Squirrels and raccoons are both pests you don’t want in your home. They can be hard to remove, and can create quite a bit of damage in their wake. But which one is actually the bigger nuisance? Read on as we compare!
Squirrels vs Raccoons
Damage to your home
Squirrels: These critters are chewers. From your shingles to your wood beams, wires to heating ducts… Squirrels will chew through anything that gets in their way. They are on a constant mission to keep their teeth sharp! This can be a dangerous situation if they start chewing on wires and create a fire hazard
Raccoons: Once they’ve gotten into your attic, there isn’t much that a raccoon won’t try to destroy. They’re particularly fond of ripping out insulation, pulling apart air ducts and leaving a trail of biohazardous body waste.
Round 1 winner: Tie! When it come to your home, both are a big nuisance.
Damage to your yard
Squirrels: Squirrels are hoarders, so get ready to find piles of nuts and seeds around your home! Some breeds like to bury their stash in little holes all over the place, and others like to make big piles of them. While not destructive, this can definitely get annoying!
Raccoons: They will dig holes in your yard, make dens under your deck or shed and tear apart your garbage leaving a big mess behind. With the weather getting cooler, it’s also likely they will try to get into your home or attic at some point, creating damage to the outside of your home as well.
Round 2 winner: Raccoons! In your yard, they are definitely the bigger nuisance.
If you’re in Burlington, Oakville, Milton and area contact us if you’ve a squirrel, raccoon or any other nuisance animal or rodent you need to get rid of fast!
Disturbance to your family
Squirrels: Squirrels can be carriers of many diseases, so when they find their way into your home they are rarely coming alone. They can also create fire hazards by chewing wires, and can potentially attack if they are feeling threatened.
Raccoons: Raccoons can become very territorial and aggressive with little warning or prompting. This can make for an unpleasant or even scary experience for your family, should someone cross a raccoon at the wrong time! They are also very loud animals, so if they get into your attic they can cause quite a disturbance.
Round 3 winner: Raccoons! While squirrels are a nuisance to your family, raccoons can actually be dangerous.
Difficulty of Removal
Squirrels: The hardest part about removing squirrels from your home is figuring out whether they have babies with them. Those babies have to be removed by hand because they are too young to leave by themselves for the first 6-8 weeks of life.
Raccoons: If you have a raccoon in your attic it’s a pretty safe bet that she’s got babies in there with her! This makes raccoon removal difficult because these babies also need to be removed by hand. This can be dangerous because mom is usually pretty close by protecting her babies. Once you have the babies out you can use them to help lure out the (now angry) mother.
Round 4 winner: Tie! Both squirrels and raccoons can be difficult to remove from your home.
Raccoons are the biggest nuisance – by a hair!
When you tally up the scorecard, raccoons have won the ‘biggest nuisance’ title by a hair. But that doesn’t make squirrels any less of a bother! When it comes down to it the biggest nuisance is really going to be the one that’s decided to make themselves at home, no matter what the species! Getting rid of either one of these critters can be a pain so if you’re not sure about taking the task on yourself, contact a professional to give you a hand!
