How Canadians Can Keep Their Homes Safe From Raccoons

Maintaining a home involves keeping everyone inside safe and protected from unwanted wildlife. Raccoons, in particular, are common culprits often found inside attics or basements throughout the year.

Staying safe in your home, no matter where in Canada you reside, requires your undivided time and attention to ensure your and your family’s long-term health and well-being. Finding the right solution may take time, but there are ways you can prevent raccoons from making their own homes inside your household.

Protect Your Plumbing

To protect against local wildlife, like raccoons, you’ll want to ensure no exposed pipes around the building. Plumbing is a common resource raccoons will utilize, mainly through your plumbing mats. These mats are commonly found on the roof vents that connect your plumbing system to weaken sewer gases. 

The hole cut out in the roof to fit the pipe is typically more extensive than the actual pipe, and rubber mats are used to cover the holes. Raccoons can tear at these mats until there is a hole big enough to fit inside, and then they’ve managed to find their home inside your walls or ceiling.

If your home requires advanced measures or raccoons have managed to enter and nest in your home, you may need to look into raccoon removal services in Toronto or your local city. The experts at Wildlife Shield know first-hand that professional services are often required when DIY measures won’t do the trick.

Removing Roof Vents

Raccoons can often find entry points in older Canadian homes, and they can find their way into your ceiling or basement, nesting, and breeding. Entering through your roof is one of the most common ways raccoons will enter your home.

Roof ventilation is designed to allow air to circulate in your attic, but this can invite raccoons to seek out the warm air. Wildlife around older Canadian homes can find these vents easily and chew through their screens using their teeth and claws. Since raccoons are pretty strong and stubborn, they can easily chew and claw through the covers on your roof vent. 

In the event of a damaged roof vent, you may wish to seek out a licensed technician to install a sturdier fixture, or if you’re looking to complete the task yourself, you should look into a cloth cover before re-attaching the vent.

Secure Dog or Cat Doors

Animal doors are a clear entry point for raccoons to enter your home, whether it’s through the front or back door. Many Canadians are partial to owning pets and will add a pet door to let their animal come and go as pleases. The problem with this is the accessibility it offers small wildlife, like raccoons, to find their way inside the home.

If you’re hesitant about removing a cat or dog door altogether, there are ways to keep the convenience without compromising the safety of your home. In recent years, electronic cat doors are becoming more common among younger homeowners. To install a feature this advanced, you’ll want to ensure you have a trained professional on your property, so you can rest easy knowing your home is protected from unwanted raccoons and wildlife.