Raccoons, also known as coons are named for their remarkable hands. The word raccoon originates from a native American Indian tribe and means, one who scrubs, rubs and scratches with its hands. Raccoons front paws are extraordinarily dexterous and contain a large number of sensory receptors. Raccoons use their front paws to open doors, jars, and latches. The raccoon is a medium-sized mammal that is native to North America and can be found across the United States largely due to their exceptionally good ability to adapt to and take advantage of new environments. In the wild, raccoons are very often found in wooded areas in close proximity to water, where they live in hollow trees and logs. Adult raccoons in Nassau County, Long Island, can weigh twenty to thirty pounds and male raccoons are usually twenty percent heavier than females. The most discerning physical feature of the raccoon is the mask of black fur that covers its eyes. The dark-colored fur decreases glare and improves the raccoon's night vision. Raccoons are nearsighted and colorblind but have outstanding night vision. The eyes of a raccoon, are well-adjusted to low light conditions. Raccoons have a distinguishable eye shape and the retinal surface of this nocturnal animal's eye is much larger than wildlife that lives by day. Nocturnal animals have eyes with a tapetum lucidum, which is a mirror-like reflective layer at the back of the eye that functions to supply more light to the retina. When illuminated, the tapetum lucidum causes the nocturnal animal's eyes to glow in the dark. Raccoons are known for their destructive behavior, making them nuisance wildlife, especially when it comes to overturning trash cans. These destructive critters are protected under New York State Environmental Conservation Law. Though usually nocturnal, the raccoon can often be seen foraging for food during the day. Raccoons are omnivorous scavengers, feeding on carrion, insects, grubs, earthworms, berries, fruits, nuts, fish, snails, crawfish, frogs, eggs, poultry, snakes, and squirrels. Raccoons are social mammals that live together in groups. In the Spring four to seven raccoon kits are born and are raised by the mother raccoon. The life expectancy of raccoons in the wild is only about 3 years in part due to canine distemper, which contributes appreciably to the death of raccoons. Raccoons, are extremely prevalent throughout Nassau County, Long Island and are among the most widespread wildlife in New York State. Raccoons are more densely populated in large cities than in rural areas. In the State of New York, every city, town, and village has raccoons living within city limits. Nassau County raccoon populations may exceed one hundred per square mile, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The overpopulation of raccoons in Nassau County, Long Island is due to the absence of raccoon predators, which normally would include bobcats, cougars, and coyotes. Birds of prey, such as hawks, owls and eagles will prey on raccoon pups. Raccoons are highly intelligent animals that use more than two hundred different raccoon sounds to communicate with each other. This nocturnal animal has an extraordinary sense of odor detection and auditory perception and is even able to hear sounds made by earthworms in the ground.
The most important sense for raccoons is their sense of touch. Raccoons have hyper-sensitive front paws and nearly two-thirds of the area responsible for sensory perception in their brain's cerebral cortex is specialized for the analysis of tactile impulses. In suburban areas, such as Nassau County, Long Island raccoons will use their hypersensitive front paws to identify weak points through which it will enter a home or business. Raccoons may proceed to rip a hole in a damaged area of the roof, enter through a gable vent, or push through a soffit to gain access to an attic. In the attic of a Nassau County residence, raccoons will damage insulation, central air conditioning ducts and electrical wires, which may result in a fire. Like many wild animals, raccoons are opportunistic critters that seek a lifestyle that has the greatest reward for the least effort. Raccoons will make their dens in the hollow parts of trees and in the abandon ground burrows of skunks and groundhogs. These animals will also make their home in your attic, crawl space, garage, shed, chimney, under a deck, or porch of your Nassau County, Long Island home. If you suspect that raccoons are inhabiting your home, you need to contact Nassau County Wildlife Control, animal control experts immediately to humanely resolve your raccoon pest control issue. Raccoons are very strong and have long and sharp claws, which assist the raccoon in climbing just about anything. Coons are able to climb any size tree or even descend head first down a tree. Raccoons are capable of descending headfirst down a tree because they can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees. The remarkable climbing ability of raccoons is what gets them onto just about any roof.
Raccoons carry numerous diseases that can either harm you or your pets such as rabies, canine distemper, leptospirosis, mange, and raccoon roundworm. If raccoons have resided in your home for even a very short period of time, you may require an attic cleanup, to ensure the health of your family and future resale value of your Nassau County residence.
How To Get Rid Of Raccoons Nassau County, Long Island, New York
If you are hearing noises in your attic, noises in your chimney at night or scratching sounds in the ceiling, there is a very good possibility that your Nassau County, Long Island home has become inhabited by raccoons. As intelligent problem-solvers with substantial dexterity and determination, raccoons often find their way into the attics and chimneys of Nassau County, Long Island residences. If a raccoon is entering the attic via the attic fan, you may hear a loud thud upon its entry. A raccoon moving around in the attic of a Long Island home is frequently described as sounding like a piece of furniture being dragged across the attic floor. This is where a pregnant female raccoon will den and give birth to her raccoon cubs. If there is a raccoon in the attic, ninety percent of the time it is a female raccoon and she has raccoon cubs. An average raccoon litter of three to five young are born usually in April or May. Bird-like chirping noises coming from the attic are evidence of the presence of baby raccoons. When there are baby raccoons in the attic, it frequently sounds like marbles rolling across the attic floor. The mother raccoon is extremely protective of her young raccoon cubs and will attack anyone who goes near them. This is just another reason why you should hire Nassau County Wildlife Control raccoon removal experts to solve your nuisance wildlife control problem. In the attic, the raccoons will poop and urinate on the insulation and often damage the ductwork of the central air conditioning system, which is just another reason to hire a Nassau County raccoon removal professional, who will promptly and humanely get the raccoons out of your attic. The lactating female raccoon becomes extremely trap shy and usually will not go near a food-baited box trap. So, getting raccoons out of an attic can be an extremely difficult and dangerous job. Not only will our pest control professionals remove raccoons from a chimney or an attic, but we will also determine how the raccoons got into the attic of your Nassau County, Long Island residence. Our wildlife trappers install chimney caps to prevent your chimney from becoming re-inhabited by raccoons, squirrels, birds, bats, and other wildlife. We also refer you to a licensed Nassau County contractor for any needed wildlife repairs to be done to the roof, fascia board, or soffits of your Long Island residence. Maintaining your Nassau County, Long Island home and keeping it in good repair, will serve to prevent it from becoming inhabited by raccoons and other nuisance wildlife. If you locate the raccoon's entry point into your residence, do not make the mistake of closing it up. Sealing up a hole almost always results in a raccoon being sealed into the house, which is what you definitely do not want. Even if you close up the opening while the raccoon is out, if it is a lactating mother raccoon, she will tear a new hole in your roof to get to her raccoon cubs. The raccoons need to be removed before any damage repairs can be made to your Long Island residence. Raccoon repellents, including mothballs, wildlife spray repellents, and ultrasonic sound emitters do not get rid of raccoons. If you want to get rid of raccoons in the attic of your Nassau County, Long Island home, call a humane wildlife removal specialist at Nassau County Wildlife Control.
Raccoon Trapping
Humane raccoon trapping is an effective means of Nassau County raccoon control and is the animal control method used by Nassau County Wildlife Control animal trappers to get rid of raccoons. Humane animal trapping is an extremely important wildlife management tool and is a crucial component of wildlife damage control in Long Island, New York. There are many types of humane raccoon traps and raccoon baits that can be used to catch raccoons. Knowing what type of humane raccoon trap to use and what raccoon bait to use for raccoon removal in Nassau County, Long Island is largely determined by what time of the year it is. The humane raccoon removal trapping techniques that our Nassau County raccoon removal experts use, is also dependent upon the situation and where the raccoons are gaining entrance to your Nassau County home or business. Nassau County Wildlife Control animal trappers know what humane raccoon trap and raccoon bait to use in every situation.
