Although there are many different types of raccoon traps including the body grip trap and paw hold trap; the live cage trap is the only trap that you can legally use in Ontario to catch raccoons. It is illegal to kill or otherwise harm wildlife in Ontario. So, call your local raccoon removal Toronto company if you see a raccoon in your premises. 

The first step is to buy the right kind of trap. It needs to be large enough to hold a raccoon. A 12x12x26 steel cage is the best choice. Opt for well-known brands that have proved their effectiveness.

Next, set the trap on a flat surface ensuring that it is stable. Position it near where you have identified raccoon activity and set it correctly following the user’s manual.

Place non-meat bait behind the trip pan at the back of the trap. Although raccoons are omnivorous and will eat virtually anything, non-meat traps ensure that you don’t catch stray cats, pets and other animals besides raccoons. Sweet foods such as mini doughnuts, marshmallows and white bread work well in this case. Create a trail of bait leading into the cage for the best effect.

Check the trap every two hours or so during the day to ensure that you haven’t caught any accidental animals and check it first thing in the morning. Raccoons are nocturnal animals so you will most likely catch them at night. This would be the time when they would come out from the attic or come out from under a deck.

Once you have caught the animal, do not stick your fingers into the cage and carry it as far away from your body as possible. The raccoon will try to reach out of the trap. It is also sensible to keep the trap away from anything the animal can grab such as screens and wires.

Why You Shouldn’t Trap Raccoons

Raccoon traps are frowned upon in wildlife control circles and for good reason.

Firstly, leaving a trapped raccoon through the night exposes it to bad weather and predators. The raccoon may also injure itself as it tries to escape from the cage. It is illegal to harm raccoons in Ontario.

Raccoons also typically make dens under sheds, in garages and in attics to breed. If you spot a raccoon on your property, there is an 80% chance that it has babies. Trapping a mother orphans the young which die of starvation.

Raccoons typically keep their young in hard-to-reach areas such as the edge of the structure, down a wall or in the soffit. Tracing and removing the young raccoons may not be possible especially if you have no experience with this kind of work.

Furthermore, it is illegal to transport trapped wildlife (including raccoons) for more than a kilometer without a permit.

Releasing a raccoon in unfamiliar territory may;

• Put it in conflict with other raccoons and predators
• Render it incapable of finding food in its new surroundings
• Make it vulnerable to getting ran-over by motorists

Lastly, raccoons carry diseases including rabies. A mother that is separated from its young is very aggressive and may attack should something go wrong while you are handling or transporting the cage.

Call a Wildlife Removal Expert

A wildlife removal expert is the best solution for a raccoon problem on your property. Most use a one-way door that lets the raccoons out of their den but blocks re-entry. This is of course after ascertaining that there are no babies or that the young raccoons can follow their mother through the door. Extensive cleaning and sealing all possible entry points is also needed to ensure that the animals don’t come back. Hire a wildlife removal company that guarantees its work for at least one year. Wildlife Shield offers professional solutions to all urban wildlife problems. Call us now: 647-560-3988.