It含羞草研究社檚 raccoon birthing season and B.C. homeowners should be mindful the animals may try to seek refuge where they shouldn含羞草研究社檛.

Lorinne Anderson, who runs Wildaid, a Vancouver Island wildlife rescue operation, said raccoons are known to breed between January and March, with a majority of babies born between March and May.

Damage to insulation is among the problems raccoons are known to cause.

含羞草研究社淣ine times out of 10, what they do is they actually follow rats in,含羞草研究社� said Anderson. 含羞草研究社淭hey will get rid of the rats, because rats are a threat to their babies. They will take an opening that a rat含羞草研究社檚 been using, enlarge that and then use that to access a crawl space or a shed or an abandoned vehicle, parked boat or whatever.含羞草研究社�

According to Anderson, raccoons can use space as a 含羞草研究社渘ursery den含羞草研究社� for a finite period of time and almost always vacate the area by July. People may not even know raccoons have taken up residence.

含羞草研究社淲hen the babies are little, they make little chirping noises, so people think they have a bird nest up there,含羞草研究社� said Anderson. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not until they含羞草研究社檙e older that you actually hear normal raccoon noises 含羞草研究社� we call it a 含羞草研究社榯rill.含羞草研究社� They含羞草研究社檒l also make almost like a guinea pig sound: 含羞草研究社楴eet!含羞草研究社� If the babies feel like they含羞草研究社檙e lost or separated, they含羞草研究社檒l make that sort of a noise.含羞草研究社�

Mothers can move babies and often, they will 含羞草研究社減ark them somewhere含羞草研究社� halfway between old and new locations. People may mistake the young ones as abandoned, but the mother often returns for the baby the following night, said Anderson.

She hesitates to refer to them as problematic, however.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 sure some people view it as a problem,含羞草研究社� said Anderson. 含羞草研究社淭o me, they are not a problem at all. After raptors, they含羞草研究社檙e our No. 1 predator against rats. They含羞草研究社檙e not dangerous. They don含羞草研究社檛 kill cats 含羞草研究社� they含羞草研究社檙e one of the few animals that does much better in an urban environment than in a 含羞草研究社榝orest environment.含羞草研究社� They are very prolific, but they含羞草研究社檙e prolific based on food source.含羞草研究社�

Ken Gunderson, owner of Island Wildlife and Pest Control, recommends against leaving out food that attracts raccoons.

含羞草研究社淭he biggest thing is not feeding birds, not feeding other wildlife. A lot of people in the city here definitely do that,含羞草研究社� said Gunderson. 含羞草研究社淭he next biggest one is just making sure your roof is in good condition. In almost all cases we see, they含羞草研究社檙e accessing the attic through a weak soffit vent somewhere. It含羞草研究社檚 just a matter of getting up there and making sure everything含羞草研究社檚 sealed on the exterior.含羞草研究社�

Both experts warn health concerns could arise from inhalation of particles from excrement.

含羞草研究社淚n most cases there含羞草研究社檚 not going to be any health concerns if you含羞草研究社檙e just living in the house,含羞草研究社� said Gunderson. 含羞草研究社淚f you含羞草研究社檙e actually going up in the attic and you含羞草研究社檙e breathing in the dust from the insulation and the droppings, they含羞草研究社檙e definitely health concerns. Ring worm is one of them. Leptospirosis (causing organ damage, meningitis and even death) is another one. All that stuff is very rare unless you含羞草研究社檙e doing a big cleanup and there含羞草研究社檚 a very large amount of droppings in a small area.含羞草研究社�

Anderson said there are misconceptions about raccoons. People generally worry about three things in relation to raccoons, she said.

含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e worried that the raccoon is going to attack them, or their child, or their pet 含羞草研究社� do all sorts of damage and then there含羞草研究社檚 the ones that just don含羞草研究社檛 think they belong in the city and they need to be moved back to the wilderness,含羞草研究社� Anderson said. 含羞草研究社淪adly, all of those things are false. The only time you含羞草研究社檙e going to have a problem with a raccoon is if you corner it. And frankly, I don含羞草研究社檛 care what you are, if anything corners me in an alley, I含羞草研究社檓 coming with teeth and claws.含羞草研究社�

For more information on what to do if you suspect you have raccoons, click .

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