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We are Jacksonville Wildlife, and we solve conflicts between people and wild animals. From squirrels in your attic, to raccoons in your trash, to bats, rats, birds, and snakes, we do it all. We specialize in safe and effective solutions to Florida critter problems. We service the greater Jacksonville region, and we offer fast service - we can usually schedule a same-day appointment. Give us a call at 904-516-9141 any time, 24/7, and we will discuss your unique wild animal problem, and give you a free price quote over the phone. We're ready to take your call now!

Our service range: We service Baker County, Camden County, Clay County, Duval County, Nassau County, Putnam County, St. Johns, and more. We also service Fleming Island, Lakeside, Ponte Verde Beach, Atlantic Beach, Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace, Fernandina Beach, Fruit Cove, Jacksonville Beach, Kingsland, Middleburg, Nocatee, Oakleaf Plantation, Palatka, Palm Valley, St. Augustine, St. Mary's, Yulee, Baldwin, Butler Beach, Callahan, Crescent Beach, Crescent City, East Palatka, Flagler Estates, Green Cove Springs, Hilliard, Interlachen, Keystone Heights, Lake Asbury, Macclenny, Nassau Village-Ratliff, Neptune Beach, Orange Park, St. Austustine Beach, St. Augustine Beach, St. Augustine South, Sawgrass, Villano Beach, Woodbine, and more.

Jacksonville Wildlife Education: Can raccoons get through walls?

Raccoons are frequently found in the wall cavities of homes. This provides a hospitable, secure place for them to construct their dens. You should be able to hear the raccoons as they scratch and thud inside the cavity. This might be a frightening sound at first but as soon as you know it is only a raccoon you can set about getting rid of it.



How do raccoons get into your walls?
Raccoons are extremely competent climbers. Unless they are incapable of gripping a surface, like glass, they are easily able to climb up. This leads to them finding their way into unfortunate places. If you have a cavity wall that they are able to gain entry to this may lead to them building a den in your walls. Unless you seal the opening, they are rarely trapped inside the wall. If you have drywall, they will be able to use any small opening to gain entry. They will chew and dig until they have made the hole big enough to use.

Are they able to get through the wall?
Raccoons are quite adept at getting themselves out of confined spaces. So, unless they find themselves trapped, they can usually climb out. If you have sealed the entryway they will then try to dig through the wall. If you have drywall, they will be able to find a way through it.

What damage can they cause in the wall?
The critter can cause quite a bit of damage while inside your wall. They are notorious for damaging electrical cables that are present inside the cavities. Apart from the inconvenience of having to contact an electrician, they could start a fire. You might also need to chop out bricks or drywall in order to reach the damage that they have caused. This will all have to be done by a qualified contractor and could run into thousands of dollars. They will also urinate and defecate inside the walls.

How to get rid of them
The best way to get a raccoon out of the wall is to wait for them to leave and then seal off the entry point. You will need to make sure that there are no babies inside the wall or you could be sealing them inside. If there are babies in the cavity and you are incapable of reaching them your best course of action would be to contact a professional.

Fixing the damage
As soon as your walls are free of raccoons, you need to make sure that they cannot gain entry again. The easiest way to achieve this is to survey the area for any openings. Raccoons are able to get into any small crack, or hole, so make sure to seal everything carefully. Once all of the openings are sealed you need to keep a close eye on them to make sure that the raccoons are unable to break through and regain entry to your home.



Previous Education Articles
The Jacksonville Water Moccasin Snake
Methods to Getting Rid of Jacksonville Coyotes
How to Kill Jacksonville Flying Squirrels
Best Methods To Keep Jacksonville Gophers Away From Yard