Why Raccoon Activity Spikes in Mississauga During the Spring & Fall

Mississauga's numerous parks, streams, and wooded areas provide the perfect environment for raccoons willing and able to thrive alongside humans. There's water, food, and plenty of shelter in all seasons but there seems to be increased activity in spring and fall. Let's have a closer look at why that is and how understanding raccoon behaviour during spring and fall can help prevent your home from being invaded.

Why Do Raccoons Become More Active in the Spring?

Mating Season (Late Winter to Early Spring)

• Love is in the air for raccoons in the late stages of winter (January and onward)
  
  
• While solitary during other parts of the year, raccoons are more sociable and can be found in groups when it's time for competing for and selecting a mate.
  
  
• Male raccoons will posture and compete for the affection of females, going as far as fighting and tossing each other around. The ladies will watch and judge - and eventually choose the father of this year's litter.
  
  

Nesting & Denning Behavior

• House Hunting
  Early spring is the time where expecting females will put great effort into finding the perfect place to safely birth and raise their kits. 
  
  
• Common Nesting Locations in Urban Areas
  Attics, chimneys, spaces under porches and decks, garden sheds, and other outbuildings are among the favourite spots for a growing raccoon family.
  
  

Protective Mother Raccoons

• Increased Territorial Behaviour
  Like mothers of all species, female raccoons will be fiercely protective of their den and their babies and not tolerate disturbances.
  
  
• Signs that Your Home is Hosting a Raccoon Den
  You may hear scratching and thumping between the hours of 10pm to 5am.
  Raccoons are very vocal animals and common sounds you may notice include chitter, chirps, whistles, growls and hisses.
  The smell of urine and feces can be an indication of a raccoon latrine inside your home.
  
  

Why Raccoon Activity Increases in the Fall

Preparing for Winter

While raccoons don't hibernate all winter, they do enter phases of torpor. This is similar to hibernation but only lasts for days or perhaps a week at a time. During torpor, the animal's body temperature and metabolic rate decrease, so prior to winter raccoons will need to prepare. During this time increased sightings of raccoons are to be expected.

• Increased Foraging
  Building fat reserves before the cold months is vital for survival.
  
  
• More Aggressive Scavenging
  When the natural food supply winds down, raccoons will be even more determined to get into garbage bins, gardens, and compost piles.

Searching for Warm Winter Dens

Particularly if mother raccoon had invited herself into your attic or elsewhere in your home, she knows a good thing and will do her best to stay where she is or reclaim her space, should you have had her evicted. Mind you, that doesn't mean that a single gentleman raccoon can't also discover your home and decide to move in.

• Common Winter Den Locations
  Popular denning locations include hollow trees, attics, chimneys, garages, garden sheds, and under decks or porches.
  
  
• Break and Enter
  Now is the time to thoroughly inspect your home for any and all vulnerabilities that raccoons can exploit. Pay close attention to siding and roofing.
  
  

Young Raccoons Leaving Their Mothers

• Young Ones Leaving the Den
  Newly independent (mostly male) raccoons may be out searching for new territories. By the time fall comes around, the kits have grown up and are fully self sufficient. However, they often stay with their mother for their first winter - there is strength in numbers. More bodies produce more heat and make winter more survivable.
  
  
• Increased Sightings
  While the young ones that were born here will travel a fair distance in search of a new home range, others born elsewhere will have arrived here, looking to establish themselves.
  
  

How to Prevent Raccoon Infestations in the Spring & Fall

Exclusion methods and precautions should be taken all throughout the year. But perhaps especially in spring and fall securing your home becomes most urgent. Consider these modifications to prevent a raccoon infestation in your Mississauga home:

• DO NOT FEED WILDLIFE
  It's unhealthy for the animals, it invites larger predators, and it's illegal. Mississauga by-laws forbid the feeding of wild animals and threaten penalties of up to $100,000.
  
  
• Secure Garbage Bins
  Batten down your trash cans with tight-fitting lids and/or store them indoors if possible. Put waste out to the curb on the morning of your pick-up day.
  
  
• Inspect and Repair
  Have a good look around the outside of your home and seal entry points like roof vents, chimneys, and crawlspaces. Inspect your roof for signs of damage.
  
  
• Cut off Roof Access
  Trim tree branches and large shrubs to prevent easy roof access. Consider installing Electric Shock Track.
  
  
• Remove Outdoor Food and Water Sources
  Move your pet's food and water bowls inside and store any bird or animal feed in a locked and inaccessible shed or inside your home. Remove fallen fruit from your garden and empty your bird baths in the evening.
  
  

Professional Raccoon Removal in Mississauga

Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control offers humane and effective raccoon removal solutions in Mississauga ranging from exclusion to permanent raccoon removal. We pride ourselves on 30+ years of humane and ethical wildlife removal systems and services in Mississauga. Also check out our Electric Track System - our clients have reported great success!

Why DIY is Not a Good Idea

• Trapping
  Dealing with raccoons is not easy. Yes, you could buy a trap and with a little luck catch a raccoon in your Mississauga yard. You will then have to release him or her no more than one kilometer away from your home. More often than not, that very same raccoon will turn around and come right back. Worse, now he knows what this whole business of yummy food in a trap is all about and will avoid your trap in the future. You now have a trap-shy raccoon.  Once a raccoon has entered your home it is nearly impossible for you to get it out. It's time to call Hawkeye.
  
  
• Health Risks
  Not only do raccoons carry diseases including rabies, but their latrine clean up requires meticulous disinfecting and attention to safety protocols. This is not a job for a novice. It's time to call Hawkeye.
  
  
• Exclusion & Prevention
  While some of the work can be done by you, the home owner, much of it requires an expert approach and installation. All of Hawkeye's raccoon removal technicians in Mississauga are licensed trappers, insured and certified to work at heights. 
  
  

Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control

Contact Hawkeye today for professional, expert, raccoon removal in Mississauga. Our licenses allow us to cover all aspects of animal, bird and wildlife control and removal with one important advantage: PERMANENT REMOVAL & GUARANTEED RESULTS.

Related Articles: https://www.hawkeye.ca/bird-animal-control-services-in-mississauga-ontario | https://www.hawkeye.ca/blog/raccoons-in-your-garbage-mississauga-pest-wildlife-prevention