Homestead residents say raccoons are taking over the neighborhood

PITTSBURGH — Homestead residents say raccoons are invading their neighborhood, getting into their homes, taking over blighted properties and costing hundreds of dollars to safely capture and release them.

Longtime Homestead resident Jacqueline Smith did not mince words, sharing her frustration and stress over the furry, unwanted houseguests.

She said she has not slept well in days.

“I was sitting in my bed. It was 8 o’clock in the morning. I heard some scratching in the wall and I called my daughter and I said, ‘There’s somebody ... There’s something in the wall.’”

A family of raccoons burrowed their way into her East 14th Avenue home and lived in her walls and roof for weeks. It got so bad, Smith said she and her daughter briefly moved out and stayed with loved ones in the area. She ended up paying $550 dollars for an exterminator to trap and release the scavengers. Smith showed Channel 11 photos of the traps, trails of footprints and the raccoons themselves.

“That was the big mama,” she said pointing out a specific photo. “It’s no joke. Everybody thinks they’re cute, but they’re not cute when they’re scratching in the walls.”

Smith said the homes next to hers that she reported to the borough are the problem. She said the blighted, vacant properties have created an eyesore and health hazard, and raccoons have lived there for some time before migrating to homes where residents live.

Channel 11 asked Homestead Borough what is being done about the vacant properties.

The borough manager said:

“A resident brought an issue before Council last evening concerning the presence of racoons in the neighborhood. This matter is actively being investigated by our Code Department with a couple of properties being issued notice of violations that will turn into citations if the violations are not resolved. Some of the homes are vacant in the area but do have living owners. The Borough is constantly working on locating these owners and holding them accountable for their properties.

“The Borough does have traps for residents to use if they would like one, but they are responsible for the cost of disposal. Being that raccoons are wildlife governed by the Pennsylvania State Game Commission we are limited as to what we can do. However, the Borough will continue to enforce its ordinances to help alleviate any situations where wildlife may flourish.”

Allegheny County has a Humane Raccoon Removal Service that residents can reach by phone at 412-329-4499.

Some Homestead residents said they hope the borough condemns and demolishes the dilapidated properties in the near future.

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