Raccoons may look cute with their chubby little faces and furry coats but they’re not an animal you want to cuddle with. In Melbourne FL, raccoons are one of the most common animals to get infected with rabies. These resourceful scavengers also often find their way into homes raiding trash bins and trashing up attics.
As soon as you spot signs of these furry creatures, you should act quick and make sure their presence doesn’t become a full blown infestation.
Call our specialists at AAAC Wildlife Removal and we’ll kick these pests out of your property. We are proudly to offer wildlife removal services of this nearby areas June Park, Palm Bay, Melbourne Beach, Indialantic and West Melbourne.
Why are Raccoons a Problem in Melbourne FL.,?
Melbourne, FL, with its warm climate and sandy beaches are a home to a number of mammals including the raccoon. But exactly makes them a problem?
1. Rabies
As mentioned, raccoons are one of the animals that are commonly infected with rabies. In March 2024, a raccoon in Sewall’s Point in Martin County, was found positive for rabies and has led to Florida Department of Health officials sounding the alarm on the virus that may be circulating in the local wildlife.
Brevard County is no exception. More than 1400 cases of rabies have been reported in animals in this county. One that was picked up in Hield Road off Minton Road last April 2024 tested positive for the dreaded virus.
2. Diseases
Aside from rabies, raccoons also often carry with them diseases like leptospirosis, tularemia, listeriosis, yersiniosis, and pasteurellosis. Leptospirosis, which is commonly associated with rodents, are also often contracted by raccoons due to their scavenging behavior.
Besides these bacterial infections, raccoons also often contract canine distemper, raccoon parvoviralenteritis, canine hepatitis, and Parvoviral enteritis, diseases that threaten your family and pets’ health.
3. They love to get into attics and walls
Raccoons, especially the females, just love getting into homes’ attics and walls. They frequently travel through branches to your roof, and when they find any small opening, that’s usually their cue to move in!
Once they’re in – you’re in for some really wild antics. They’ll start tearing your insulation and use them as bed for their babies, bring trash and food in from outside, leave droppings everywhere – your home will slowly turn into a dump.
4. Nocturnal Disturbance
Raccoons are crepuscular and nocturnal creatures meaning they are mostly active during dawn, night, and dusk. Around these times, they do their business, foraging food and caring for their young.
So, if you suddenly hear thumping and scratching noises in your ceiling at night, jolting you awake, then you very likely have some furry tenants. They’d gladly take over your home if you let them – they’d gnaw wires, scratch walls and tear insulations leaving you with many sleepless nights.
Signs of Raccoon Infestation
It’s critical to quickly spot signs of a raccoon infestation. Before they can do much damage to your home and really trash the place.
Here are some obvious signs that raccoons are eyeing your home as new abode:
Raccoon footprints
One of the most obvious signs that you have raccoons in your property is footprints or tracks. You’d see these in your garden or your lawn. Also, they’d usually track mud into your driveway or porch when searching for food.
The noise
Scratching, screeching, and thumping noises typically in the evening is another common sign that you have an animal home invader. Raccoons being crepuscular and nocturnal (active in the dusk, evening, and dawn) would be very busy dragging food and bedding materials into your attic which would usually cause quite a racket.
Smell (Ugh..)
Hygiene isn’t really included in the raccoon’s very short list of priorities and they’d simply do their business wherever it’s convenient. They’d poo in your ripped up insulation, in your ceiling, your walls, and the amount of droppings eventually accumulates creating some really nasty smell that reaches your living space.
Droppings
Droppings is also one of the most common telltale signs of raccoon infestation. Raccoon poop, usually dark in color, cylindrical in shape and about 2-3 inches long. You’d see these in the base of trees in your yard or garden and along fence lines.
Toppled Trash bins
Raccoons are opportunistic scavengers and garbage bins are usually one of their first targets when they’re foraging for food. This is how they got to be known as trash pandas – because they love to dive into trash cans to find bits and pieces of food. While diving in, they’d usually topple the bins, spilling its contents into the pavement. We will repair all damage caused by the infestation both inside and outside of your property. These include: ripped shingles, chewed through wood and siding, etc. We’ll also replace insulation or roofing that is damaged, torn, or has been ripped apart.
DIY vs Professional Removal
Raccoons at some point become so much of a pain that you just decide to take action (hopefully you don’t wait until they’ve entrenched themselves). So you start weighing your options – should I just buy an animal trap in Melbourne Home Depot or should I hire a professional to resolve the problem for me?
Here are a few things to consider:
Florida has strict rules with animal removal
While property owners are allowed to remove nuisance animals on their property, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some very strict rules on how it should be done.
For example, there are traps that are not allowed to be used, particularly those that cause “unnecessary suffering” like steel jaw leghold traps and snares. You also cannot easily relocate a captured animal, you’d need a permit for that.
And, if you decide to euthanize the animal, there are also specific ways to do it according to regulations.
Raccoons can be dangerous
Raccoons have sharp teeth and claws that can easily do damage. When backed agains the wall, they would simply bite and scratch just to escape. And Rabies. As mentioned earlier, raccoons are one of the most common animals to contract the rabies virus.
When it comes to rabies, it’s best to be safe and not come close to potential carriers like raccoons.
DIY is usually a temporary solution
When you try a DIY removal of a wild animal, you usually miss some important details like making sure other raccoons or wildlife can come back into your home. Patching holes in the roof or ceilings that wildlife often use to get into houses are important steps to ensure you don’t get an infestation again.
Then there’s the cleaning and repair of the affected part of your home. Imagine cleaning all the smelly droppings leftover food the raccoons left behind. I don’ t know about you but’ I’d get someone to do that for me.
There’s also the ripped up insulation, gnawed wires and walls. There’s simply too much to do after getting pest wildlife out.
Why is AAAC Wildlife Removal the Best Wildlife Pest Control Company to Call?
It is apparent that trying to remove raccoons yourself is simply not worth your time – you could get hurt, contract a disease, get a fine or thrown in jail. When it comes to raccoon removal, it is simply best to leave the task to the experts. In Melbourne, AAAC Wildlife Removal is a trusted name in nuisance wildlife management.
Here are a few reasons why you should call us when raccoons start invading your property.
30 years of experience
AAAC Wildlife Removal has been removing nuisance wildlife like raccoons, squirrels, and bats from homes for over 20 years and we have accumulated a good amount of expertise. We’ve been in the animal removal industry since 1995, helping the community with all their wildlife needs.
We respond quickly
When it comes to responding to requests for removal of wild animals in homes, we do not dilly dally – time is of the essence when it comes to these wildlife. As soon as they feel at home, they’ll start to use your home as a latrine and rip your attic apart.
Certified technicians
All our technicians are Florida Wildlife Certified and know these animals by heart. They are provided with the most comprehensive training and are equipped with the most modern equipment and techniques to handle the community’s wildlife concerns.
Full-Service Solutions
After removing nuisance wildlife, we’ll cover all the bases. Clean up the mess and decontaminate the area. We’ll also do the repair and exclusion. We have equipment that will ensure complete decontamination after an infestation. We’ll also repair and restore your attic to its original condition.
Call AAAC Wildlife Removal Today!
Wildlife infestation is not something to take lightly. Pest animals bring diseases that threaten your family’s health and cause damage to your home. As soon as you spot signs of raccoons, you have to act quickly, call us at AAAC Wildlife Removal and we’ll handle the problem for you. We’ll kick the nuisance out, fix and clean your attic and ensure they don’t ever come back.of experts is equipped to handle it! Call us today so we can help you get rid of your raccoons!
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Melbourne
About Melbourne
Melbourne is a Florida city southeast of Orlando. The Eau Gallie Arts District, on the Indian River Lagoon, is known for its galleries and Foosaner Art Museum. Period buildings include the Rossetter House Museum & Gardens, restored to its 1908 appearance. Across the lagoon, Howard E. Futch Memorial Park at Paradise Beach faces the Atlantic Ocean. North, Brevard Zoo features a kayak tour through an African habitat.
Neighborhoods
Sunset Homes – Leewood Forfst – Weston Park – Weston Park – Weston Park – Bayberry Estates – Sarno Heights – Casas Del Rio – Eagle Lake North – Colony West – Crane Cliffs – Melbourne – Thistle Creek – Booker Heights – The Dunes At Oceanside Village – Tradewinds Homes – Cedar Run – Hawthorne Point – Rocky Water Park – Cresthaven Homes – Williamsburg – New Jersey Colony – Newtown – Metcalfs – Plaza North – Dartmouth Trail – Bel-aire Palms – Golf Club Estates – University Park – Briarwood Park – Briarwood Park – Briarwood Park – Living Homes Estates – Madison Riverfront Estates – Lakeside – Trumbull Office Condo – Crane Creek Heights – Whispering Pines Acres – South Oaks – Harbour View Estates – Croton Woods – Indian River Bluff – East Bay Plantation – Meadow Cove – Ixora Park – Wickham Forest – Alamanda Key – Sonesta Walk – Lake Washington Townhomes – Hammock Trace Preserve – Melbourne –
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