Well, it is once again that time of year when our phones begin to ring frequently and the calls often allude to a homeowner hearing cooing or chirping noises. As soon as I take those calls, I am fairly confident that they have raccoon babies (also referred to as kits or cubs) living somewhere in their home, usually the attic or chimney. Our first litter of raccoon babies was removed from a home just yesterday, which tends to be a little later in the season than past years. Additionally, this mother raccoon had a larger than normal litter with 6 kits.
Raccoons typically mate around January or February when we begin to see an increase in daylight hours. The gestation period for a mother is around 63-65 days and she will usually make a den away from other raccoons to give birth. This is why attics and chimneys are ideal places for them to live. The kits stay with their mother in the den till they are around 8-10 weeks of age however, they are dependent upon their mothers until they are around 13-14 months of age. Given the length of time the babies need to be with their mothers, it is of importance to ensure that any wildlife company you are hiring has experience in humanely removing and reuniting mothers and babies. If a mother is trapped and relocated to another area the babies will die, as they cannot fend for themselves.
Innovative Wildlife Solutions makes every effort to successfully and humanely remove and reunite the babies with their mother, but are no longer able to den in your home. While we are in the “reunification” process, we ask the homeowner to try their best not to disturb the babies, as the mother will not usually move them when there is a lot of activity or spectators.
Innovative Wildlife Solutions would be happy to provide you with a free home inspection if you suspect raccoon babies, or have other wildlife concerns. With over 20 years of experience, we have seen a wide variety of different situations and are fairly confident that we can solve any wildlife issues you are facing. We offer extended hours and weekend service to suit your needs and schedule. Call us today!
