WALKER — Once upon a time, Carla Lefeaux fed a raccoon. Now, two years later, about 40 raccoons come to visit her each night demanding snacks. 

You might be thinking, just stop feeding the raccoons, Carla! Lefeaux says she's tried.

"You just can't imagine 40 raccoons on your front porch. If I don't throw any food out there at all, they just swarm," she said.

Lefeaux says the raccoons greet her when she gets home from work at night; they crawl on her car and scratch her front door. They don't stop until they're fed.

"They make so much noise on the porch at night," she said.

Lefeaux will be the first to admit she created the problem. But if the raccoons aren't fed, Lefeaux says they invade her apartment complex, searching for goodies. She's worried for her cats and other pets on the property. 

"They attacked one of my cats; I had to take it to the vet," Lefeaux said.

Her small apartment complex in Walker backs up to some woods. Lefeaux says she has tried everything she can to eliminate the problem and fears her personal space is "infested with germs" and diseases. 

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says it does not remove raccoons. However, Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators provide these services for a fee. There are 60 Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators that serve Livingston Parish.

"That's $50 for every trap they set, $50 for every raccoon they catch. I just don't have that kind of money," said Lefeaux.

Even so, Lefeaux estimates she spends $200 a month feeding the raccoons. 

"I'm going broke, I really am," she said.

LDWF says often, you can resolve the nuisance animal issue by removing potential food sources. Removing or limiting attractants can reduce the incidence of wildlife conflict and therefore eliminate the need to hire a Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator.

"I just warn everybody, don't start; and if anyone's willing to help me, I'll do what I can," she said.