Suburban Raccoons

The picture on the left shows a lot of raccoon poop or raccoon scat as many people call it. Raccoons have been in this attic for a long time judging by the amount of raccoon scat laying on top of the insulation. There is probably more raccoon scat underneath and then there is the urine. This is a big problem for this homeowner and he or she needs to make arrangements to remove the raccoon scat and also the insulation in a safe manner.

Before we talk about removing the raccoon scat and insulation safely, we will discuss why humans working in this attic need to be so careful. Later on in this post, we will also discuss the best way to keep raccoons out of an attic and to get them out once they have found their way into the attic to avoid situations with the raccoon scat like the one in this picture. If you see raccoon scat laying on your roof, you know you have a problem inside your attic as well.

Dealing with Raccoon Scat in the Attic

We will discuss the following topics in this post:

• Conditions in the Attic Contribute to Dangerous Environment
• Removal of the Raccoon Scat or Raccoon Poop Safely
• Why Trapping, Poisoning and Other methods do not Work
• How to Remove Raccoons from Your Attic
• The solution is to use heavy gauge wire mesh
• Limit the Food Sources In Your Area

Raccoon Scat Conditions in the Attic Contribute to a Dangerous Environment

During the wintertime, the raccoons have wintered in your attic and also birthed their pups and then raised them until they are ready to begin to go outside and learn how to find food on their own. During this time, there is a lot of raccoon scat left in the attic along with urine and other material that they might have dragged into the attic. Even if you have managed to remove them, which we will get into later in this post, there is still a lot of raccoon scat left in the attic as the picture showed above.

During the summertime, the attic is very hot and dry. Anything left in the attic is going to dry out and as long as it is not disturbed will remain exactly where it is. This applies to the raccoon’s scat and it drys out and will turn into a fine powder if it is disturbed at all by someone walking in the attic to clean it or remove insulation. This is where the danger is.

Hidden in the raccoon scat are microscopic worms that easily ingested as they float on the dust particles in the air when you disturb the attic. They can get on your clothes, on your skin and you do not even know it. In addition, if you are not wearing a mask they could be ingested into your lungs and cause extensive health-related problems. Never go into a contaminated attic without protection from this environmental contamination. These worms can survive in very harsh conditions including hot attics so be careful if you are dealing with raccoon scat in the attic of your home.

Removal of the Raccoon scat or Raccoon Poop Safely

If you plan to remove the raccoon scat, and if you own this home shown in the picture above, you really should be removing the raccoon scat/insulation, and there is a proper way to do it. Raccoon scat is really considered a hazardous material kind of removal due to the possible harm that can come to any human that is doing the removal. All of the raccoon scat and raccoon scat must be removed. In addition, the insulation must also be removed. It has been in contact with the scat and it is also possible that it is soaked with the urine from the raccoons, particularly if they have been there for some time.

Safety Precautions

The proper process needs to be used to ensure that nothing escapes into the air and into the home. The person cleaning out the attic must follow proper procedures or remove this material which includes wearing protective clothing and an external breathing apparatus. Professional companies who do this sort of work will use a vacuum to suck all of the material up through a vacuum and into sealed bags that are disposed of at the appropriate facilities.

By following these procedures the people doing the removal are protected and your home and family are also protected as well. Nothing escapes into the air into your home to come in contact with anyone in your family. Nothing escapes and comes in contact with your clothing, your furniture or your floors while being removed. When the person who was in the attic leaves the attic they must follow a proper procedure to ensure that any material that is attached to his protective suit is not accidentally dislodged and left in your home. Most attics are entered through a trap door in the ceiling of your home and they must walk in the front door through the house to get to this trap door.

This is serious stuff and it is important to pay attention to this issue to protect the health of your family and yourself.

Why Trapping, Poisoning and Other methods do not Work

If you just read the above paragraphs, you now realize how important it is to keep raccoons and other animals out of your home. If you see them, deal with it quickly before they do a lot of damage and leave a mess like this one shown in the picture. We have looked at numerous ways to remove raccoons and even tried some of them and frankly they were all a waste of time and just do not work with the exception of one approach.

Note that we are not selling anything here. We are so angry at all of these fake solutions. We wanted to make sure that people know about these things that do not work. They are a waste of time and money. We will quickly review some of the methods we read about and tried to find out that they did not have any impact at all.

The first thing you have to realize is that raccoons living in urban areas are used to humans. There are a lot of them and they move around from one den to another. If you did manage to get rid of the raccoons in your attic by whatever means, another family is just going to move in a few weeks or months later. So you need to have a permanent solution to this issue.

Things That do Not Work

We tried loud noise blasting in our attic. This had zero effect other than keeping us awake half the night. We tried mothballs and about the only thing this did was to make our attic smell like mothballs. The raccoons could have cared less. We did not try spreading dried urine from wolves in the attic. Apparently wolves are one of their enemies; however, would urban raccoons even know about this kind of enemy? We also did not want to make our attic smell any worse than it already did. We did not try poisoning the raccoons. There was concern they might die inside our attic. Or we might poison some neighborhood pets which would have been much worse. Finally, we tried trapping them with humane animal traps.

Raccoons are very smart and the older ones simply will not go inside a trap. They will reach through the wire mesh to get to the food you have left in there. But they will not walk into the trap. It ended up that was just giving them a nightly meal to munch on! We also found out that our city bylaws restrict us from moving a live animal more than two city blocks from where the raccoon was captured.

This is frankly ridiculous since raccoons will range this far in their nightly search for food. They will be back the next night! There is only one real way to get them out and keep them out of your attic. We will review it in the next section. It turns out that this is also the most humane way.

How to Remove Raccoons from Your Attic

There are professional companies that do this work, however individual consumers can also install this solution themselves if they have the proper equipment and are not afraid to go up on the roof. This is an individual decision.

We opted for a professional company to do the work. It cost around $600 to get the raccoons out of our attic. Make sure that they are never getting back into our attic from any location again. Including the one that they used to get into our attic in the first place. It is important to do this quickly so that the raccoon scat and other damage does not accumulate.

The solution is to use a heavy gauge wire mesh. Screw nail it to the roof or the soffit area, wherever the raccoons are entering your attic. Use long screws to attach the wire in a solid manner so that it could not be pulled off. Before tightening the screws, place a large dab of silicon waterproof caulking where the screw nail enters the roof. This will prevent water from leaking in around the screw nail. You want to avoid rust. You also want to avoid water from getting in and causing the underlying wood to begin to rot. If you know that the raccoons and their babies are out of the den,  install a permanent cover over the opening. Complete any repairs that are needed.

Install a One Way Trap Door

If you think that the raccoons are inside the attic when you are doing this work, you will have to install a one-way trap door. Which will allow them to get out of the den, but not back into the den. Wait a couple of weeks. Then you can remove the trap door and replace it with a permanent wire covering. At the same time cover, any other areas where the raccoons might be able to gain entry. Also, areas were squirrels and birds can get in. This is by far the best way to deal with raccoons in your home.

If you suspect that the babies are still inside, you are just going to have to wait. They must be old enough to travel on their own. The best approach is to wait until you actually see them outside the den in the early evening. Once you are sure that they are coming out of the dean, you can install the one-way trap door. Eventually, they will come out and not be able to come back inside the den.

We are suggesting this approach since the parents are very protective of their young. If the parents are prevented from getting into the den, they will literally try to take your roof apart to rescue them. Better off to wait until they are old enough and then install the one-way trap door. They can do far more damage to your roof. Then the rain or snow and wind can do far more damage!

Limit the Food Sources In Your Area

Urban raccoons live in suburbia because there is lots of food around. Their favorite time is garbage day when there are lots of food scraps to be found. We have seen many garbage bags strewn along the road. Also, garbage cans tipped over from raccoons trying to follow their noses to some tantalizing food scraps. We wait until the morning to put our garbage out at the curb rather than provide a tasty meal for the local raccoons.

Store your garbage inside as well to avoid tempting them during the week. Anything stored outside is going to be a place for them to look for food.

Deal With Grubs in Your Lawn

If you have grubs in your lawn, lookout. They love grubs and will dig up your lawn to get at them. If your lawn is not dying from the grubs getting at the roots. The lawn is going to be a mess from the grass being dug up by the raccoons. You can deal with grubs by asking your local lawn care company to spray your lawn in early spring or in late summer.

They love apples, fruit, grapes, and any other food item that might be found in your garden. Corn is a particular favorite for them in the fall. We recommend that you do an inventory of your property. Try to eliminate all food items that may be attractive to raccoons living in your area. The objective is to make your property as least attractive to raccoons as possible.

Good luck with removing raccoons from your property. Take special care in dealing with the removal of any raccoon scat.

Raccoon Removal when they are in your attic or perhaps inside your cottage or some other building can be pretty daunting for a lot of people. They might have climbed the brick wall to get to the eaves, then pushed the soffit up so they can crawl inside your attic to get warm in the wintertime and to have their babies in a safe warm dark place. They might be happy and content, but the homeowner sure is not.

Raccoon removal and prevention is best left to the professionals. If you have raccoons in your neighborhood, now is the time to take the steps necessary to keep them out before they gain entrance and do a lot of damage. Install heavy gauge wire mesh across all potential openings. Screw nail it into the roof and the eaves and use silicone over the screws to prevent any water leaks around the screw nails.

Raccoon Removal When They are in Your Attic

If they are already inside your attic, you have a bigger problem. Deal with it as soon as you know they are in there and before they have babies. Once they have babies you are just going to have to wait until the young are old enough to travel and get around by themselves. Some consumers will try trapping the parents with a humane trap and they take them several miles away to let them out. I do not know about you, but I do not want to get bitten or scratched by an angry snarling adult raccoon. As well if they do have babies, they are going to die in your attic, and now you have a mess with a smell as well which is not pleasant as well. Besides, it is not very humane.

Wait until they are old enough

Wait till they are old enough and then install a one-way trap door so that they all can get out by themselves and not back into your attic. Once they are all out, remove the trap door and install a permanent wire cover over the entrance so that no raccoons can ever enter your attic again.

You will see their tracks in the snow in the wintertime when they have come calling hoping to get inside. But the wire mesh will stop them cold and you will have no more problems with raccoons unless they are getting into your garbage at night.

Raccoon Removal – Hire a Professional

Some consumers who are handymen may install this wire mesh themselves. If you are handy and have no problem getting up onto a roof then by all means do the work and save yourself some money. On the other hand, if you do not have the tools or are uneasy about getting up on the roof, you are better off hiring someone who has the equipment to keep them safe and who will do the installation in a professional manner protecting your roof from water leaks as well.

If any company plans to try to trap the raccoons, find another company. They are just wasting your time, their time, and your money. Unless you stop the raccoons from entering the attic, which they consider home, and have established a den, they or other families will just keep coming back again and again.

Installation

Installing the wire mesh is a great long-term solution that meets all humane issues and city bylaw issues as well. Some cities and towns have bylaws that prevent the transportation of live-trapped animals more than a mile from where they were trapped. If you let them out of the trap that closes to your home they will be back within days. They will move right back into your place. If you poison them, many people do not consider it to be humane and you take the chance of poisoning family pets, other animals, and your neighbor’s pets.

Definitely not a good situation to get into and one to avoid. If you are in an urban area or in an area with homes or cottages nearby, shooting them is also not an option. Once you have thought about these options, most people come to the conclusion that keeping them out on a permanent basis is by far the best approach.

Elimination of raccoons is just not possible. We want to say that right at the beginning of this post. This is not because of our concern about protecting wild animals or anything like that. We do not like to see animals die unnecessarily. However, there is another far more practical reason for not eliminating raccoons.

The reason is that it is almost impossible to get rid of them. You might be able to eliminate the current family of raccoons that have taken up residence in one of your buildings or in your attic. But as soon as you do there will be another family moving in as soon as they realize that the den is vacant and available. In addition, if you are unlucky enough to poison one or all of them in your attic or in a location tough to get at, you risk a really bad smell for a long time as their bodies disintegrate. This is not something you ever want in your attic.

Raccoon Elimination – Avoid Poison or Trapping Raccoons

In addition, poisoning might involve your pets or some of your neighbor’s pets and now you have everyone mad at you. Not a good idea. People living in the country will routinely trap them or shoot them and they just know more will come around and they will have to deal with them when that happens. In the city, you cannot shoot them for obvious reasons since you could end up shooting somebody and there are bylaws preventing the shooting of guns inside city limits. There are sometimes bylaws preventing the trapping and removal of animals from their environment which just happens to be your attic and neighborhood. I know it sounds crazy, but these bylaws are in force to protect the animals and not the humans.

What is the Right Way to Eliminate Raccoons

The best way is to prevent them from getting into your home in your attic in the first place. If you suspect that raccoons are in the neighborhood, have someone evaluate your home and assess all of the possible places they might enter your attic. If they are not already in your attic install heavy gauge wire mesh over every potential entrance and screw nail it to the roof and the eaves. Use silicon sealant to seal all crew nail holes.

If they are already in your attic you need to find out if they have babies yet or not. If they do you are going to have to wait until they are old enough to travel by themselves. When they are, install a one-way trap door over the opening so the raccoons can get out but not back in. once you are sure they are out, remove the one-way trap door and install the wire mesh as described earlier.

Now the raccoons will come back and they will try to reenter the den. You may even see their tracks in the snow, but they will not be able to reenter the den in your attic and you have a permanent solution to raccoon elimination. This solution also meets all bylaws and all animal lover’s concerns as well.

Some homeowners will attempt this work themselves, however, most will hire a company that specializes in raccoon elimination. If they tell you that they will trap them, try someone else. You are just wasting time and money trying to trap them. If you are unlucky enough to trap one, you will have one unhappy snarling, and vicious raccoon to deal with. You got him in the trap, but now what do you do with him? Better to hire experts and do the job right in the first place.

Hire the Experts to Eliminate Raccoons

A lot of people will not want to hire experts. It could end up costing you a lot more money by not dealing with the problem properly. They could really make a mess of your attic if they are in there for a long time. If the babies are trapped inside they will literally tear your roof apart to rescue them and now you have the potential for water damage as well. It is just not worth all of the frustration and cost. Do it right the first time and hire an expert.

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Raccoon feces removal should be completed by trained professionals who have the appropriate safety gear to protect them from contamination. No one wants to be around feces of any kind, particularly in the attic of your home. Raccoon feces have a particular hazard that humans need to be aware of. They need to avoid touching and ingesting these particles into their lungs.

When raccoons get into the attic of your home, they leave all kinds of feces scattered about. It ends up on the insulation as shown in the picture. Your attic is very hot and dry during the summer months. Your roof allows the heat in and the insulation prevents the heat from getting into your house. Air is ventilated through vents in the roof and vents in the eaves of your home. The impact of all of this heat and air movement is that these feces dry out over time. They will turn to powder if disturbed.

Raccoon Feces Removal – Danger Floating in the Air

Anyone walking on the insulation or disturbing it will cause these microscopic particles to float in the air and they will eventually distribute over the insulation or be carried out through the vents in the roof. These particles contain viruses that if ingested into a person’s lungs by breathing the air that is contaminated with this material can infect your lungs. If not dealt with properly, humans have been known to become very sick and even die from diseases caused by these viruses.

The proper way to deal with raccoon feces in your attic is to hire the proper company with the proper equipment that protects their employees and your family at the same time. Most consumers will want this insulation removed and new insulation installed. Removal and disposal must be completed in such a manner that no one can be harmed in any way. The gentleman shown in this picture is wearing an air filter and also the proper protection for his clothing and hair to avoid any part of his body being contaminated.

Follow Proper Precautions to Protect Yourself

Even if you are wearing a mask that will protect your lungs, you can still be contaminated by these particles ending up on your clothing and hair. As you crawl around removing insulation and feces, everything gets disturbed on your clothing.

As you leave the attic and travel through your home to get outside, you risk leaving more particles inside your home from your clothing and from your hands. These viruses could be picked up by your family just from touching something that you may have touched.

The only proper way to deal with this kind of situation is to place a suction hose in the attic to ventilate the air in the attic. It should draw all of the particles into a vacuum bag made for this purpose. It can then be properly disposed of. Only companies that have the technology and the training should operate this equipment to protect your family and themselves.

Replace All of Your Insulation

Homeowners will need to replace the soffit or repair it at the location where the raccoons have been getting into your attic. The insulation should be removed as discussed above and new insulation installed. The bad news of course is that you have to go through all of this trouble and expense. The good news is that you will have new insulation installed that will meet the latest standards for insulating homes. Your home may even be warmer as a result of this new insulation installed in your home.

Based on all of these issues, I would arrange to have the raccoons removed as quickly as possible. Use a one-way trap door approach. There are other posts on this site that discuss why a one-way trap door is a proper technique. Check these out. Install heavy gauge wire mesh over all potential openings that could be used by the raccoons, squirrels, and birds as an entry point into your attic. Only do this once you are positive that the raccoons are out of your attic. Make sure that they do not have any babies in your attic. They could tear your attic apart trying to rescue their babies. You can minimize the number of raccoon feces in your attic.

One way trap doors for getting rid of raccoons is really the only viable way to deal with these pests when they get into your home. This picture on the left is the perfect picture that shows how they typically can get into the house just under the eave and also shows the heavy gauge wire mesh with the one way trap door for removing raccoons. This door will allow the raccoons to leave, but they cannot get back in once they are out. This is exactly how they entered our home’s attic and also how we dealt with them! It really works!

This is the professional way to get rid of raccoons, it is the only practical way and it also satisfies all of the animal rights people who are against poisoning and trapping of these animals. We will explain these statements in the following paragraphs. We know that a lot of people will disagree with us, however, please read the remaining paragraphs and then reassess our position.

What You Need to Know About Raccoons

There are many families of raccoons in urban areas. They are remarkably adaptable and have learned to live in urban areas, living off the discard of their human neighbors. A family of raccoons will have one or more sets of pups every year, usually in the spring. They are extremely protective of their children and they have 2 to 4 dens in a neighborhood, moving from one vacant home to another.

As soon as one den becomes vacant another family of raccoons will be ready to move in to the den. This is the primary reason why we feel that it is really a waste of time to poison or trap raccoons. Once you remove one family of raccoons another will move in within a few months.

If you use poison, there is a chance that you could poison the family’s pets or the neighbors. You might also poison them and then they crawl back into the den inside your attic and that is where they die. You might not realize this until the bodies begin to decay and then you have a horrible problem with the smell in your home. There is just too much risk with poison and too many potential problems. Poison also does not stop other raccoons from coming around a few months later.

Use One Way Trap Door for Raccoons Only After the Pups are Old Enough to Travel

This point is extremely important. If the parents are outside and the pups are inside, you have a big problem. The parents cannot get back into the attic. They will literally try to tear apart your roof anyway they can rescue their pups. Shingles have been removed, roofs were torn up, and holes made in a roof just to get back to their pups.

Once the babies are old enough, install the one-way trap door for raccoons to go out. Once they are all out replace the trap door with a permanent wire mesh. Make sure it is securely attached to the roof and sidewalls of your home in the manner shown in the picture.

Cover any other potential areas that could be entrances to your attic with this same wire mesh. Use heavy gauge wire mesh that cannot be broken by the raccoons. Screw nail the wire mesh to the roof and the sidewall. Fill each hole made with each screw nail with waterproof caulking to protect your home from future water leaks.

This is by far the best way to deal with raccoons in your attic. It protects your home on a permanent basis, the raccoons are inconvenienced, but not hurt in any way and you avoid disposing of dead raccoons and raccoons wrecking your roof as well. No more raccoons families are going to get into your attic with this solution.

Our neighbor just found that raccoons were in his attic and he acted immediately to get them out which probably saved him a great deal of money. Raccoon Removal Attic They got up on a small roof, pushed the soffit up and crawled into the attic crawl space over his living room. This was beside his son’s bedroom just like what is shown in the picture. The kids could hear these sounds coming from the attic. Some bumping and scratching sounds coming from the other side of the wall, as they made themselves a home and moved the insulation around.

It was loud enough to wake them up at night with all of their movements. This usually took place around 5 in the morning after they return from an all night session of foraging for food. Raccoons are primarily nocturnal animals and look for food at night. They will come out of their dens around dusk and return prior to sunrise.

How to Arrange for Raccoon Removal Attic

We have a problem with raccoons in the neighborhood and they have been into almost every house on the street. So when they got into his house, our neighbor had lots of advice on the best way to deal with them and keep them out of the house as well on a permanent basis. These urban raccoons climb up the brick onto the roof and then were a second roof comes down to meet the first they punch up the soffit and in they go. They seem to pass this information down from generation to generation, because they have been getting into houses on our street for years.

As soon as someone finds that they have this problem, they call the animal control people and they come out to install a one way trap door made of heavy gauge wire mesh over the opening so that they can get out of the attic but not back in. Raccoons are nocturnal, so they are usually in the attic when this trap door is installed. They come out at night and find that they cannot get back in the following morning. I guess at that point they have to scramble a bit to find some other place to stay for the day. I did read somewhere that they will have three or four dens that they move around to, so maybe they just go to one of the other dens when they cannot get into the first one.

Make Sure That there are No Baby Raccoons

Baby raccoons are usually born in the spring in the north, however in warmer climates; raccoons may have more than one family a year. Either way you must make sure that the babies are old enough to travel on their own and can get out through the one way trap door on their own. If they cannot, they will remain inside calling for their parents who will respond and try to find a way back into the den. Raccoon parents are extremely loyal and will do almost anything to get to their young. This can include literally tearing your roof apart to find an opening to rescue their babies.

If you think that there are babies inside you are just going to have to wait until they are old enough or install the trap door, get the parents out and then go into the attic and get the babies out by hand. We do not recommend this ever. First of all you are going to have one angry set of parent raccoons that can be quite vicious when they want to be. Secondly, by this time your attic is going to be pretty dirty and smelly and thirdly, raccoons can carry a number of diseases that can be dangerous to humans.

Replace the Insulation

You may have to arrange for a special team to come in and remove the insulation and the remnants of the raccoons living in the attic. These people will wear special protective clothing and air masks to prevent them from contacting any of these diseases.

This is by far the best way to remove raccoons from the attic and to also prevent other families of raccoons from entering your attic ever again. It is humane, the least intrusive and the least dangerous for you and your family. The cost can be around $400 to $700 depending on the home, however this is far less than the cost of replacing all of the insulation and cleaning your attic.

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The cost to remove raccoons from your attic can be minimized if you act immediately as soon as you find that they have invaded your attic. If you ignore the problem and do nothing until it becomes too big a problem. Raccoon Removal Cost and the cleanup is going to cost thousands of dollars. You may even have to replace all of the insulation in your attic. This is due to the urine and feces that they leave behind. Not to mention damage from rain or snow getting in through the entrance to their den in your attic.

Consumers will try a variety of solutions to get rid of the raccoons, prior to calling in the experts to remove raccoons.  There are many different solutions and none of them work at all.

Here is a shortlist:

• Playing loud music in the attic
• Placing mothballs in the attic
• Trapping the raccoons with a humane animal trap
• Poisoning the raccoons, risking danger to pets, and also rotting raccoon bodies in the attic
• Chasing them
• And a host of things.

None of these solutions work and if you spend time trying them, the raccoons are just going about their business, making a mess of your attic and ignoring your attempts. There will be more feces in your attic, there may even be babies born in the attic and they will do more damage to the insulation which in the end is going to cost you more in heating costs as well as cleanup costs.

Raccoon Removal Cost

The Correct Way to get rid of Raccoons and the Raccoon Removal Costs

Hire an animal removal company that places wire mesh over all potential entrances to your attic. The main entrance should have a one-way trap door in place so that the raccoon can get out of your attic, but not back in. We actually saw this solution just this week on our street and it works perfectly. The raccoons were only in the attic for a couple of days and then they were prevented from getting in again by this one trap door.

The company placed this trap door at the entrance, screw nailed heavy gauge wire mesh to the roof at this location, and three other locations where they might be able to enter. In a few weeks, they will come back and remove the trap door and place a permanent wire covering over this entrance so that they can never get in again.

The cost for this solution, which is permanent, was $450 plus tax and well worth the money. If this homeowner had waited, they would have had to remove all of the insulation and add new insulation to the entire attic costing thousands of dollars. $450 is a deal in this case and a permanent solution!

Services Provided

These companies provide a great service and the charges are based on the number of openings that raccoons might use to get into your home. While they are there, you may as well arrange to have an spots where birds or squirrels could also gain entrance. Might as well get the job done right, while they are there. Cover all vents including air vents that vent air from the attic, vents from the bathrooms, and from the fan over the stove. You do not want birds building nests in these places. Our cost for all of these, about six in all was $600!

Does Insurance Cover Part of the Raccoon Removal Cost

It really depends on the insurance company you deal with and whether they will cover damage caused by raccoons. In our case, there was a specific clause that precludes any damage from animals, including raccoon damage. So in our case, we had to pay 100% of the cleanup cost and also the cost of the animal removal company.

In case you thinking of doing this work yourself, make sure that you use heavy gauge wire mesh as a barrier to the entrance to the den. Also, use waterproof silicone around all of the screw nails to prevent any water from leaking into your attic through or around the holes you make with the screw nails. The last thing you want is more damage, especially from water leaking into your home.

Act quickly to minimize the damage and the cost. You can arrange all of the repairs and the prevention for under $700 in most cases. It is well worth the money and much better than spending thousands.

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One of our readers asked a question, “is breathing in air with raccoon feces bad?”

The answer is definitely yes! the picture on the left shows the proper way to enter an attic where raccoons have spent some time in a home and defecated in your attic.

Raccoon feces left in a hot dry attic dry out and crumble over time into fine particles that remain on top of the insulation until something disturbs them, such as air currents set up by someone walking through the attic, even if it is just to evaluate the damage. These fine particles are picked up by the air currents and of course, if you are in the attic and breathing in an unprotected manner, you will ingest these particles into your lungs. These particles contain roundworm infections called Baylisascaris. The eggs of this roundworm are very resilient and cannot be destroyed by conventional means.

Is Breathing in Air with Raccoon Feces bad

What Infections Can Be Picked Up?

Eggs ingested by humans will cause nausea, organ malfunction, blindness, loss of muscle control and even death in extreme cases. These are serious problems and easily avoided, so be very careful if you decide to enter an attic where raccoons have spent some time.

Animals such as bats and squirrels carry infectious diseases that can be picked up by humans. If you suspect that any of these animals are living in your walls or attic, take precautions before entering these spaces.

What Precautions Should be Taken

Take respiratory and physical protection measures before entering these spaces. Proper disposal afterward is also important as well to avoid contaminating other areas of the home or living areas. Remove insulation, bag it, and then properly disposed of. There are professional companies that specialize in the removal of this kind of hazardous material. Some people will attempt to replace their own insulation, however, you are literally risking your life if you do not take the appropriate precautions for removal and disposal.

Disposal of the insulation and feces or raccoon scat as some people refer to it, is also important. You cannot just put this stuff out in the garbage. Take everything to an incinerator to incinerate everything including the feces and the eggs of the roundworm.

Decontamination Services

There are companies that offer these types of services including replacing your insulation with new insulation up to the proper R-Value.

These companies provide the following services. The homeowner decides what steps to deal with this issue:

• Full inspection of all contaminated areas
• Evaluation of the R-value of the insulation in the areas where animals such as raccoons have been
• Recommend the amount of insulation needed to meet building codes
• Vacuum contaminated areas removing insulation and feces
• Installation of new insulation to specified levels.
• Permanent blocking of all potential entrances to the contaminated area.

They will use all of the required protective gear and proper disposal methods for dealing with your contaminated insulation.

The writers at this website strongly recommend that you not do this work yourself. Instead hire professionals with the protective gear, the proper removal methods, containment vehicles. They will also know the proper disposal methodology of the contaminated material. While it is going to cost more money than you probably planned, the alternative health issues are not very exciting. Spend the money and have it done right.

If you have a problem with raccoons invading your attic. There are also recommended methods to remove them as well and keep them out. Check out other posts on this website on the best methods to remove raccoons. Get them out of your attic as quickly as possible to avoid damage to your home.

Be careful and avoid you and your family becoming sick from raccoons!

Actually, we do not support raccoon exterminators on this website, but not for the reason that you might think. Animal rights people will be saddened to learn that if we thought that exterminating them was the right solution, we would support that approach. However, raccoon extermination just does not work. Anyone who tells you that it does is just looking to pad their own pockets. Even though they get rid of one pair of raccoons, another family will be back in a few months to reoccupy the vacated den! And that is exactly what you do not want to have to happen. This raccoon in this picture is actually a young raccoon, a picture from humane animal trapping. There is no way that he could pick up an adult raccoon this way. He would have a viscous snarling biting scratching raccoon trying to get away.

The exterminator is doing one thing right in this picture. He is wearing a breathing mask. He is wearing clothing that will protect him from the feces and the microbes that can actually cause death if they are breathed into the lungs. These microbes are in the feces and are released when the feces dry out and then are disturbed launching thousands into the air. I would still worry about his hair and what will happen when he leaves the attic in this picture. He still could be exposed to microbes being in his hair and later being breathed into his lungs.

Raccoon Exterminator

How Can You Permanently Stop Raccoons from Entering Your Attic

As we said, this raccoon will be removed. It will be carried to a safe place a long way from this house. But either they will be back when they return to their natural haunts or another family will enter the den in this attic. They will take up residence in a few months, entering through the same entry point that this raccoon used.

The only way to prevent raccoons from re-entering is to place heavy gauge wire mesh over the opening. Securely screw nail this wire mesh to the roof or the side of the home, whatever is appropriate.  The same approach should be used over any other potential entrances that might be used by raccoons, squirrels, and birds to keep all animals out of your home. There is another potential problem.

Baby Raccoons

If there are young pups inside the attic or den in this case removal is complicated. They either have to be removed at the time you place the wire mesh over the opening. Or you have to wait until they are able to leave on their own. The parents will try to get back into the den. They will look for any place they can to get to their young who will be crying for their parents. They could tear another hole in your roof or siding on your home in their efforts to rescue their young.

We suggest waiting until they are old enough to travel on their own and then installing a one-way wire mesh trap door over the opening. This will allow all of the raccoons out and not back in. Once they are all out, remove the trap door and install a solid wire mesh covering over the opening so that there is no way they can ever get back into your attic. Raccoon exterminators are just not the answer because they do not provide a practical long-term solution. The raccoons will just keep coming back and you will be calling the exterminator back as well and paying him for his services.

Raccoon Exterminator in Your Neighborhood

We strongly discourage this approach, regardless of how you exterminate them. We actually could care less about the raccoons. What we care about are the potential danger to family pets and other people. Depending on what solution you use, you could be causing a major problem for someone which would make you liable for lawsuits, etc. We have even heard shots in our neighborhood at night. We suspect that someone is shooting at the raccoons which would be very hard to hit at night while they are moving. The chances of raccoon extermination, using this method are extremely dangerous. Stray bullets could hit someone or someone’s property causing a great deal of damage. We strongly discourage this approach, particularly in urban areas.

There are also bylaws that you could be contravening. They might cost you a lot of money if someone reports you. Every city and town has a variety of bylaws regarding animal rights. They have methods of dealing with these problems so check with your local government before you embark on any violent activity with regard to raccoons.

Do you really want to deal with this raccoon caught in a trap? Snarling and biting and trying to grab your hands as you move the trap with the raccoon inside?  They have sharp teeth and claws and can cause a lot of damage to a person or their possessions. They may also be infected and could spread disease. Should you consder Raccoon Extermination in this situation?

Raccoon extermination is also not the answer either. You have to deal with dead raccoons, possibly inside your attic or under your deck. Or wherever they have taken up residence. If you do not remove the bodies, you will have a very bad smell as the bodies gradually rot in place.

As a writer, I do not even want to think about this kind of situation. You can hire companies that will look after raccoon extermination. However unless you plug the entrance to the den, other raccoons are just going to come along sometime later to take up residence. Raccoons can smell a vacant den and will willingly take up residence in a vacant den.

What is the answer to this problem? There is one and it is surprisingly simple and will keep raccoons and other animals out of your home for good.

Build a One Way Trap Door Instead of Trying Raccoon Extermination

Professional animal control officers have figured out the smart way to deal with these animals. They know that raccoons cannot be permanently kept away from a den, a food source or their babies. They also know that once you eliminate one family another is just going to come along a short time later. A new family will move in where the old family of raccoons used to live. They have learned to survive very well in the urban environment and no matter what you do, they will survive.

The answer is to eliminate all potential food sources. Use metal containers for garbage that cannot be broken into or store your garbage inside. If they have established a den in your home, attic or outbuildings you probably will have to wait until their babies are old enough to travel on their own. If there are no babies, then install a one-way trap door so the can get out but not back inside the den.

This trap door and the subsequent permanent covering should be of heavy gauge wire mesh that will not let them tear it apart and it should be securely screw nailed into the roof or the side of the building. Use waterproof silicone around the screw nails to seal against water penetrating around the screw nail.

If there are young babies, you will have to wait until they are old enough to travel on their own. Raccoon parents are very loyal to their families and will literally tear a roof apart to rescue their babies and you certainly do not want this to happen to you. There is already enough damage caused by these animals without forcing them to cause more.

Much Better Than Raccoon Extermination

This is a much better solution than considering exterminating raccoons or any other animal. It is a permanent solution to keeping raccoons out of your home, both this family and all other families of raccoons. Raccoons will be in the neighborhood and you may even see them from time to time. But they will not be in your house. They very well could be in someone else’s house, which is not a good thing, but at least they are not in yours.

Extermination is not a nice thing to consider. Disposing of the bodies which are often disease-ridden is not a fun thing and in some localities, there are specific laws to deal with this sort of thing. Trapping raccoons that are fighting mad, spitting and clawing as well as biting is not fun. In fact, it can be downright scary. Much better to deal with an issue like this in a passive way which does not affect the environment in any way what so ever.

Don’t get ripped off by raccoon exterminators who trap them and take them several miles away. You will just have to call them back a few months later. They will have to remove another family and pay another large bill. This approach of applying heavy gauge chicken wire over the opening is by far the best solution. Just make sure that they are all out before you install it. Use a one-way trap door to be sure that they are all gone first.

More raccoon extermination posts are available here, click here.

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We do not really know just how intelligent raccoons are and the research we did to find scientific information about raccoon intelligence did not turn up much information. We did find some studies from the 1905 time frame that suggested that raccoons are good at solving problems and memorization. Based on personal experience and observations of raccoons living in our neighborhood, I would say they were highly intelligent as far as the animal species goes. We have a number of reasons for feeling this way since we have had a direct relationship with urban raccoons over the past year. This is based on first-hand experience.

Raccoon Intelligence

Here is our list which is totally unscientific, but based on practical experience:

• Raccoons have thrived in urban settings
• Raccoons have found dens in trees, homes, attics, etc in urban areas
• They have found food in the garbage bins
• Raccoons routinely open garbage cans
• They live on grubs in our lawns
• Raccoons learn to avoid traps
• They steal food out of traps without setting them off
• Suburban raccoons are not afraid of loud noises
• They scale homes and office building brick fronts easily
• Mothballs and other such things are not bothersome to them
• They are simply not afraid of humans
• Raccoons are very loyal to their mates and pups
• They seem to be able to find new dens easily
• Raccoons can tell when a den has been vacated
• They have a great deal of dexterity with their paws
• They pass what they have learned down to their young

As we said this is not scientific, but they have sure been able to survive very nicely as homes have been built and taken over rural areas where they traditionally live. Raccoon intelligence has clearly been demonstrated in our opinion. Other species are endangered as a result and in many cases wiped out from these areas were urban sprawl has taken over. In our neighborhood, there is not one of my neighbors who has not seen raccoons in their yard or up in one of their trees in the past few years.

Raccoons Are So Intelligent that they Will Not Enter Traps

We tried trapping a family of raccoons that had settled into our attic.  We used a humane trap and planned to take them into the country if we were able to catch them. Turns out they were too intelligent for us and the trap. The trap we used was a long cage with a trap door that was set off when the raccoon would step on a false floor where the food was. These raccoons were just too smart for that. They would reach in through the wire mesh of the trap and grab the food off of the trigger mechanism without setting off the trap. Every morning when I went out the food would be gone and the trap would be empty.

Call in the Raccoon Removal Experts

We finally had to call in the experts to have them get rid of them for us. They built one trap doors in front of the opening into our home’s attic. This way all of the raccoons could get out but not back in. This is very important. Before you install the one-way trap door you have to make sure that the raccoon pups, if there any, are old enough to get around by themselves and are coming outside. They have to get out of the attic and through the trap door so that they cannot get back in.

Raccoon parents are very loyal to their families. They may literally be tearing your roof apart to get back into where the pups are and rescue them. In fact, you could have a much worse problem than you started with if this happens. We have seen pictures and have some on this web site of roofs that have been torn apart by raccoons. They are trying to get to their young pups out of the attic. With rain and snow, you could have a great deal of additional damage to your home.

You may disagree with the writer about the intelligence of raccoons, however, based on what we have seen and the list we provided at the top of this post, they clearly are intelligent and have learned to adapt to their changing environment which is a significant achievement.

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Wow, what a mess these raccoons have made to this person’s home. They placed a board initially against the side of the home to stop them from going into their attic and then the raccoons just dug a hole in the roof so that they could get into their den! These people sure could use some raccoon repellant, however, does raccoon repellant really work, or is it a waste of time?

Once you have a problem with raccoons getting into your home, there is no raccoon repellant that is going to work. The problem these people had is that the raccoons probably had their babies inside the attic of this home. They usually have babies in the late winter and if you block the entrance to the den, they will go crazy until they can rescue their baby raccoons. This usually involves doing a lot more damage to your roof and then water gets in and it can go into thousands of dollars in damages. There are better ways to get rid of these raccoons that will keep them out on a permanent basis.

Racoon Repellant – What Should a Home Owner do About this Situation

The first thing is not to block the entrance until the raccoon pups are old enough to travel on their own. While no one wants raccoons in the attic, you will actually minimize the damage the parents will do by not blocking the entrance.

Once the pups are old enough to travel on their own, have a professional install a one-way trap door so that they all can get out but not back in. Once they are out, then you can install a more permanent solution after repairing your roof. The permanent solution is heavy gauge wire mesh over the opening or area where they were getting into your attic.

Raccoon Repellants that Do Not Work

We had raccoons in our attic and we tried a number of things that were suggested to us by searching on the internet. basically, none of them worked, so do not waste your time. We tried:

• Loud music
• Mothballs
• Trapping
• etc

None of this stuff worked for us! We eventually called a professional animal removal company. They first told us to do nothing until the babies raccoons were old enough to travel. They then showed up at our door in May when the babies were coming out every day. The technician installed a one-way trap door over the opening. They all could get out and none of them could get back in. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it?

Once they were all out, this company came back, checked the attic for us to make sure they were really out and then removed the one-way trap door, repaired the damage for us, and then installed a permanent heavy gauge wire mesh over the opening to prevent raccoons from getting in ever again. They also looked our house over and installed wire mesh everywhere else that were potential entry spots. They completed this work for us in a very professional manner.

Why Install a Wire Mesh vs. Using Racoon Repellant?

There are actually very good reasons for this permanent approach vs. using various other types of repellents.  First, this is a permanent solution. The current family of raccoons is not coming back and no other families of raccoons are not going to be able to get into your home either. Even the young will come back once they mature unless you deal with them in this way.

Noise, mothballs and all of the other stuff just does not work. Unless you install a permanent solution, you will always have to use some form of repellant if by chance it does work. They can smell a den from the street and will come back to your home whenever you remove the deterrent.

But again, it is our belief that these repellents just do not work so do not waste your time.

Five Years Later

It has been five years since we had a problem with raccoons in the attic. After installing the wire mesh over the opening, we have not had any problems. In the wintertime, we have seen tracks in the snow on our roofs. Raccoons are checking the entry location out to see if they can get back in, but they are foiled by the wire mesh.

In five years’ time, almost every year we have had tracks on our roof. This really means that other families of raccoons have decided to try our place. Perhaps they are descendants of the original family and are trying to get back into one of their old dens. This just shows you how long you would have to use some kind of raccoon repellent. Installing a permanent solution such as heavy gauge wire mesh over the opening is far better.

The deterrent of raccoons entering your attic can save you a lot of repair costs as well as frustration. This site is dedicated to dealing with raccoons that invade our homes. Apparently, a lot of people search for the term” raccoon deterrent”. The word raccoon is spelled incorrectly, so we are doing a post just for them.

Many of us, myself included, when we are confronted with raccoons invading our space is one of anger and frustration. We want to kill them and we want them gone as fast as possible. Unfortunately, the reality is actually much different and it sometimes takes a while for this to sink in. Here is a list of the simple facts and misconceptions, along with Racoon Deterrent solutions which are depicted in the picture above, but we will get to that a little bit later in the post.

More Details

Here is our list of things that you should be aware of in dealing with raccoons:

• They have babies and they will tear your roof apart to get at them if you block the entrance
• If you are lucky enough to get rid of one family of raccoons, another will move in.
• There are hundreds of raccoons in every square mile
• Some municipalities make it illegal to trap raccoons and move them more than two blocks away from your home
• They are very smart and trapping them is almost impossible
• Raccoons will always come back once they establish a den unless you block them
• The feces turn to powder when dry and there are bacteria in the feces which can infect humans making us very sick, be careful
• Some raccoons will have rabies as well
• They are not friendly to humans but can survive very well in urban areas
• If you poison them, you may end up with a dead raccoon in your attic smelling the place up, and/or you may have a neighbor mad at you because their pet just died from poison.

So now you have read all of this and are wondering what to do. Well, the answer is pretty simple when it comes to raccoon deterrents.

Racoon Deterrent

First of all, you have to wait until the young babies are old enough to travel on their own. If you do not, the parents will try to get back into the den any way they can and this includes tearing your roof apart or creating another entrance somewhere. They will not abandon their young. Admirable in some ways compared to many humans.

Once they are old enough, the solution is pretty simple. Either do this yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. Using heavy gauge chicken wire, install it over the opening and create a one-way trap door so that the raccoons can get out but they cannot get back in. This is the best and only way to really deal with them.

Install a Permanent Repair

Once you are sure that all raccoons have left the den, it is time to complete repairs and install a permanent covering of chicken wire over the opening and any other potential openings. Make sure it is a heavy gauge so that they cannot break it. Also, make sure that the screw nails you use to hold it in place are sealed with long-lasting waterproof silicon to avoid any leaks into your home. The picture above shows a typical installation.

The raccoons would climb up the brick onto the roof. Then they pushed the soffit away to get into the attic of our home. In this case, it was above the garage, which was not too bad, but still, you never want them anywhere in your home. The wire mesh installed by a professional animal control technician was completed in about 30 minutes and really did the job. While he was there, he covered several other areas that were potential trouble spots for raccoons as well as birds and squirrels.

Humane Racoon Deterrent

Many of us talk a lot and make claims that we will just shoot them, but the reality is that if you live in suburbia, shooting them in just not an option. Poison does not work either since others will just move in and many animal rights people will complain as well if they were to find out. This solution that we have described makes everyone happy and it is also a great long-term solution. Shooting and poisoning are only temporary since another family of raccoons will just come along and move in in a few weeks or months and then you have the same problem all over again.

Installing the one-way trap door gets them all out of your attic so they do not die a horrible death inside your home and also do more damage. Installing the wire mesh over the opening will ensure that raccoons can never again invade your space inside your home.

We decided to do a post about raccoons in urban areas and try to cover as many topics as we can in one post. Instead of searching through various posts, readers can browse this longer post to cover all of the topics. The focus is on removal of raccoons. We have listed the index below and will write about each of these areas to give you more detail about how to deal with raccoons in your attic and home based on real experience that we have had with our own home. This is a rather long article, however it covers a great deal of detail that you really should read if you are having raccoon problems and want to learn more about removal of raccoons.

Our Experience with Raccoons in the Attic

• A Funny Story About Raccoons in our Attic
• Raccoons in attic
• Trapping Raccoons
• Raccoon Bait
• Removing Raccoons from home
  • Raccoon deterrents
  • What to do With Raccoons When You Catch one
  • Bylaws & Raccoons
  • How to Get Rid of Raccoons
  • Install a Raccoon Baffle
  • Removing Raccoons Safely
  • Dealing with Baby Raccoons in your Attic
• Health Risks
  • Raccoons Scat in the attic
  • Safety concerns with raccoons
  • Raccoon Droppings and Health Risks
  • Is Breathing in Air with Raccoon Feces bad
  • Rabies and Raccoons
• Insurance
  • Damage Caused by Raccoons
  • Raccoon Roof Damage
  • Insurance Coverage for Damage from Raccoons
  • Is Damage from Raccoons Covered by Insurance
• What do raccoons eat?
  • Raccoons digging up Lawn
  • Wild Raccoons
• Raccoon deterrent
• Raccoon repellant
• Intelligence of Raccoons
• Raccoon extermination
• Poisoning a Raccoon

Our Story About Removal of Raccoons

Our Experience with Raccoons in the Attic – We have always had raccoons in our neighborhood and have lived here for over 20 years, but never were they in the attic or in anyone else’s attic that we know of. One winter we could hear noises in the attic over our living room and after some investigation, we could see two adults and two young baby raccoons. We tried a lot of different things to get rid of them and finally settled on using a professional wildlife removal company. But before we get into that there is one funny story that we want to quickly tell.

A Funny Story About Raccoons in our Attic

One night I am standing on the front step when a baby raccoon came around the corner of our garage across the driveway. We both see each other at the same time and we both are surprised, to say the least. I am standing in his way of getting back into the den which is in the attic of our home. He stands on his hind legs and hissed at me and then advances! I only have my shorts on, no shoes, and the front door for some reason is jammed and I cannot open it. What do you do in a situation like that?

Well, I turned around and raised my arms and hissed back at him. He was shocked, to say the least, and turned around and ran back around the garage. I pounded on the front door to get my wife’s attention to open the door! Everyone has made fun of me each time I tell that story!

Raccoons in Attic – This is actually a serious subject. Raccoons can do a lot of damage to your home and they carry various infections that can harm humans as well. These particular raccoons climbed up the brick of our home, onto the roof, and then pushed the soffits back to get into the attic. They then set up a house, had their babies, and made this their headquarters for a few months while they raised their young. Fortunately for us, they did not do a lot of damage, however, we had a very difficult time getting rid of them until we found the right solution.

Removal of Raccoons – Trapping Raccoons

Initially, we tried loud music, then moth balls, and several other solutions that did not work. We then purchased a wild animal trap for $100, which was a humane trap so that we could remove the raccoons and let them loose in a remote area. These raccoons were very smart. Each night I would place some bait inside the trap and each night the bait would be gone, with the trap still set. Eventually, we did catch the two youngsters, but the adults were just too smart to go into the trap. We took the two youngsters into the country and let them go.

Raccoon Bait – You can use a variety of bait in the trap. Most will work in terms of attracting them but they were just too smart to actually enter the trap. We used jam, peanut butter, meat, and honey. It was all good, they like to eat it all, but would not go inside the trap. They would reach inside the trap through the wire mesh which was just large enough for them to stick their paws inside and reach the food.

Removal of Raccoons from Home –

Before we talk about how we actually got rid of these raccoons we wanted to cover a few other quick topics to save you time and money.

Raccoon Deterrents – Deterrents such as loud music and noise do not scare them at all. They are used to humans and other than staying away from us are not bothered by loud noises, mothballs, etc. Don’t waste your time or money on some of the things that are advertised online. They just do not work.

What to do With Raccoons When You Catch One

If you are lucky enough to catch one, there is no use letting the raccoon loose anywhere near your home. They will just return to your home where their den is and move right back in. We dropped two young raccoons out in the country which is actually against the law in many cities and towns. If you plan to do this yourself, check the bylaws first and make sure that you take them far enough away to avoid these particular raccoons returning. Note that other raccoons living in your neighborhood will just move into the now vacant den in your attic after a few weeks. So this is really not a good solution.

Bylaws & Raccoons – Some towns and cities actually have bylaws that prohibit removing raccoons more than 2 or 3 blocks from where they were caught. This sounds crazy, but it really does not matter. There are so many raccoons living in suburbia that others will just move into the vacated den, that you might as well not bother trapping these raccoons at all. The bylaws are also written in most cases to make it illegal to poison them too. After all, do you really want a dead raccoon smelling up your attic! Or killing a family pet by accident?

How to Get Rid of Raccoons – The best way by far to get rid of raccoons is to install a heavy gauge wire mesh over the entrance to the den. Screw nail the wire mesh into the roof to hold it in place. Place a bead of silicone caulking around the screw nail to prevent any water leakage around the screw nail.

Install a Raccoon Baffle

If the raccoons are still in the attic, you will need a one-way trap door installed across the entrance to your attic where the raccoons go in and out. This way they can get out of your attic, but not back into the den. Make sure that you read the section on dealing with young baby raccoons before you attempt this.

Removing Raccoons Safely – Using the one-way trap door is by far the best approach. Not only do you make sure that the raccoons are removed, but they also will not stink of your attic. The other major advantage is that no other raccoons can enter the attic. This is a permanent solution to keep all of the raccoons in the area out of your home. Once you are sure they are out of the attic, replace the one-way trap door with a permanent wire mesh over this entrance and any other potential area that they might be able to use. This approach also works to keep birds and squirrels out of your attic as well.

Dealing with Baby Raccoons in your Attic

Baby raccoons present a specific problem. If you install the one-way trap door across the entrance before the young raccoons are old enough to leave the den, they will be trapped inside and the adults outside. Raccoons are very family-oriented and will do just about anything to rescue their babies. They will tear your roof apart. The only solution is to wait until you are sure they are old enough to travel and then install the one-way door so they can get out but not back in.

Health Risks – Raccoons living in your attic will present a number of health risks. The longer they live in your attic, the more damage and raccoon scat or poop is left inside your attic.

Raccoons Scat the in Attic – Not only is it messy, it is also dangerous to your health. More on this topic later. Basically, consumers will need a specialized team of people to go into the attic, remove all of the insulation and raccoon scat, and then install new insulation. They must dispose of the old insulation etc following proper environmental processes.

Safety Concerns with Raccoons

Raccoons will fight back if cornered and they will defend their young. They have sharp claws and sharp teeth. Avoid cornering a raccoon and if you have one in a trap be very careful. A large adult raccoon can be very dangerous unless handled properly.

Raccoon Droppings and Health Risks – raccoon droppings in an attic, dry up, and pulverize in a hot attic. When someone goes into an attic, these particles are disturbed and will float in the air. If you are not wearing a mask and wearing protective clothing you will breathe these particles into your lungs and get them on your skin and clothes. Next thing you know they are inside the living area of your home which is a very dirty messy thing to deal with.

Is Breathing in Air with Raccoon Feces Bad – There are microbes in the feces of raccoons that can live through dry periods and in attics. If you breathe air in a place where there are dried raccoon feces, chances are you will breathe these microbes into your lungs and develop lung diseases as well as liver and even brain diseases. This can lead to death in humans if not treated. So, yes it is very bad to breathe in the air where there are raccoon feces. Take all of the precautions necessary, such as air masks and protective clothing if you are going into the attic.

Rabies and Raccoons

Raccoons also contract rabies from time to time. Keep your distance if you see a raccoon during the day or acting in an aggressive manner. They could have rabies. Keep your pets and children at a safe distance.

Insurance – We were very upset to learn that we had raccoons in our attic and even more upset to learn that our home insurance does not cover the removal of the raccoons or the damage from the raccoons. Check your insurance policy, they are all different and yours may or may not provide coverage.

Damage Caused by Raccoons – Our damage was limited to repairing the soffit, installing the one-way trap door, and cleanup the insulation. We hired a company to do the job and had to pay for it ourselves. But the damage can be much more significant.

Raccoon Roof Damage – We have seen pictures of roofs torn apart, siding ripped off homes all in an effort by the raccoon to try and get back into the den where their babies are. If this was not bad enough, the rain can then enter through this damaged area of your roof causing even more water damage. Make sure they are all out before you install a one-way trap door or a permanent solution.

Insurance Coverage for Damage from Raccoons

We are not covered by our insurance company and we are not sure if other companies provide this kind of coverage. Check yours out before you take any action at all.

Is Damage from Raccoons Covered by Insurance – even the roof damage was not covered by our insurance company. In some cases, they will cover the damage but not the original cause. This did not apply to our particular insurance company.

What do raccoons eat? – Urban raccoons are very versatile and will eat just about anything. They roam the woods looking for birds, frogs, fruit, etc and if they are in an urban area, garbage night presents a feast for them. We no longer put our garbage out the night before, since the raccoons in the area will tear the bags apart or tip the cans over to get at scraps of food that is placed in the garbage. They tend to do very well in our neighborhood.

Raccoons Digging up Lawn – You can quickly tell if you have grubs in your lawn when you see the lawn dug up and the grass scattered around. Raccoons and skunks consider these large white grubs which eat the roots of your grass a delicacy. Removing grubs as a source of food will preserve your lawn and deter raccoons from invading your space.

Removal of Raccoons –Wild Raccoons

are very cautious around humans and you probably will seldom see them. Urban raccoons on the other hand are used to living near humans and will not run from humans unless threatened in some manner. Be careful around any raccoon you see, they can be quite dangerous.

Raccoon Deterrent – There are lots of raccoon deterrents, some useful and practical, and many that are not. For example, the best advice is to remove all potential sources of food so that they are not attracted to your home or neighborhood. Make sure your garbage is locked tight and avoid leaving foods out overnight. Block all potential entrances with heavy gauge chicken wire and keeping a dog will also help to keep most animals away.

Raccoon Repellant – repellants such as loud noises, mothballs, blood meal, and other things such as various kinds of animal urine just do not work. Don’t waste your time or money on these things.

Raccoon Intelligence

These animals are very smart and especially those that have been raised in urban areas. They are used to humans and their ways. These raccoons also have mastered many obstacles that we have put in their way. They have a lot of dexterity in their front paws and can manipulate various locks etc to get where they want to go.

Raccoon Extermination – exterminating raccoons that have invaded your space works for awhile. But then new families just move in and you have to go through all of the efforts again. Also, what do you do with the carcass, since many municipalities do not want them disposed of in the garbage? Decomposing animals smell pretty bad.

Poisoning a Raccoon – poison at the risk of endangering pets and other animals in the area. If one dies inside your attic, you have to get it out. Believe me, that is not a pleasant task in addition to the possible harmful health issues. Besides, new raccoon families will just come along and move in. Select the correct long term solution so that they are kept out of your home forever. Use a one-way trap door to get them out and keep them out.

Installation of raccoon baffles and wire gauge covering any potential openings should be included in your annual maintenance tasks for your home. For more information on home maintenance tasks, click here.

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Many homeowners have problems with raccoons getting into their attics or outbuildings. They have trouble getting rid of them. The question asked from many of our readers is: What to do With Raccoons when you catch one is at the top of many readers’ minds. The answer is not actually that simple when you consider some of the issues and the details.

On this web site, we actually do not advocate even trying to catch them. It is just not worth the time and trouble. It really does not solve the problem. Let’s assume you catch one or more of the raccoons. You might take them several miles away into the country to release them. There are a couple of issues with this scenario.

Raccoons will Return to Your Home

If you take the captured raccoon several miles away, there is a pretty good chance that this particular raccoon will not return. You may be violating local bylaws through which in some localities state that a captured raccoon should be released only short distances from where it is captured. If you release the raccoon several miles away you are violating a local bylaw. If you release the raccoon close by, they will just return to their old den which is in your attic. What to do With Raccoons then when you have them in your home is a huge question?

Even if you ignore the bylaws, other raccoons living in the area will note that the den that was established in your attic is now vacant. It could be a month later or even a year later. Raccoons will return to your home and the vacated den. So capturing a raccoon is not the best way to deal with raccoons and what to do with raccoons is still an issue.

What to do With Raccoons to Get Rid of Them

The better solution to get rid of all raccoons on a permanent basis is to install a one-way trap door across the entrance to the den. At the same time, all other potential entrances should be covered. Use heavy gauge chicken wire to prevent re-entry to the den. The one-way trap door will allow the raccoons to get out. But not back into the den inside your home.

Before applying this solution it is also important to make sure that there are no babies in the den that are not old enough to travel. If they are stuck inside with the parents outside, the parents will literally tear your roof apart to get back inside. Once the young babies are old enough to travel on their own and can travel outside the den, it is time to apply the one-way trap door which prevents all of the raccoons from getting back inside the dean in your attic.

Permanent Solution to Deal With Raccoons

Once your sure that all of the raccoons are out, it is time to remove the one-way trap door. Apply a permanent heavy gauge wire mesh across the opening after completing any repairs that might be needed. This will keep the current family out and nay others that might discover a vacant den.

There is another major advantage of this solution in addition to being a permanent solution. You will not violate any local bylaws protecting wild animal life. You do not violate any sensitivities of people who believe in protecting animals. Animal rights activists play a huge part in getting the bylaws established. You really do not want to anger these people, even if you are not that concerned about wild animals yourself.

You may live in a neighborhood were raccoons have become a problem. But they have not attacked your house yet,. Why not arrange for heavy gauge wire to be applied now on all potential openings? The peace of mind and the money you save from the potential damage will more than pay for the cost of installing the wire mesh across all potential openings. If you do this work yourself, make sure that you also seal all holes with an outdoor sealant to avoid any water damage.

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The picture on the left shows what can happen if you do not get rid of raccoons in your area and especially your home.  In this case, they have made a hole just above the eaves trough, pulling away from the shingles and part of the wooden backing that should run all the way down to the edge of the roof.

In this case, there may not be too much rain damage, however, in many cases, severe leaks are noticed in consumer’s homes causing a great deal of damage in addition to the hole in the roof. Raccoons also make a mess of your insulation, leave feces and other material in your attic, so dealing with them quickly is a necessity.

Trapping etc. Does Not Work

We have written at length on this blog about how to get rid of raccoons. Basically, you need to wait until the babies are old enough to travel on their own and then install a one-way trap door over the opening so that all raccoons can get out but not back in. Once they are out you can then make permanent repairs and install heavy gauge wire mesh as well to prevent them from making another hole.

Trapping the raccoons, poisoning them, loud noise, bright lights, shooting them just does not work in the long run. Sure you might get rid of the current occupants if you are lucky, but then another family will just move in again in a few months and you have the same problem all over again. Poison works on raccoons as well as other animals including family pets. You cannot use a gun in urban areas and they are pretty good at avoiding traps. Read some of our other posts about this subject to get more detail. In the meantime we want to discuss how to get rid of raccoons by making your yard and home less attractive to them, so they do not come around the area.

How to Get rid of Raccoons by Other Means

Raccoons are looking for two things: food and shelter. If they are in your house you really need to do something to get them out as discussed above. If they are in your area and your yard, digging up the lawn for grubs, etc, then they are there because there is a good food source nearby. There is a poison that can be purchased to kill the grubs and remove that particular food source for them.

Remove all potential food sources that may be available to the raccoons. Package your garbage in a manner that prevents them from getting into it. Encourage your neighbors to do the same thing. We only put our garbage out in the morning on the day the garbage collection takes place to prevent them from getting into the garbage and finding food.

If you have trees such as acorn or walnut trees, you may want to pick up all of the nuts that fall to the ground before the raccoons get into them. They can leave quite a mess and then you are also eliminating that food source. This applies to apples, grapes, and any other kind of fruit that raccoons love.

If you have a large dog and can stand the noise, leave him out at night to chase away raccoons and other animals that might get in the way. This may be annoying to yourself and the neighbors if he barks a lot, but then it is probably better than having them in the area.

Getting rid of Raccoons is Really a Neighborhood Challenge

While we’re doing some research for this post, we came across one fellow’s problem that involved his neighbor. Basically, this writer indicated that the raccoons were in his backyard a lot. He really wanted to get rid of them. His neighbor on the other hand saw them as being cute. They should be allowed to wander wherever they wanted. His neighbor would put out food for them. They objected to any efforts to remove them or deal with them in a permanent manner.

When neighbors take this sort of approach there is not a lot you can do. Other than some of the things we outlined above. You can hope they do not get into your home and that maybe they will get into your neighbor’s home. They can see what a significant problem it really is to have raccoons in the attic. It is not that we wish any harm to anyone. It is just that sometimes people must have their own experiences before they understand all of the issues.

Good luck with keeping raccoons out of your area and remember to eliminate as many food sources as you can for the raccoons in order to get rid of them.

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We have had damage like that shown on the picture on the left in our lawn. Our lawn has been dug up during the evening and at night since raccoons are generally nocturnal. In fact, it got so bad that they would dig up the lawn to find grubs and earthworms, then carry them over to our pool and wash the food off in the pool before eating whatever they had found. There are really two problems – the first is that we have grubs in the lawn which eat the roots of the lawn and secondly the raccoon eating grubs from the lawn.

The dirt and mess left on the steps of our pool were disgusting and we really had a difficult time cleaning this up the next day. Our next post which will be available in two weeks will cover “How to get rid of raccoons”, will be of interest to those people who have similar problems to ourselves. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, I wanted to find out what their eating habits were so that I could possibly use this information to help control the raccoons in our area. We have made quite a few posts about how to remove raccoons from your attic in a safe manner and keep them out. Refer to some of our earlier posts about these subjects.

What are Raccoon Eating Habits?

Urban and suburban raccoons will eat just about anything available that falls into the plant area, birds, fish, small animals, and leftovers from your meals which get thrown out in the garbage. From some of the sources, we looked at they eat invertebrates, plant material, and vertebrates. These consist of nuts, berries, all kinds of fruit, fish, crustaceans, grubs, small birds, small mammals, insects, worms, and garbage as mentioned.

It is so bad in our area that we cannot put the garbage out the night before, or the raccoons will get into it and scatter the garbage all over the street. What a mess they make. during the rest of the week, they are looking for some of the food sources previously mentioned.

If you have grubs on your lawn, the raccoons will find them. This is the reason the lawn has been dug up in the picture above. There are chemicals that can get rid of the grubs which remove the food source for the raccoons and by the way, ensures that your lawn will be more healthy. The grubs like to eat the roots of the grass which of course will kill the grass as well. These grubs are white and about the size of your little finger. They provide lots of protein and the raccoons love them.

What do Raccoons eat in the Winter Time?

Raccoons will build up weight and fat during the fall when food is more plentiful. They love acorns and walnuts which provide lots of calories and will fill up on these to put on weight. If you suspect there are raccoons in the area, take action. You want to dissuade them from spending time in your yard. Pick up the nuts so that there is no food source for the raccoons.

Raccoons will go into what is called winter rest, which is not full hibernation during the winter in colder climates. This reduces their activity drastically and lowers their metabolism as well.  Fat built up in the fall will help them last through the winter. However, if they think there is a food source available e.g. your garbage. They will be out to sample every garbage day unless there is a tremendous amount of snow.

Since winter rest is not hibernation, they can quickly rouse themselves. They will go out of their dens to seek food sources that might be available. They will emerge from the den when the snow melts or there are warmer days in the wintertime.

Discouraging Raccoons Eating

The best way to avoid raccoons in your area is to remove all possible food sources. Fruit, nuts such as acorns and walnuts, grubs in your lawn and lock up your garbage. If you must keep it outside or put it out the night before, use a garbage container that is animal proof. If there are no food sources, they simply will not waste their time visiting your property.

Tricks such as loud noises, lights, even chasing them simply do not work. They are used to living with humans and really are not afraid of us. Although they will be cautious around us. You can put your dog out at night. However, he may keep you awake as these nocturnal visitors come to visit. The best approach by far is to remove all potential sources of food. Protect your home as well in the manner we have outlined in

Poisoning raccoons is simply not the right answer to get rid of them. Note that I am not saying this because of animal rights. Or concern for animals that are considered a pest by many people.  Instead, it is just not practical in the long run. There is a risk to your pets and your neighbor’s pets. In some areas, it may be even against the law in your city or town to poison a raccoon.

No one wants to see an animal suffer. However, when they are in your home, you will do almost anything to get rid of them. This picture shows a female raccoon with her pups in someone’s attic. If you poison these guys, they will die inside your home. The smell will be really bad. You will have to tear out all of the insulation. Then place new insulation just to get rid of the smell. The cost to the homeowner can be huge. It is important to get them out of the home quickly before a lot of damage is done.

So If Poison a Raccoon is Not the Right Answer, What is the Answer

Well, many people will try all kinds of things, usually from reading pages like this one. Forget loud noises, mothballs, and even trying to trap the raccoons. You might trap the young ones because they are inexperienced. But you are not going to get the more experienced adults to go into a trap regardless of what the pictures show.

The only way to get rid of them is to install heavy gauge wire mesh over the opening to the den which will block the raccoons from entering. You need to make sure that they are all out of the den, including the pups as well before you install the wire mesh over the opening. If you do not you risk that the pups might die inside your home and smell up your place. Worse the adults may tear your roof apart trying to get back inside to rescue their babies.

If they are not yet out, and the pups are old enough to travel on their own, install a one-way trap door over the opening to the den. This way all of the raccoons can get out of the den and then they will not be able to get back in.  They usually leave every night to forage for food, but wait a few days to make sure that they are actually out of the attic before you replace the one-way trap door with something more permanent.

Precautions to Take

If you got to this page searching for how to poison a raccoon, and are now looking at installing a one-way trap door, you are on to the right approach. When you install the wire mesh screw nail it solidly into the roof or the studs around the opening. Use waterproof silicon caulking to plug the holes created by the screws to prevent water damage.

Use heavy gauge wire mesh for this purpose so that there is no possibility of the raccoons finding their way past the wire mesh or tearing it from the roof.

The feces of raccoons have microbes that can be harmful to humans. If you need to clean your attic, hire professionals to do this work who are wearing the proper protective clothing and breathing apparatus.

Install the wire mesh over all potential openings around your home so that birds, squirrels, skunks, and raccoons will not gain access sometime in the future. While it may cost you a few hundred dollars to have this work completed, it is well worth the effort compared to the damage and the aggravation that they can cause.

Not the Right Answer

Poisoning a raccoon or any other animal is simply not the right answer. Not only do they die a horrible death, but you also run the risk of poisoning other animals including pets. Your neighbors may get quite upset with you if their cat or dog is poisoned.  Also, poison around the house is dangerous for kids as well so simply do not have it around

Finally, even if you were successful at poisoning this family of raccoons and removing their bodies, there are a hundred other raccoon families in the immediate area of your home that will come to visit once they realize that the den inside your home is vacant. Do the job right the first time and install a one-way trap door instead of trying to poison the raccoons inside your attic.

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Your worst nightmare is represented in this picture. Two raccoons in your attic, setting up home and having babies! If you have raccoons in your attic or under your shed, there is a right way to remove raccoons and many wrong ways to try. We have tried many of them and found that there is only one sure way to get rid of them and it just also happens to be a humane approach as well although that was not part of our objective when we found we had them in the attic. Read on about How to Remove a Raccoon.

We will try to cover some of the right ways regarding how to remove a raccoon in this post. make no mistake, unless you do something quickly, these raccoons will set up a permanent home in your attic and have many babies. They will ruin the insulation, there will be urine-soaked insulation and feces everywhere. The smell will get worse and it will be very difficult to sell your home. Don’t wait to take action right away and deal with the problem now, they are not going to go away.

The Best Way How to Remove a Raccoon

These raccoons are smart and know how to avoid traps, loud music does not bother them, mothballs and other smells do not bother them and some of them even know how to avoid poison that you might put out for them. If you chase them or make a loud noise, they are just going to run up a tree or go into their den which happens to be in your home.

You can go in the den and you might chase them out. However, if they have babies, be ready for a fight. Note: This is never recommended. Even if you were successful in removing this family of raccoons in this manner, another family or even the same family is going to come back as soon as the coast is clear.

Raccoons living in suburbia simply have no fear of humans. Although they will stay out of your way, they are quite comfortable living close to humans. They live in their homes in the attic or under foundations etc. Once they have moved in it is tough to get rid of them, unless you put in place a permanent solution.

Build One Way Trap Doors to Remove a Raccoon

The only sure fire way to remove a raccoon and keep them out along with other raccoons in the area is to build a one-way trap door over the entrance to the den.  The picture we have included with this post shows the entrance at ground level. However, it could be on your roof under the eave or on the side of the home where they have removed the siding.

The trap door and the wire covering will need to be adapted to the situation. But the idea is to allow them to leave the den and then not be able to return. You also must make sure that the young raccoons if there are any, are old enough to travel. Otherwise, they will remain behind. They will either die inside your attic, creating a bad smell or the parents will try to get back in to rescue their babies. They will even try to tear your roof apart to get back into them. So wait until they are old enough to travel. Then install the one-way trap door. Also, seal off all other possible entrances as well so that they cannot re-enter from other locations.

Once you are sure that the raccoons are gone, you can then place a permanent wire mesh cover over this entrance as well. Use heavy gauge chicken wire so that it cannot be torn or broken. Also, screw nail the wire to the side of the house or roof. Use waterproof silicone caulking at all locations where the screw nails penetrate the exterior of the home or roof.

Lots of Raccoons in Your Area

Most people do not realize that there are lots of raccoons living in suburbia. They have adapted well to living beside humans and they are well fed. They live off the garbage. Raccoons also live off food that is discarded around homes, as well as grubs on your lawn. They even grapes off grapevines if you happen to have them.

Chasing them away, using loud noise, poison, and shooting them simply does not work in this environment. All you can do is take steps to make sure that they cannot get inside of your home. For more information about removing raccoons, click here.

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You have raccoons in or around your home and you are wondering How to Repel Raccoons. There are a right way and a wrong way to repel raccoons or remove them from your home’s attic which was the situation we had to deal with. Some methods simply do not work while others if done properly will work every time.

This raccoon on the left was obviously threatened or was worried about their young babies and was going to fight back. There is no need to confront them and cause an attack. You do not want to endanger yourself or your family. If you try to get yell at them or chase them they will just run up a tree and then stare at you. If you corner one, you are going to get a reaction like this one above and they will fight to defend themselves so back off and let them escape. They can bite and claw you which can cause some damage to your person. Then because you have been bitten by a wild animal you will need to be treated for rabies whether they have it or not just as a precaution.

How to Repel Raccoons – What does not Work to Repel Raccoons

The following list of items has been tried by the  writer as well as some friends and found to be very ineffective:

• Chasing them
• Loud noises
• Using mothballs or some other evil-smelling stuff
• Trapping them, more just come along later
• Poison, not considered humane and there is a risk to pets

There are all kinds of solutions that are discussed on various websites, the above included and they simply do not work. Even if you are successful at driving away or destroying the current residents, more will just come along later. You have to find a permanent solution that will work and keep them out of your home.

Lots of my friends said just shoot them. This is just boastful talk from people who do not know what they are talking about.  Well first of all you cannot fire a gun in a residential area and many people would say that it would not be humane. Besides other families of raccoons would just come along later. There are many families of raccoons in residential suburban areas. They have adapted to living with humans very well.  The same is true for using poison, with the added disadvantage that they could die inside your attic or you might kill the family pets or the neighbors!

How to Repel Raccoons?

The best way is to install a one-way trap door over the entrance to the den after the young are old enough to travel. With this approach, they can all get out of the den, but this family and any other family of raccoons cannot get back into the den. Nor can squirrels or birds for that matter.

Make sure that the babies are old enough to get out by themselves otherwise you will have very worried parents who will do almost anything to get back into the den including tearing your roof apart. There are other posts on this website that show the kind of damage they can cause.

The picture above shows the general construction of the one-way trap door. You will have to change the design to accommodate your situation and the location of the entrance to the den. This approach works well for skunks as well as raccoons and groundhogs if the den is under a building or deck. Note that you will have to block off all other possible entrances to the den as well.

How to Repel Raccoons – Use heavy Gauge Chicken Wire

Use heavy gauge chicken wire. Also, make sure you seal all holes to avoid water damage if you need to screw nail the chicken wire into the roof. This approach is by far the best way to stop raccoons from entering your home. You may not repel them from the area. But you will definitely keep them from entering your home’s attic or making a den under your shed for example.

If you are uncomfortable or not handy enough to build this kind of trap door, hire an expert. Make sure they also fumigate your attic to get rid of any odor that might remain.  The feces from the raccoon can cause disease and sickness to humans. If they are in your attic, you will need to take special precautions on entering the attic. Also, take precautions if cleaning it or if you decide to remove the insulation. Avoid entering the den of any animal including raccoons without protection.