Pest Management Professional, June 2014
RACCOONOLOGY A t Animal Doctor we regularly trap and remove raccoons at residential and commercial locations We recommend the homeowner or facility manager at a commercial site to stay clear of doing this work themselves Raccoons are aggressive and will attack humans They also can damage a structure significantly While hardware stores sell raccoon traps to consumers this isnt a job for a novice because the most frequently reported animal species with rabies in the U S is the raccoon Its also recommended anyone performing raccoon work be immunized for rabies which can be passed through their saliva scratches and bites Homeowners whove attempted to trap raccoons or nontarget animals such as skunks will eventually call us to remove or finish the job When we first began trapping raccoons years ago wed place pieces of raw chicken in the trap as bait Although we quickly learned this practice also attracted flies and other insects the only time we ever trapped two raccoons in one cage at the same time was when we used Bye Bye Bandits Stuart Aust raw chicken as bait Currently we only purchase baits sold by companies that specialize in targeted animals such as raccoons In certain instances Animal Doctor has used a snare pole a long tool with a noose on one end to remove a live raccoon This doesnt harm raccoons and it enables prompt removal Trapping basics Selecting the right size trap is key For example a squirrel trap shouldnt be used to catch raccoons and vice versa A supplier can assist you if youre beginning Also traps should be labeled with your company name address and phone number which should be tied into an emergency company phone number so raccoons can be picked up at off hours and weekends Traps should be checked at least once a day In inclimate weather they should be checked every eight hours In extreme heat or cold suspend trapping until the weather is temperate We ask clients to monitor the traps throughout the day If you plan to implement daily trap checks youll need to have a 24 hour emergency response system in place Continued on page 24 22 June 2014 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net Photo courtesy of and copyrighted by Gene White pmimages@ earthlink net
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