Professional Raccoon Removal in Howell
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Professional Raccoon Removal in Howell
Hearing heavy thumping above your ceiling at night? Discovered torn shingles or damaged vents on your roof? You might be dealing with raccoons that have made themselves at home in your Howell property. At Attic Fanatics, we understand that raccoons aren’t just annoying visitors—they’re destructive and potentially dangerous wildlife that require professional handling. Our local technicians specialize in humane raccoon removal, protecting Howell homes from these intelligent but troublesome animals.
Get a FREE Raccoon Inspection Today | Call: (609) 834-3401
The Raccoon Problem in Howell Homes
Extensive Property Damage
Raccoons don’t politely ask for entry—they forcefully create it. These powerful animals can tear through roof shingles, pry open soffits, and damage vents to access your warm, secure attic. Once inside, they flatten and contaminate insulation as they establish nesting areas, significantly reducing your home’s energy efficiency and increasing your utility costs. They frequently chew on electrical wiring, creating dangerous fire hazards that threaten your entire property. Many Howell homeowners are shocked to discover water damage from raccoons that have disrupted roof structures or interfered with proper drainage. The repair costs from a raccoon infestation can quickly run into thousands of dollars, especially if the animals have been present for weeks or months before discovery. Even more concerning, raccoons often establish “latrines” in attics where they repeatedly defecate in the same area, creating concentrated areas of contamination that require specialized cleaning and sometimes complete insulation replacement. What starts as occasional scratching sounds can rapidly progress to major structural damage if these destructive animals aren’t professionally removed.
Serious Health Hazards
Beyond the property damage, raccoons introduce significant health risks to your household. Their droppings can harbor roundworm eggs and other parasites that remain infectious for years and pose particular dangers to children and pets. Raccoons are primary carriers of rabies in New Jersey, making any direct encounter potentially life-threatening. Their urine saturates insulation and can seep through ceilings, creating persistent odors and unsanitary conditions throughout your home. Even after the raccoons are gone, these biological contaminants continue affecting your indoor air quality and potentially your family’s health. The accumulation of nesting materials, food scraps, and waste creates ideal conditions for secondary infestations of insects and other pests, compounding your home’s wildlife problems. Many families don’t realize the extent of contamination until family members begin experiencing respiratory issues or allergic reactions. Professional raccoon removal addresses both the animals themselves and the hazardous waste they leave behind, protecting your family’s health while restoring your home’s cleanliness and safety.
Disturbing Nighttime Activity
Raccoons are primarily nocturnal, becoming most active precisely when your family is trying to sleep. If they’ve taken up residence in your attic or chimney, prepare for restless nights. The noises raccoons make are distinctively loud—heavy thumping as they move around, scratching sounds as they rearrange nesting materials, and even vocal chattering, growling, or crying sounds. These disturbances are particularly common during mating season (January-March) and when mothers are raising young (April-June). Many Howell residents report being jolted awake by what sounds like someone walking in their attic, creating anxiety and sleep disruption that affects daily functioning and quality of life. Families with young children or light sleepers find these nighttime disturbances especially problematic, with raccoon activity often triggering crying babies and disrupting critically important rest. The psychological impact of knowing wildlife is active overhead while you’re trying to sleep shouldn’t be underestimated as a significant aspect of raccoon problems.
Challenging and Potentially Dangerous to Remove
Raccoons’ intelligence, size, and potential aggressiveness make them particularly difficult and dangerous for homeowners to remove themselves. These adaptable animals quickly learn to avoid traps and can become defensive if they feel cornered or if protecting young. Adult raccoons typically weigh 15-20 pounds and possess sharp claws and teeth capable of inflicting serious injuries when threatened. Their remarkable dexterity allows them to manipulate latches, unscrew fasteners, and overcome many DIY barriers. Female raccoons with babies are especially determined to remain in or return to attic spaces, creating a challenging removal scenario that requires professional experience and specialized techniques to resolve safely and effectively. Many well-intentioned Howell homeowners attempt raccoon removal only to create more problems: either they’re unsuccessful and the raccoons remain, they separate mothers from babies creating odor issues from deceased young, or they risk personal injury through direct contact with these potentially dangerous animals. Professional wildlife control specialists have the training, equipment, and experience to safely handle even the most challenging raccoon situations.
Our Professional Raccoon Removal Process
1. Thorough Property Inspection
We begin with a complete assessment of your property to understand the full scope of your raccoon problem. Our experienced wildlife technicians carefully examine your entire roofline, paying special attention to vulnerable areas like roof intersections, chimney caps, attic vents, and soffit corners. We identify all entry points and assess their usage patterns. We search for evidence of raccoon activity including tracks, fur, droppings, visible damage, and disturbed insulation. We specifically look for signs of baby raccoons, as proper removal strategies differ significantly when young are present. We also evaluate your property for attractants and access routes that may be drawing raccoons to your home. We use specialized cameras to inspect hard-to-reach areas where raccoons might be nesting or creating latrines. This detailed inspection allows us to develop an effective, humane removal strategy customized to your specific situation rather than applying a generic approach that might miss crucial aspects of your unique raccoon problem. We document our findings with photos and detailed notes to share with you, ensuring you understand the full extent of the situation.
2. Customized Removal Plan
Based on our findings, we create a tailored plan that addresses your unique raccoon situation. If we’ve discovered a mother with babies, we implement specialized techniques to keep the family together throughout the removal process. We clearly explain our humane approach and provide a realistic timeline for complete resolution. We offer transparent pricing with no hidden fees and outline all recommended repairs needed to prevent future invasions. Our wildlife specialists take time to answer all your questions, ensuring you fully understand our process and feel confident in our approach. We explain any seasonal considerations that might affect our approach, particularly if young are present or mating season requires modifications to our standard removal techniques. This personalized planning phase establishes clear expectations and ensures our approach addresses all aspects of your specific raccoon situation rather than applying a generic, one-size-fits-all treatment that yields inconsistent results. We’re committed to finding the right solution for your situation rather than applying a standardized approach that might not fully resolve your specific raccoon problem.
3. Humane Trapping and Removal
We use only humane, ethical methods to remove raccoons from your property. For adult raccoons, we may employ specialized traps or one-way exclusion devices that allow raccoons to exit but prevent re-entry. If babies are present, we carefully remove them by hand and place them in a secure, warm container until they can be reunited with their mother during the removal process. All of our removal techniques comply with New Jersey wildlife regulations and prioritize both effectiveness and animal welfare. Our technicians are trained in safe handling techniques that minimize stress to the animals while protecting themselves from potential aggression. We monitor the progress of our removal efforts daily, making adjustments as needed to ensure complete elimination of the raccoon population from your home. This humane approach resolves your raccoon problem without unnecessary suffering to the animals while ensuring complete removal to prevent future problems. Many Howell homeowners appreciate our ethical approach that solves their wildlife problem while respecting animal welfare.
4. Complete Entry Point Sealing
Removing the raccoons is only half the solution—preventing their return is equally important. Once all raccoons have been safely removed, our team performs comprehensive exclusion work on your home. We seal all identified entry points using heavy-gauge metal screening, reinforced vent covers, chimney caps, and other professional-grade materials that raccoons cannot tear or pry open. We pay particular attention to areas already damaged by raccoons, as these are the most likely points for attempted re-entry. We reinforce vulnerable areas along your roofline, especially at corners and intersections where different materials meet. Our exclusion work is thorough and built to last, with materials securely anchored to prevent determined raccoons from pulling them away from your home. We integrate our repairs with your home’s existing materials and color schemes whenever possible, ensuring repairs are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. This comprehensive sealing process creates an effective barrier against future raccoon intrusions while maintaining your home’s appearance and structural integrity. The thorough nature of our sealing work ensures raccoons won’t simply find another way into your home after the primary entry points are closed.
5. Attic Restoration and Sanitization
After the raccoons are gone and your home is secured against re-entry, we address the mess and damage they’ve left behind. We remove soiled insulation and nesting materials that harbor parasites, bacteria, or roundworm eggs. We thoroughly sanitize affected areas with specialized cleaning agents that neutralize odors and kill pathogens. We replace damaged insulation to restore your home’s energy efficiency. For extensive damage, we can repair torn ductwork, damaged drywall, and other structural issues. We use commercial-grade sanitizing agents specifically designed to neutralize animal waste contaminants and eliminate the pheromone markers that might attract future wildlife. We pay special attention to raccoon latrine areas where concentrated waste creates heightened health hazards. This complete restoration process eliminates health hazards while removing the scent markers that might attract other raccoons or wildlife to your attic in the future. Many Howell homeowners are surprised at how much cleaner and fresher their homes smell after our decontamination process removes years of accumulated raccoon waste and nesting materials.
6. Preventative Measures and Guidance
To ensure long-term protection, we provide practical advice for keeping raccoons away from your property. We recommend modifications to your yard and home exterior that make your property less attractive to raccoons, such as securing garbage cans with wildlife-proof lids, removing fallen fruit from trees, and installing motion-activated lights in problem areas. We offer guidance on landscape maintenance that reduces wildlife hiding spots near your home, such as trimming tree branches that provide access to your roof and removing brush piles near your foundation. For ongoing peace of mind, we can install preventative measures like roof edge guards in vulnerable areas and offer maintenance plans with regular inspections. We stand behind our work with warranties on our exclusion services, guaranteeing that your raccoon problems are solved permanently. This proactive approach prevents future infestations, saving you from the frustration and expense of dealing with recurring raccoon problems while allowing you to enjoy your property without wildlife concerns.
Why Howell Homeowners Trust Attic Fanatics
Our reputation is built on successful pest control throughout Monmouth County:
We Serve All Toms River Communities
Our wildlife control specialists provide raccoon removal and prevention services throughout Toms River and surrounding communities. We’re intimately familiar with wildlife patterns in Downtown Toms River
- Ramtown
- Adelphia
- Ardena
- Jerseyville
- Fort Plains
- Freewood Acres
- Larrabee
- Southard
- Squankum
- West Farms
- Yukon
Frequently Asked Questions About Squirrel Control
How do raccoons get into homes?
Raccoons typically enter through vulnerable areas on your roof, such as damaged soffits, uncapped chimneys, loose attic vents, or roof intersections. Their strong front paws can tear through deteriorated shingles or pry open weakened areas of your roof, particularly where different materials meet. They’re excellent climbers, using downspouts, nearby trees, and textured exterior walls to access your roofline. Once they’ve identified a potential entry point, their remarkable dexterity allows them to manipulate many common barriers. During our inspection, we’ll identify all actual and potential entry points, showing you exactly how raccoons are accessing your home. Many Howell homeowners are surprised to discover just how determined and capable these animals are at creating or enlarging openings to gain access to attractive den sites in attics.
What if there are baby raccoons in my attic?
Finding and safely removing baby raccoons requires special techniques. Our technicians are trained to identify nursery areas and handle young raccoons safely. We use methods that keep families together during the removal process, typically by installing special one-way doors that allow the mother to relocate her babies to a new den site, or in some cases, carefully removing the babies and placing them in a reunion box outside your home where the mother can retrieve them. We never separate families unnecessarily and ensure that vulnerable young are not left behind. Our humane approach respects wildlife while still effectively resolving your raccoon problem. We schedule our work around raccoon breeding seasons whenever possible to avoid these more complex removal scenarios, though we’re fully equipped to handle them when necessary.
How quickly can you respond to a raccoon problem?
We offer prompt response for raccoon situations, typically scheduling inspections within 24-48 hours. For emergency cases where raccoons have entered living spaces or pose immediate safety concerns, we provide same-day service when possible. The complete removal and exclusion process usually takes 3-7 days, depending on the complexity of your situation and whether young raccoons are present. We’ll provide a realistic timeline based on your specific circumstances during our initial inspection. While some companies might promise quicker results, our thorough approach ensures complete removal and prevents future problems, saving you time and money in the long run. We understand that raccoon problems feel urgent when they’re in your home, and we prioritize quick resolution without sacrificing thoroughness or quality.
Is it legal for me to remove raccoons myself in Howell?
While New Jersey law allows homeowners to address nuisance wildlife on their own property, there are strict regulations about handling and relocating raccoons, particularly regarding humane treatment and disease concerns. Additionally, raccoons can be dangerous to handle without proper experience and equipment. Professional wildlife control ensures the job is done safely, humanely, and in compliance with all state wildlife regulations, while also addressing the structural repairs needed to prevent reinfestation. Our comprehensive approach resolves the entire problem rather than just addressing individual animals, providing a permanent solution to your raccoon troubles while protecting you from potential legal issues or personal injury that could result from improper handling of these animals.
How do you prevent raccoons from returning?
Our comprehensive exclusion work seals all potential entry points with professional-grade materials that raccoons cannot breach. We identify and reinforce vulnerable areas throughout your home’s exterior. Additionally, we provide guidance on making your property less attractive to raccoons by securing trash, removing food sources, and modifying landscapes to reduce hiding places. Our exclusion work comes with a warranty, guaranteeing that raccoons won’t return through any of the areas we’ve sealed. This multi-layered approach addresses both the immediate problem and the underlying factors that make your property attractive to raccoons, creating long-term protection against future invasions. Many Howell homeowners are relieved to learn that with proper exclusion and habitat modifications, they can enjoy their properties without ongoing raccoon problems.
Reclaim Your Home from Raccoon Invaders
Our raccoon removal service includes professional inspection, humane removal, entry point sealing, attic restoration, and preventative guidance. We’re fully licensed and insured, with specific expertise in Monmouth County wildlife behavior.
Our 100% Raccoon Control Guarantee:
- Satisfaction Guarantee
- Licensed & Insured Technicians
- Same-Day Service Available
- Free Inspections
- 1-Year Warranty on Exclusion Work
- Eco-Friendly Methods
Call (609) 834-3401 today for your free raccoon inspection and take the first step toward a raccoon-free home!
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