It91裸聊视频檚 raccoon birthing season and B.C. homeowners should be mindful the animals may try to seek refuge where they shouldn91裸聊视频檛.

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.

91裸聊视频淣ine times out of 10, what they do is they actually follow rats in,91裸聊视频� said Anderson. 91裸聊视频淭hey will get rid of the rats, because rats are a threat to their babies. They will take an opening that a rat91裸聊视频檚 been using, enlarge that and then use that to access a crawl space or a shed or an abandoned vehicle, parked boat or whatever.91裸聊视频�

According to Anderson, raccoons can use space as a 91裸聊视频渘ursery den91裸聊视频� for a finite period of time and almost always vacate the area by July. People may not even know raccoons have taken up residence.

91裸聊视频淲hen the babies are little, they make little chirping noises, so people think they have a bird nest up there,91裸聊视频� said Anderson. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not until they91裸聊视频檙e older that you actually hear normal raccoon noises 91裸聊视频� we call it a 91裸聊视频榯rill.91裸聊视频� They91裸聊视频檒l also make almost like a guinea pig sound: 91裸聊视频楴eet!91裸聊视频� If the babies feel like they91裸聊视频檙e lost or separated, they91裸聊视频檒l make that sort of a noise.91裸聊视频�

Mothers can move babies and often, they will 91裸聊视频減ark them somewhere91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 sure some people view it as a problem,91裸聊视频� said Anderson. 91裸聊视频淭o me, they are not a problem at all. After raptors, they91裸聊视频檙e our No. 1 predator against rats. They91裸聊视频檙e not dangerous. They don91裸聊视频檛 kill cats 91裸聊视频� they91裸聊视频檙e one of the few animals that does much better in an urban environment than in a 91裸聊视频榝orest environment.91裸聊视频� They are very prolific, but they91裸聊视频檙e prolific based on food source.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淭he biggest thing is not feeding birds, not feeding other wildlife. A lot of people in the city here definitely do that,91裸聊视频� said Gunderson. 91裸聊视频淭he next biggest one is just making sure your roof is in good condition. In almost all cases we see, they91裸聊视频檙e accessing the attic through a weak soffit vent somewhere. It91裸聊视频檚 just a matter of getting up there and making sure everything91裸聊视频檚 sealed on the exterior.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淚n most cases there91裸聊视频檚 not going to be any health concerns if you91裸聊视频檙e just living in the house,91裸聊视频� said Gunderson. 91裸聊视频淚f you91裸聊视频檙e actually going up in the attic and you91裸聊视频檙e breathing in the dust from the insulation and the droppings, they91裸聊视频檙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 you91裸聊视频檙e doing a big cleanup and there91裸聊视频檚 a very large amount of droppings in a small area.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e worried that the raccoon is going to attack them, or their child, or their pet 91裸聊视频� do all sorts of damage and then there91裸聊视频檚 the ones that just don91裸聊视频檛 think they belong in the city and they need to be moved back to the wilderness,91裸聊视频� Anderson said. 91裸聊视频淪adly, all of those things are false. The only time you91裸聊视频檙e going to have a problem with a raccoon is if you corner it. And frankly, I don91裸聊视频檛 care what you are, if anything corners me in an alley, I91裸聊视频檓 coming with teeth and claws.91裸聊视频�

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

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