Raccoons will use your attic as a denning site to raise their pups. They can do severe damage getting into the attic and have parasites in their feces which will require replacement of insulation. Raccoons have one litter per year which occurs between January and August and have an average of four kits.
Raccoons can enter the attic almost anywhere. They have the strength to tear off plywood if they find a starting point. They will also enter the attic through roof vents, attic fans, soffits, soffit vents, gable vents, and fascia.
Removing raccoons from the attic can be extremely dangerous and should be done by a Professional Wildlife Control Technician. If you feel you still want to remove the raccoons yourself, you must check out the nuisance wildlife handbook Raccoon Trapping Procedures and Techniques before attempting to trap and remove them from the attic yourself.
Even if your able to trap the mom raccoon, how will you get to the babies? Raccoons hide their pups in the hardest places to get to, such as a wall, ceiling / floor void, chimney, soffit, eaves, and hard to reach areas of the attic. This is not an accident, raccoons go to extreme lengths to protect their young.
Homes should be animal proofed prior to infestation to limit the amount of damage that raccoons can cause. You will need quality animal proofing supplies to keep raccoons out of the attic or keep them from coming back.
Raccoons carry diseases, viruses, and parasites such as rabies, distemper, raccoon roundworm, and many more. Wearing a proper respirator is essential when working in an attic where a raccoon has been.
Before trapping raccoons, an initial damage inspection must be done to determine where the raccoons are getting in. Learn what bait to use, where and how to set traps, and how to do an inspection.
Once you have trapped the raccoons and removed them from your attic, you will need to install a soft closure for a few days to make sure they are all out. Then you will need to repair the damage with quality animal proofing products.
