Raccoon Removal & Opossum Removal

Portland Oregon Raccoon & Opossum Removal Experience you can Trust

Raccoon removal, raccoon trapping, raccoon baby removal, and raccoon exclusion are all services ABL Wildlife offers. Our raccoon removal services occur as on the spot raccoon removal, the setup of humane live capture devices, or the construction of an eviction system.

Oftentimes the scene looks much like this:

Homeowner hears some strange noises at night, shrugs it off figuring something must be running around in the yard or on the roof. Then, they notice a consistent level of thumping and knocking around in the crawlspace/attic-space. Soon after this, said homeowner looks around their home to find any possible entry points. Usually, they find an open foundation vent, attic vent, hole in their roof, or a large hole dug under the foundation. If they continue to shrug off this occurrence, they may start to notice a "chattering noise" or "high pitched squeak-growl" these are all communication noises between a mama raccoon and her offspring. Now what? Now you call us!

ABL Wildlife takes special care to make sure we remove the raccoon in question humanely. Raccoon trapping programs often sound harsh however, we utilize the highest quality live capture devices to make sure the captured raccoon is safe and enclosed until pick up.

In the months of May, June, and July raccoon mamas will be nest shopping through the neighborhood; looking for the best crawlspace or attic to securely birth their youngsters. Raccoon removal programs during this timeframe often include baby extraction, which can be a complex process.

So why do mama raccoons insist on becoming attic raccoons or crawlspace raccoons? Well, the simple answer is humans. Raccoons have become urbanized, they access bird feeders, trash cans, outdoor pet food, gardens, etc. Where there are humans there will be food, so why not become neighbors? Then, what started as a few raccoons discovering a wonderful food source, turns into a biological pattern sustained by all descendants. A raccoon born in an attic, or a crawlspace doesn't know any other way; when it's time for that raccoon to birth her babies she will head straight to the type of habitat she was born in. Unfortunately, if you have an unsecured crawlspace or attic space, this means you're likely to be their first choice.

Raccoon removal (trapping) is best handled by trained and experienced professionals. Trapping attempts or other attempts at raccoon removal by homeowners is not only against state law in both Oregon and Washington, but it can also result in the transmission of diseases or injury to person and property.

Raccoons can carry numerous diseases including distemper, toxoplasmosis, encephalitis, roundworm, and tuberculosis as well as playing host to parasites like ticks, lice, and fleas. The spread of disease is yet another reason why "trapping" them requires a trained professional with the right equipment. Specialized cages are necessary for proper raccoon trapping- not just any cage will do!

How do you know if you're a candidate for our raccoon trapping or raccoon removal? Sometimes their entry points can be challenging to find!

Common Portland raccoon issues include, but are not limited to:

• Attic infestations
• Raccoons living underneath a home or deck
• Female Raccoons Nesting
• Property Damage i.e. outbuildings, doors, cat doors, etc.
• Garden and Lawn Destruction

But here are a few more specific indicators that you might need raccoon removal (trapping):

1. 4" or larger holes in foundation vents (The vents around the bottom of the outside of your home)
2. 4" or larger holes in attic, soffit, or eve vents (The screens below the roof, at the top of the siding)
3. Feces near the base of trees or under decks.
4. Small holes in the lawn, missing tufts of grass, or strips of sod peeled back.
5. Raccoon offspring noises can be heard and described as "chatter"

Opossum Removal

The Opossum shares a few behaviors with the Raccoon and their presence can at times be confused for one another. Behaviors the Raccoon and Opossum share are as follows: they both frequently gain entry to homes via foundation vents or cat doors, damage property, and host a variety of diseases. Possum removal can be risky, the spread of disease is yet another reason why "trapping" wildlife requires a trained professional with the right equipment.

One common myth is that Opossum are a major rabies carrier, they are not! Another common misconception is that Opossum is spelled "Possum." However diseases the Opossum CAN spread to humans are, tuberculosis, toxoplasmosi, trichomoniasis, coccidiosis, salmonella, yellow fever, spotted fever, tularemia, chagas disease, herpes virus, leptospirosis and they can host raccoon roundworm as well. While they do consume ticks as part of their food source, they aren't any less of a parasite carrier. In short, Opossum trapping and/or possum removal services are necessary when one of these critters shows up in your living space.

The Opossum is not only an invasive species it's also North America's only marsupial, therefore its offspring remain attached to them for a longer period. It's not uncommon to see a female opossum with a myriad of baby opossum clinging to her back. The sight of a female opossum hissing, with a back covered in baby opossum can be quite intimidating and often leads to a hasty search for wildlife removal services like us! The quicker a wildlife removal expert like us is contacted the sooner the situation can be resolved. ABL Wildlife has an integrated approach to animal trapping and wildlife removal. We can seal off most entry points, evict the animal, extract the offspring of the animal from the structure, and much more.

When a female has a pouch or back full of offspring, she becomes more aggressive towards other animals and humans. Opossum trapping and/or possum removal is always best handled by trained and experienced professionals. Trapping attempts or other attempts at opossum removal by homeowners are not only against state law in both Oregon and Washington, but can also result in the transmission of diseases or injury to person and property.

Are you still unsure where to find entry points or species of animal causing damage? Don't worry about it, that's what wildlife removal services such as ours are here for! ABL Wildlife will identify, wildlife species, access points, damage, and potential future entry points upon initial inspection. ABL Wildlife is here for you as critter control you can trust, we have a solution for you, whether it be in one of our trapping programs, our eviction systems, or our ability to seal your home from wildlife.

Serving the Oregon communities of:
Portland, Tigard, Tualatin, Milwaukie, Beaverton, Troutdale, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Happy Valley, Damascus, & Scappoose.