For the next few months, raccoons all over the country will be desperately looking for places to have their young. If there’s an opening that allows a mother-to-be into an attic, she will understandably think that this warm, dry shelter is a perfect place to raise her new babies.
But what happens when the homeowner finds her and calls a pest control company? In some states, the mother and kits might be moved to a protected area, but in others— including Tennessee— wildlife removal companies are required to euthanize any raccoon trapped as a “nuisance.” The ”lucky” ones are gassed to death, while the rest die of overheating and dehydration in hot trucks.
There is a better way. Before baby season arrives, please make sure your attics and crawlspaces can’t be accessed by wildlife. If a mother somehow makes her home in your attic despite your best efforts, you can scare her away using a combination of bright lights, loud noises, and strong smells— such as a radio, a rag soaked in ammonia, and a strobe light. It may take her a few days to leave, but she and the kits will eventually be on their way.
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 