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We are Charlotte 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 North Carolina critter problems. We service the greater Charlotte region, and we offer fast service - we can usually schedule a same-day appointment. Give us a call at 704-246-5540 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 Catawba County, Irdell County, Cabarrus County, Gaston County, York County, Lancaster County, Union County, Alexander County, Anson County, Chester County, Chesterfield County, Cleveland County, Lincoln County, Rowan County, Stanly County, and more. We also service Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Rockhill, Cornelius, Hickory, Indian Trail, Kannapolis, Matthews, Mint Hill, Monroe, Mooresville, Salisbury, Shelby, Statesville, Albemarie, Belmont, Bessemer City, Chewar, Cherryville, Chester, Conover, Davidson, Fort Mill, Harrisburg, Kings Mountain, Lake Norman of Catawba, Lancaster, Lincolnton, Mount Holly, Newton, Pageland, Pineville, Stallings, South Gastonia, St. Stephens, Unionville, Wadesboro, Waxhaw, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, York, and more.

Charlotte Wildlife Education: Can raccoons break through the ceiling?

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having a critter inhabiting your home, you might have a problem. Apart from the inconvenience of having to get rid of it, it can also cause significant damage to your home. Raccoons in particular are known for causing major damage to the homes that they choose to inhabit.



How do raccoons damage your home?
Raccoons seek places to nest in spring. This allows them to provide a secure environment for their babies. It is also close to an abundant supply of food. Unfortunately, only one party benefits from this arrangement. Once the raccoon is removed from the premises homeowners are often left with massive amounts of damage to their property.
· Damage to ceilings.
· Chewing of wires. This can even lead to a fire if the wires cause an electrical short.
· Damage to beams can cause structural damage.
· Openings in the façade of the home. Raccoons will exploit any opening that they find. They will dig until they have made it large enough to use as an entrance. This will leave your house vulnerable to a multitude of issues.
· Using insulation to build a nest. This will leave your home without proper insulation.
· Damage to property in the attic. They will use whatever they can find to build their nests. This means that nothing that has been stored in their proximity is safe.

Can they cause significant damage to the ceiling?
Ceilings are designed to handle a large amount of weight. Especially if your home has an attic. However, constant urination can cause the ceiling to deteriorate.
· The drywall that your ceiling is made of is a chalk like substance. This is encased in two layers of strong “paper.” This will be damaged by any exposure to moisture. If a raccoon is constantly urinating on it, the structural integrity will be undermined.
· If the raccoon is heavy enough and there is a joint that is not strong enough to bear the weight it could also break at the seam.

Is it a frequent occurrence?
Raccoons falling through ceilings are not something that happens often. It would require a substantial amount of urine to compromise the ceiling to the point of collapse. However, the sooner you remove the critter from its hiding place the better your chances are of preventing the damage before it happens.

Removing the raccoon from your attic
The most prudent course of action would be to remove the raccoon before it can damage your ceiling. Once it has fallen through your ceiling you will incur a substantial number of expenses. Apart from the ceiling that will need to be replaced, you will also have a raccoon loose in your home. They can cause massive amounts of damage before you are able to get them out. They will probably be terrified and will endeavor to find any way out. If this happens while you are not home you may return to a nightmare.

Previous Education Articles
How to keep Charlotte mice out of my garbage
Common Snakes of North Carolina
It Is Good To Kill a Charlotte Coyote With Poison?
Describe Charlotte Mole Hills and Tunnels