Raccoons are heavy in Altoona's older neighborhoods. The mature oak canopy in Fairview and Logan provides ideal habitat — acorns for food, large cavity trees for denning, and century-old chimneys on Victorian homes that look exactly like a hollow tree to a female raccoon in spring. Brush Run and Beaverdam Run serve as travel corridors right into the heart of residential Altoona. Where the streams meet the older neighborhoods, raccoon activity is highest.
Raccoons are smart, strong, and surprisingly destructive inside a structure. A raccoon that has chosen your chimney or attic to den in will tear insulation, damage ductwork, and leave behind fecal material that carries serious health risks. Get them out quickly.
Rabies. Pennsylvania raccoons are a primary rabies vector species. A raccoon active during daylight, disoriented, or behaving aggressively is a serious public health concern. Do not approach. Call us and Blair County's emergency line.
Distemper. Canine distemper circulates heavily in Blair County raccoon populations. It is not a risk to humans but affects dogs. Sick-looking raccoons staggering or convulsing are not necessarily rabid — but they still need professional removal.
Baylisascaris (raccoon roundworm). Raccoon fecal material may contain Baylisascaris procyonis eggs, which can cause serious neurological disease in humans and pets if accidentally ingested. Raccoon latrines — places where raccoons repeatedly defecate — need professional cleanup. Do not disturb dried raccoon feces without respiratory protection.
Do not light a fire. A raccoon — especially a mother with kits — will not necessarily exit. Smoke inhalation kills the animals and you end up with a worse problem. Call us first. We handle chimney raccoon removals regularly throughout Altoona.
Spring through early summer (March through June) is prime birthing season. If a raccoon has been in your chimney or attic for more than a week in those months, assume there are young. We check for this in every inspection.
Initial trapping and removal plus a chimney cap installation typically runs a few hundred dollars. More complex situations with attic access and contamination cleanup cost more. We give you an honest number on-site.
Related services: general wildlife removal · attic restoration after raccoon damage
24/7 response. Trapping, chimney capping, and attic cleanup across Altoona and Blair County.
(814) 800-3215