changed or rather expanded their diet In the city or urban areas the raccoon seem to survive well due to the abundance and variety of human food that is available to it. The range and size of a raccoon home is directly dependent on the food supply that is available.

They are a very adaptive species, in winter and in adverse condition the raccoon tends to stay put in their dens for 3-4 weeks or more. If you are trying to raccoon proof your home a study of their behavior is a good thing. It is a matter of great importance that the raccoon is out of your premises rather than locked in as they may cause havoc and damage to your home in this case you should call the professionals. There are many companies that offer raccoon removal services by raccooncontrol.ca. Pick one that offers humane services. 

Some more facts:

Raccoons are fast and can catch up speeds up to 15 miles per hour. Raccoons are great swimmers and manage to stay under water for many hours. They are found all over North America they also have made their presence even in Japan, Russia and Germany.

Though the Raccoon may give you nightmares, especially if it’s you garden or shed they are raiding. However with little patience and understanding and observation of the Raccoon can take steps to preserve this animal and at the same time prevent its entry to your home.

Differences Between Wild and City Raccoons

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city raccoonBackground Information

Raccoons are omnivorous animals and are said to have originally lived in the tropics and along riverbanks. They later migrated to other parts of North America and adapted to new territories and changing in their diet.

How do City Raccoons Behave?

Raccoons are able to adjust to a variety of climatic conditions and environments. This ability to adjust to various environmental conditions allows them to live in many major cities of North America and other parts of the world. Raccoons stay with their mothers for about one year, and during this period, they are fed, protected and taught how to survive. Animals in cities are taught how to increase their pace while crossing the road to avoid being hit by cars. They are also taught how to avoid busy streets and major highways.

Urban raccoons live in a small territory which enables them not to travel too far, find shelter, food and water within a short distance. The animals in urban areas are highly flexible in body sizes, and have a sharp sense of smell. Raccoons are omnivorous diet wise and have nimble hands that can open up doors and containers. They can find food anywhere including garbage areas and pet food.

Differences Between Wild and City Raccoons

Cities are a new environment for the animals that are used to living in the wild. In order for them to survive in urban settings, the animals must be extremely flexible. In order to avoid many dangers that exist in cities, city raccoons have adapted a highly flexible nature.This is unlike those in the wild which are rather slow and clumsy. City raccoons also are known to live longer and have more offspring than those in the wild. This is mainly because in the cities the animals are away from hunting and trappings, a general lack of predators and abundance of human food.

City raccoons are able to find their way through obstacles and somewhat aggressive than their counterparts in the wild. Due to this behavior, urban raccoons are more susceptible to cause more damage than their counterparts in the wild. Due to frequent interactions and conflict with humans, raccoons that dwell in cities tend to be more intelligent than those in the wild. Finally, raccoons in urban settings live much longer than those in wild. The reasons for the huge difference in life expectancy between the two categories are varied, but some of them are diet, environment and predators.

As urban centers expand, the distinction between what is a city and wild raccoon become blurred. According to Wildlife Removal specialists, they continue to find more wild raccoons in the east as the city of Oshawa keeps growing. Are Oshawa raccoons the most wild in the GTA? Well I doubt it, but it sure tells us that the struggle with such wildlife is not ending soon.

How To Squirrel Proof Your Attic

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squirrel-proof-atticIf you are among those who live in squirrel populated areas, then you need to ensure that you install improvements to your house. This will prevent squirrels from nesting in your attic, edge or basement space. According to leading wildlife control Toronto company , to attain this, there are three steps one needs to follow when preparing squirrel proof for your home.

To begin with, you need to evaluate your home by moving around the house. Look for entry points and have it in mind that squirrels use considerable small openings to enter into the house. Make sure you look for openings on the roof, under the soffit and facade. Make sure you close every opening that may act as a squirrel door.

The second thing to do is to purchase materials you need to prevent squirrels by blocking each opening. You can seal some openings, which are not critical using expanding foam. It is not advisable to seal all openings. This is because other openings are necessary for  appropriate performance of the roof. Sealing the entire roof will result to a problem of moisture build up and possible ice dams in a tundra region. It is advisable to talk to a professional before sealing all openings with airtight materials. For small holes, use self-expanding foam because they are simple to use. All you need to do is to insert the hose into the gap.

Squirt the foam and it will grow to fill the hole and hardens. Materials can be bought from your local home-improvement retailer.

Finally, after purchasing the materials, determine holes to be sealed and holes necessary for air flow. The next thing is to install the materials appropriately. Even though the steps are simple, this work should be handled by a professional installer. A special care needs to be taken for the installations that need you to use a ladder. This is because you can forget and lose balance.

Getting Rid of Squirrels From Your Attic

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squirrelinatticGetting rid of squirrels in an attic is something which is a problem to many. These creatures are always bothering, especially with the noises they make. When one hears these noises, he or she should take appropriate measures as fast as possible to stop them from multiplying.

Squirrels are rodents; thus they like chewing things such as electrical wiring among other stuff. This is particularly dangerous since it can cause fire in the house. Therefore, it is imperative to eliminate them out of one’s attic immediately. We asked a technician who performs squirrel removal in Toronto for some tips. So here they are: [Read more…]

Skunks-Our Ravine Neighbours Evicted

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skunk1Occasionally in our back yard, we get some skunks. This is not really a common site but we do get one or two skunks roaming in the ravine in the summer months. I am not really sure if it is one or two because it is hard to tell the difference. If there are two they really look alike. Even though we didn’t mind, a neighbor decided to contact a skunk removal Toronto technician to take care of the issue particularly because of the smell. [Read more…]

Toronto Squirrels-Having Your Cake and Eating it Too

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Aside from the raccoon family frequently visiting our property we also have several squirrels roaming the ravine behind our house. This is great for our kids, as they can spend time looking at the squirrels when the raccoons are not active. While we have thought we contact squirrel removal Toronto on multiple occasions, and I will explain why soon, we decided to actually co-habituate with the squirrels and enjoy their company. [Read more…]

Back Yard Raccoons-Toronto Ravine Lot Adventures

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Living in a home with a ravine lot in the Toronto suburbs we see any animals make their way into our space. Even though most Toronto city folk would contact raccoon removal Toronto we enjoy spending time with our guests. Our family takes time every week to sit by the window sipping hot chocolate and relaxing while looking at the raccoon family that lives in our space. On some occasions my kids want and do feed the raccoons. I have instructed them how to do so, and are very careful. You can see the picture of the family as they were last year on our backyard porch. My cousin who lives in  had the same problem with raccoons. They called a Brantford raccoon removal company for advice. [Read more…]