Spring is a wonderful time of the year. After a long winter, the weather finally heats up, and flowers start to bloom everywhere. But with spring comes a big disadvantage for property owners. It is pest intrusion season. Most wild animals’ mate during the winter season, meaning every spring, new litters of raccoon babies are born. The earliest set of babies are witnessed in March with the latest ones coming in as late as June. Sometimes, when the mother raccoon loses her first litter, she might have second litter sometime in mid-summer.
While raccoons naturally live outside, to create a secure nest for their babies, they actively seek out warm, isolated spaces. Home attics are by far their best choice. Your attic is normally situated in an elevated space protecting the babies from natural predators. Your attic also provides nesting material with an element of built-in privacy.
If you are a property owner, it’s important to take note of raccoon baby season, an adult female and her young might be hiding in or around your property, and early detection is key to remove raccoons in Mississauga.
How will I know if I have baby raccoons?
Identifying if you have raccoons in your structures isn’t a difficult task; this is because raccoons are very bad when it comes to being discreet. The following are common signs you have raccoons with babies in your building.
- Visible points of entry on the exterior of your building. You will be able to spot damaged soffits, bent siding as well as other obvious signs of raccoon intrusion
- Rustling and thumping- raccoons weight between 10 to 60 pounds, you will be able to notice them moving around as they prepare their nest.
- Baby cries – just like humans. Raccoon babies are quite vocal during their early stages of infancy. You will notice their cries both during the day and night.
- Adult female foraging around your property- during the nesting period the mother raccoon will come out regularly to forage for food. She needs to eat to produce enough milk for her young. She will not wander far when her kits are tiny and helpless.
How long does raccoon baby season last?
It takes around three months for a baby raccoon to be able to move around independently. Before that, you are unlikely to see any baby raccoons in your property. They will be safely nestled in your structures while their mother is out foraging. A litter of raccoons normally has between three and five babies.
After three months of depending on their mother, the baby raccoons will begin foraging for food on their own in the attic space and outdoors. It’s important to note that raccoons will not necessarily vacate out of the premises after the baby season. If your structures offer a warm, comfortable, and secure space, they will return each season over time.
Consequently, females born in your structures will return to the same location to have their litter. It’s important that you to do let this cycle get started.
Managing a wildlife problem in your home is never an easy task; the problem even gets more complicated if you have to deal with a mother raccoon and her babies. The most industrious property owners will be tempted into resolving the situation on their own. Remember, when dealing with a mother raccoon and her new kits, it is best not to risk injury or damage. Call in the experts. It’s advisable to contact your local raccoon removal service if you suspect you have a nesting raccoon in your home.