The Cost of Raccoon Damage and How to Avoid It

The Rocky Mountains are a natural habitat for raccoons, and human cities offer environments rich in food and shelter for the clever little creatures. It's no surprise that Denver has quite a few racoons and, though they are adorable, they can also be destructive. Raccoon infestations can cause damage to your home and property that can be costly to repair. They also pose a potential health risk for pets and humans because they can carry diseases or parasites.

The cost of raccoon damage to your home can range from $100 to several thousand dollars depending on the duration and the destruction that occurs during their stay. Fortunately, you can take preventative measures and seek professional help with unwanted raccoons on your property to avoid or stop the damage. Blue Tick Pest & Wildlife Control can help, starting with this guide.

Common Types of Raccoon Damage

Raccoons can cause structural damage, property damage, and even harm your health when they live too close to humans or inside human homes.

Structural Damage

A raccoon does not think twice about tearing holes in your home to make room for their entry or nesting. Raccoons will often expand existing small holes by tearing off roof shingles and siding or destroying vents. Raccoons can damage roofs, attics, and walls when seeking an entry point.

Once raccoons are inside, they may do further damage by chewing through wires and insulation in the process of making their nest.

Property Damage

Unfortunately, raccoons are harmful even when they stay outdoors. Raccoons can tear up gardens, lawns, and outdoor furniture with no regard for your landscaping and comfortable spaces.

Seeking food, raccoons may also damage your trash cans and scatter garbage over your property.

Health and Safety Risks

Because they are wild animals, raccoons also pose a health hazard for humans and pets. Raccoon droppings and urine are toxic, and racoons often carry wild animal diseases like rabies and roundworm.

Financial Impact of Raccoon Damage

• How much does it cost to clean up after a raccoon infestation? Unfortunately, the cost of raccoon damage can be quite high, especially if they have stayed for some time. 

• Repair Costs

  • The average cost to repair structural damage caused by raccoons depends on the location:
    • Yard damage: $100 - $700
    • Roof and/or Attic damage: $300 to $4000
    • Basement damage: $1000 to $3,000

• Health-Related Costs

  • The average cost of rabies treatment after a raccoon bite is around $5,000
  • Nest removal and hazardous cleanup can cost around $1,000

• Loss of Property Value

  • Unfortunately, unmanaged infestations are also bad for your property value. Values tend to drop when there is an active pest marauding the house and creating health hazards around the property.
  • The cost of professional cleaning and decontamination can range from $300 to $1500 depending on the extent that needs to be cleaned.

How to Avoid Raccoon Damage

What is the best way to prevent raccoon damage to your home and property? It may be possible to avoid the cost of raccoon damage if you can keep these adorable yet dangerous creatures from making a home in your space. A few raccoon prevention tips can go a long way to securing the safety of your property and your family.

• Regular Inspections:

  • Regular home inspections are the key to spotting raccoons and infestation risk-factors as early as possible. What to look for includes:
    • Gaps in the roof
    • Damaged upper vents
    • Uncovered chimneys
    • Signs of nesting
    • Marauded garbage
    • Raccoon tracks
    • Scratch marks on trees, wood piles, and porches

• Securing Trash and Food Sources:

  • Raccoons usually like to nest near food sources. Near humans, that usually means trash cans. Securing your trash cans and removing any outdoor foodstuffs is essential.
  • Consider investing in raccoon-proof containers and secure food storage. Raccoons are clever, so normal latching trash can lids may not be sufficient.

• Yard Maintenance

  • Keep your yard tidy and free of debris. Pick up loose sticks, contain your compost, and avoid loose piles. Raccoons feel the most comfortable in a chaotic outdoor environment.
  • Trim back tree limbs to prevent easy access to your roof. You may also consider wrapping the lower trunks of trees with metal sheeting to prevent climbing.

• Sealing Entry Points:

  • Seal and secure any point around the outside of your home that could allow raccoons to slip inside.
    • Install sturdy vent covers that can't be easily pried open.
    • Place grates and covers over any chimneys and roof vents.
    • Use metal screens and sheet metal patches that raccoons can't claw or chew through.

Benefits of Professional Raccoon Removal Services

If there are already raccoons on your property, the next step should include a professional raccoon removal service. A professional service will handle the situation with expertise and experience while saving you money in the long-term by preventing extensive damage to your home through early removal.

Expertise and Experience

When you hire a professional raccoon inspection and removal team, they will ensure that the problem is taken care of swiftly and humanely.  Professionals can ensure that your property is entirely free of raccoons and that precautions are taken to keep them away. The process includes a full inspection of your home, laying traps to capture the raccoons that live on your property, and personalized raccoon prevention tips to help you avoid future infestations.

Cost-Effectiveness

The sooner you call raccoon removal services, the more money you will save on property damage repairs. Raccoons cause further and further damage over time, chewing into the house, opening holes, digging up the garden, and creating health risks on your property. Through successful prevention and/or early intervention, you can save your home and reduce the total cost of raccoon damage.

Preventive Measures and Long-Term Solutions

If you live in a neighborhood that has a frequent raccoon problem, it becomes more important to take serious preventative measures and consider long-term solutions to keep raccoons from nesting in your home.

• Home Modifications

  • Install durable covers over all openings into your home. These include:
    • Chimney caps
    • Vent covers
    • Mesh and grates
    • Attic window screens
  • Use motion-activated lights to scare away raccoons that lurk around your property.
  • Schedule your sprinklers to trigger during raccoon active hours.
  • Remove or cover climbable surfaces and tree trunks
  • Block off overhangs and nooks

• Ongoing Maintenance

  • Lastly, it is vital to set a schedule for regular maintenance and raccoon inspections. Don't let your defensive and preventative measures slip or the local Denver raccoon population will find an opportunity.
  • Be particularly vigilant about raccoons in cold weather, when the creatures are most likely to seek out the warm interior of a home instead of living outdoors.

Prevent Raccoon Damage with Blue Tick Pest & Wildlife Control

Here at Blue Tick Pest & Wildlife Control, our local wildlife experts can help you identify and remove raccoons from your property before they can do irreparable damage. You can also protect your home using the raccoon prevention tips to avoid raccoon damage and save money on repairs. Contact us today for more information and assistance on Denver raccoon removal.