Raccoons - Raccoon trapping, removal and exclusion repairs for Richmond and Charlottesville, Virginia

Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services provides nuisance raccoon trapping, removal
and management services to individuals, businesses, and municipalities throughout Central and
Eastern Virginia - including Richmond, Charlottesville, Goochland, Louisa, Fluvanna, Mineral,
Gordonsville, Earlysville, Keswick, Orange, Albemarle, Powhatan, Henrico and Hanover.

The Raccoon (Procyon lotor) can be a considerable nuisance to Virginia homeowners and
gardeners. Raccoons will kill poultry, eat sweet corn and other garden crops, eat pet foods, raid
garbage cans, roll up turf sod, and damage roofing materials and fascia boards. Female raccoons
often choose to give birth to and raise their young in attics and chimneys, and can make
considerable noise and disturbance.

Raccoons are become increasingly comfortable in the presence of humans, and this makes them
an active vector of disease transmission to humans and their pets. Raccoons are susceptible to
rabies, parvo, distemper, and are a major carrier of the roundworm parasite Baylisascaris
procyonis.

Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services has the knowledge and experience to resolve
your nuisance raccoon problem quickly and humanely. Call us today.

Description of Damage

Raccoons may cause a variety of damage or nuisance problems, and their distinctive tracks often
provide evidence of their involvement in damage situations. Raccoons can damage vegetable
gardens and crops, particularly sweet corn that is ripe and ready for harvesting. Partially eaten ears
with the husks pulled back or stalks that have broken as the animals climb to get at the ears may
indicate raccoon damage. Raccoons also like watermelons and will dig through the rind to
reach in and pull out the contents with their paws. In addition, they will occasionally kill poultry on
nests or roosts in chicken coops.

Raccoons can also cause damage or become a nuisance around houses and outbuildings when
they take up residence in attics or chimneys or raid garbage cans in search of food. Occasionally,
raccoons may tear off boards or shingles to get into an attic or wall space. Once inside, they may
damage insulation and chew holes. In addition, raccoon feces may accumulate and create
unpleasant odors.

Health Concerns

Rabies - Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. Animals
most often infected include raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. The virus is present in the saliva and
nervous tissue of a rabid animal. Avoiding encounters with raccoons can reduce the risk of
exposure to rabies. Do not attempt to handle or capture a sick or apparently �orphaned� animal.
Avoid animals that act strangely, especially those that are unusually tame, aggressive, or paralyzed.
Be suspicious of daytime activity in raccoons, which normally are most active at night. In New York
over the last decade more than 50 percent of the wild animals confirmed to have rabies each year
have been raccoons.

Wild mammals as well as cats, dogs, ferrets, and livestock may contract rabies. Thus it is important
to have all dogs and cats regularly vaccinated for rabies. If your pet has been in a fight with another
animal, wear gloves to handle it. Isolate it from other animals and people and telephone your county
health department or animal control officer for instructions. If you or someone you know is bitten
or scratched by a raccoon, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and contact your
physician immediately. Rabies postexposure vaccinations may be necessary. Consult with your
county for additional information.

Raccoon Roundworm - Roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) is a potentially dangerous parasite
commonly found in the small intestine of raccoons. Raccoon roundworm can be contracted by
humans who accidentally ingest roundworm eggs (shed in raccoon droppings) from contaminated
areas or by not washing hands after working or playing in or around a contaminated area. Small
children are particularly vulnerable because they tend to put their hands and other objects in their
mouths. A small number of children have died from this disease. Larvae migrate to various tissues
but if they enter the eyes or brain they can cause disorders of the eye or central nervous system.

Raccoons commonly use latrine areas at the base of trees, on fallen logs, large rocks, and
woodpiles and in barns and other outbuildings. To reduce risk associated with these areas, keep
children from playing in or around these areas. When cleaning areas that may have been
contaminated by raccoon feces, such as haylofts, fireplaces, and attics, wear disposable rubber
gloves, disposable clothes, and a dust mask. Burn all material that is removed. Roundworm eggs
can survive for years in the environment and are resistant to all common disinfectants. (Source:
Raccoons, Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheet Series, Cornell Cooperative Extension,
Ithaca, N.Y. �2001 by Cornell University)