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The first indication of raccoon in attic is noise. You may hear walking or thumping at night. You may also hear sounds from the nest of the baby raccoon or the adult. One constant with Raccoons is that there is always one with a nest of at least three baby raccoons. This is probably why she went into the attic in the first place.

Read my detailed blog on how to get the safest attic access ladder.

Raccoons, also known as coons, are mammals that are seldom seen in the daytime due to their nocturnal nature. They are spread across the United States, especially in the woody eastern part of the country. They are less common in the dry western plains. Raccoons are mammals, not rodents nor Vermin. Means they breastfeed their kits.

With a drop in temperature, especially during the winter, attics prove to be an attractive destination for raccoons. This is more so when they are expecting babies.

Here is a breakdown of why raccoons are in love with your attic:

  • Safety

    The security your attic provides for raccoons against predators is one thing that draws them to it. This is particularly so in the winter season when they have reduced ability to hide in trees. Attics are built high above the ground and quite challenging to access for larger pests.

  • Warmth

    This is especially so in the winter season when the raccoons look for somewhere warm to call home. They usually stock up food so that they do not have to go out searching for food when the weather is cold.

  • Quietness

    The middle of the winter season is a peak period for raccoons to nest. This is why they search for a quiet and dark place like your attic to nest and have their offspring.

  • Ease of Accessibility

    If you have an attic that is easy to access, Raccoons will always love to visit it. Even small openings are not exempted in this regard.

  • Chimneys

    In a situation where your chimney is made of bricks or uncapped, they are a perfect pathway for raccoons to break into your attic. The brick blocks serve as a stairway for them to access your attic with ease, and it is quite challenging to remove them. To solve this, you should install a mesh cap on your chimney to keep them out.

  • Roof Vents

    Roof vents usually produce warm air, which attracts animals exposed to the cold outside. Raccoons are chewers; hence it is easy for them to chew their way through. The solution to this problem is to get a mesh gate installed under the cover to avert entry.

  • Wall vents

    Such vents often sit on the side of your home and look like a tree cavity. This makes them a target for raccoons. The solution to this is to get it covered with wire mesh. This is a proven do it yourself get rid of a raccoon in attic tactic.

The main signs of a raccoon infestation in your attic are both audible and visual. You will begin to observe damages to the home’s wood, insulation, shingles, walls, electrical wiring, or other parts of your building structure. Droppings are also a significant sign of the presence of raccoons.

Added to this is the fact that raccoons usually raid and can make a total mess of waste cans when they are searching for food. They may also leave visible paw prints in your yard. Raccoons also have a reputation for killing poultry, damaging crops, or garden while also destroying bird nests. Loud thud noises from the Raccoon’s movement could also mean that there are raccoons in your home.

There are times when you may hear the sound of raccoons fighting in your attic as well.

Raccoons are reputed to cause the most significant damages in the attic among all animals. They will tear your pipes, tear duct-work, and the likes. They also leave behind irritating feces and urine in your attic, sometimes in large quantities. They are times when they bring in plant mater as well as nesting material into your attic. Their feces may also contain raccoon roundworm which can infect pets or people.

Step 1: Locate the Raccoon Entry Points

The first step would be to go round your home and inspect the vents and roof to know how the Raccoons are getting in. You should also take a look inside to ascertain the raccoon damage.

Step 2: Get rid of the Raccoon nest

It is essential that you take a look around and locate the baby nest and have them placed inside a pillowcase. You should be careful of the mother raccoons as they may not be too friendly. Also, make sure that she has not hidden the babies inside a wall.

Step 3: Get rid of the Raccoon

You can use homemade raccoon traps to snare the mother raccoon. To do this, simply use the babby raccoons in the cage trap, and you will draw the mother raccoon. This way, you will be making sure that the family is kept together when relocating them.

Step 4: Get the Raccoon Entry Hole Fixed

To prevent a recurrence of the raccoon in house issue, it is ideal you close the entry holes. Also, ensure that you clean the mess left behind and repair all damages in the attic.

Almost every time you find raccoons in your Attic, there is a chance that there will be baby raccoons. The baby raccoons often stay in the house for about a year until they are strong enough to fend for themselves. When the raccoons are strong enough, they move out of the territory. This means that if you manage to remove the female raccoon and not the nest of the young, you will encounter problems. It is inhuman to remove the nursing raccoon mother and leave behind the young raccoons.

The best way to trap a raccoon is to use the nest of the baby raccoon as bait. Doing this would attract the mother raccoon and ensure they are all in the same place, hence guaranteeing the young’s survival. One other way to trap raccoons is by mounting a trap right over the exit or entry hole she is using. You could also use a baited cage that is mounted outside either on the ground close to the climbing point or the roof close to the entry hole.

You should be careful when setting a ground trap as it may also catch any animal around. Setting raccoons attic traps is also not wise as they won’t enter. The reason for this is not apparent, but it is a solid fact.

The most common time of the year when this raccoon in house situation happen is; spring, with the peak period between March and May. Raccoons are rather large animals that can be messy and strong. They require a large entry hole to access your house and easily eat through a wooden roof or shingles. The moment they are in your attic, they will tear into your wires and ducts, leave droppings behind and trample insulation.

If you have a Raccoon in the house, they may stay for as long as eight months until they become big and strong enough to thrive on their own. When this happens, the female will mate again and use your attic as its home.

Raccoons are cute animals, but the sound they make while chewing, running around, and nesting can be quite irritating. They can be disastrous as they tend to wreak havoc on the home. They are chewers, which means that your insulation, wiring, and building structure, attic windows, even attic ladders are at risk if there’s a raccoon in attic.

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