It香蕉视频直播檚 raccoon birthing season and B.C. homeowners should be mindful the animals may try to seek refuge where they shouldn香蕉视频直播檛.
Lorinne Anderson, who runs Wildaid, a Vancouver Island wildlife rescue operation, said raccoons are known to breed between January and March, with a majority of babies born between March and May.
Damage to insulation is among the problems raccoons are known to cause.
香蕉视频直播淣ine times out of 10, what they do is they actually follow rats in,香蕉视频直播� said Anderson. 香蕉视频直播淭hey will get rid of the rats, because rats are a threat to their babies. They will take an opening that a rat香蕉视频直播檚 been using, enlarge that and then use that to access a crawl space or a shed or an abandoned vehicle, parked boat or whatever.香蕉视频直播�
According to Anderson, raccoons can use space as a 香蕉视频直播渘ursery den香蕉视频直播� for a finite period of time and almost always vacate the area by July. People may not even know raccoons have taken up residence.
香蕉视频直播淲hen the babies are little, they make little chirping noises, so people think they have a bird nest up there,香蕉视频直播� said Anderson. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not until they香蕉视频直播檙e older that you actually hear normal raccoon noises 香蕉视频直播� we call it a 香蕉视频直播榯rill.香蕉视频直播� They香蕉视频直播檒l also make almost like a guinea pig sound: 香蕉视频直播楴eet!香蕉视频直播� If the babies feel like they香蕉视频直播檙e lost or separated, they香蕉视频直播檒l make that sort of a noise.香蕉视频直播�
Mothers can move babies and often, they will 香蕉视频直播減ark them somewhere香蕉视频直播� halfway between old and new locations. People may mistake the young ones as abandoned, but the mother often returns for the baby the following night, said Anderson.
She hesitates to refer to them as problematic, however.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 sure some people view it as a problem,香蕉视频直播� said Anderson. 香蕉视频直播淭o me, they are not a problem at all. After raptors, they香蕉视频直播檙e our No. 1 predator against rats. They香蕉视频直播檙e not dangerous. They don香蕉视频直播檛 kill cats 香蕉视频直播� they香蕉视频直播檙e one of the few animals that does much better in an urban environment than in a 香蕉视频直播榝orest environment.香蕉视频直播� They are very prolific, but they香蕉视频直播檙e prolific based on food source.香蕉视频直播�
Ken Gunderson, owner of Island Wildlife and Pest Control, recommends against leaving out food that attracts raccoons.
香蕉视频直播淭he biggest thing is not feeding birds, not feeding other wildlife. A lot of people in the city here definitely do that,香蕉视频直播� said Gunderson. 香蕉视频直播淭he next biggest one is just making sure your roof is in good condition. In almost all cases we see, they香蕉视频直播檙e accessing the attic through a weak soffit vent somewhere. It香蕉视频直播檚 just a matter of getting up there and making sure everything香蕉视频直播檚 sealed on the exterior.香蕉视频直播�
Both experts warn health concerns could arise from inhalation of particles from excrement.
香蕉视频直播淚n most cases there香蕉视频直播檚 not going to be any health concerns if you香蕉视频直播檙e just living in the house,香蕉视频直播� said Gunderson. 香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檙e actually going up in the attic and you香蕉视频直播檙e breathing in the dust from the insulation and the droppings, they香蕉视频直播檙e definitely health concerns. Ring worm is one of them. Leptospirosis (causing organ damage, meningitis and even death) is another one. All that stuff is very rare unless you香蕉视频直播檙e doing a big cleanup and there香蕉视频直播檚 a very large amount of droppings in a small area.香蕉视频直播�
Anderson said there are misconceptions about raccoons. People generally worry about three things in relation to raccoons, she said.
香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e worried that the raccoon is going to attack them, or their child, or their pet 香蕉视频直播� do all sorts of damage and then there香蕉视频直播檚 the ones that just don香蕉视频直播檛 think they belong in the city and they need to be moved back to the wilderness,香蕉视频直播� Anderson said. 香蕉视频直播淪adly, all of those things are false. The only time you香蕉视频直播檙e going to have a problem with a raccoon is if you corner it. And frankly, I don香蕉视频直播檛 care what you are, if anything corners me in an alley, I香蕉视频直播檓 coming with teeth and claws.香蕉视频直播�
For more information on what to do if you suspect you have raccoons, click .
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