Summer months are a time when raccoon or squirrel mothers may seek dens to meet their family needs. It’s not at all unusual for such a den to end up in the attic of a house.
Lauren Wilson with the Kentucky Wildlife Center said a radio or motion sensor light can be placed in the attic to drive animals out. “What we say here is we preach exclusion versus relocations, because relocating animals can create orphans. And that’s kind of how a lot of rehabbers end up with babies. So, right now a lot of rehabbers are really full, as I said, so it’s kind of hard to find somewhere to take a baby if you find one,” said Wilson.
Wilson estimates the Kentucky Wildlife Center on Georgetown Street in Lexington took in about 300 raccoons last year. She said it’s not uncommon for mom to have more than one place for her babies. “Then they’ll take their babies and they’ll go to the other site and then once you know that they’re all out of there, you can board up all the holes, the entry holes that they’re getting in and out of. That way you can kind of fix the problem without having to intervene with that animal’s life per se,” explained Wilson.
It’s not unusual to find a waiting period of weeks-to-months for a professional animal removal company visit.
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