Suburban Raccoons


Our Experience with Raccoon in the Attic

Raccoons in the AtticWe had a raccoon in our attic for 4 months this spring until I was able to trap the young raccoons and take them into the country.  This was actually something we were not supposed to do. Believe it or not, there are restrictions on removing animals from their natural habitat more than two blocks away. Moving raccoons in this case are actually useless. Since they will come back and move right back into your home if you do not take additional steps. Also, other raccoon families will notice a vacant den and move in as well. There are many roving families of raccoons in a square mile. They are always on the lookout for a vacant den which in this case would be my attic. There is another better method to follow.

Raccoon in the Attic – What to Do

They are incredibly smart and will avoid entering traps. Music in their dens does not bother them and certainly, moth balls in the attic also do not work to get rid of them. They have experienced all of these things in suburbia and just ignore them. The only way to remove them is to install a one-way trap door at the entrance to their den so they can get out but not back in. There is a good time to do this and a bad time to install this one-way trap door. It is very important to make sure that the babies can get out. They must be old enough to travel. If they are trapped inside your attic the parents literally will tear your roof apart to get back to their young.

Raccoons are very family oriented. They pay a lot of attention to their pups until they are old enough to look after themselves. In addition, you really do not want to have dead raccoons smelling up your attic. This odor will travel throughout the house eventually.

So wait until they are old enough to travel and then install a one-way trap door.

Raccoon in the Attic – Damage to Your Home from Raccoons

The raccoons may also do some damage to your home while raising their young in your attic. At the very least they will compact the insulation which reduces the insulating value, which may make your home colder during the winter. There will be a certain amount of feces and urine that will also be left in the attic.

If you can get rid of them quickly enough, then you can minimize the damage. Don’t procrastinate, hoping that they will leave on their own. They won’t. And if by some miracle they do leave, rest assured that another family will move right back in.

Once they are gone it is important to have your attic cleaned by professionals to avoid any lingering odor, areas lacking insulation, etc. If you plan to do it yourself make sure you are wearing a breathing mask since airborne particles can be very infectious.

Be Careful, They Can Make You Sick

Note that you can become very sick from breathing dried raccoon feces if they are disturbed. When these dried feces are disturbed, the particles travel in the air and you may breathe these particles into your lungs. Raccoons have small worms in them which if they are taken into the human body will cause organ damage and even death. So be careful if you plan to go into the attic.

Comments are welcome. Our readers really need help avoiding as well as getting rid of raccoons in homes as well as other areas. So if you have any ideas, let us know. Almost 50% of the homes in our area have had a raccoon in their attics. They also routinely tear the garbage bags apart on garbage night so many people wait until the morning to put their garbage out. It means getting up early, but then it is better than having to clean up messy garbage spread across your driveway!

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4 Responses to “Our Experience with Raccoon in the Attic”

  1. Shahid Shakih Says:

    We have the same experience, in last two days, I need help we have hired AAA All seasons wildlife control Inc. but seem like they did not do the good job. Last Saturday they have placed one way door for raccoons to get out may be without removing babies. The next night raccoons(s) have attacked our house and made hole in the roof. I need help already spend $ 1100.00 with AAA co.

    Please help me call me 905-450-7336
    Shahid Shaikh

  2. These people obviously did not know what they were doing. The babies must be old enough to get out by themselves. Plugging the roof will only cause another hole by the raccoons. Suggest you get the company back. They should guarantee their work and they should know what they are doing which obviously they do not. Our company that we used would not even install the one trapped door until the babies were old enough to get out by themselves.
    Good luck, this is unfortunately a lesson for all of our readers.

  3. WE just chased a raccoon out of our shed attic and cut the tree down where he was getting in. This should deter him from coming back. We did not see any babies. Any advice if the raccoon comes back I have 3 small children who play in our backyard?

  4. […] Place wire mesh over all potential openings that raccoons and other rodents can use to get into your homes attic. For more info click here […]

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