Raccoons in the Attic, Chimney or Trash: How to Get Them Out and Keep Them Out

You hear heavy footsteps over the ceiling after dark, or the trash is strewn across the driveway again. Raccoons are smart, strong and very good at getting into buildings, especially when a mother needs a safe place for her young. This guide helps you confirm a raccoon is the culprit, stay safe from the diseases they can carry, and get them out humanely without leaving babies behind.

How to tell it’s a raccoon

Raccoons are gray-brown with a black mask across the eyes and a bushy, ringed tail. They are mostly active at night.

Compare what you hear and see:

If the noise is during the day, read our squirrel guide. For small droppings and gnawing, see the rodents hub.

Signs of raccoons around your home

• Noises in the attic, chimney or roof at night.
• Torn-off shingles, fascia boards or vent covers where a female forced her way in.
• Torn-up insulation, urine stains and odor in the attic.
• Overturned trash cans and scattered garbage.
• Raccoons on the roof or looking in through sliding doors.
• Droppings piled in a “latrine,” a spot raccoons use over and over.

Occasional visits through the yard are normal. Raccoons repeatedly climbing on the roof or living in the house are a reason to act.

Why raccoons move in

Raccoons follow food and shelter. Unsecured trash, pet food left outside, fallen fruit and birdseed draw them in. Overhanging branches give them a path to the roof. Attics, chimneys, crawl spaces and the space under decks make good dens. Most young are born in spring, typically April or May, in litters of three to six, and families stay together for months.

Health risks

Rabies. Raccoons can carry rabies and canine distemper. Do not touch, corner or feed a raccoon. Keep pets vaccinated. If a raccoon bites or scratches anyone, wash the wound with soap and water and get medical care right away.

Raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis). This parasite lives in raccoon intestines, and its eggs pass in their droppings. People are infected by accidentally swallowing the eggs, most often young children who put dirty hands or objects in their mouths. Human cases are rare but can be severe if the larvae reach the eyes, organs or brain. Fresh droppings are not yet infectious; the eggs take 2 to 4 weeks in the environment to become dangerous, so prompt cleanup lowers the risk.

How to get raccoons out humanely, step by step

1. Confirm what you have and where it enters. Watch the roofline at dusk to see where the raccoon leaves.
2. Find out if there are babies. From spring into summer, assume a female in the attic or chimney has young until proven otherwise. Listen for chattering or crying, and do not seal anything yet.
3. Wait if you can. The most humane option is to let the young grow until they can leave with their mother, usually around 10 weeks old. She will move them on her own.
4. Encourage them to leave. If waiting is not possible, a bright light, a radio playing loudly and a bowl of cider vinegar near the den, set out just before dusk, can persuade a mother to move her young over a few days.
5. Check that everyone is gone. Loosely stuff the entry hole with crumpled newspaper. If it stays undisturbed for two to three nights in mild weather, the den is likely empty.
6. Seal the entry. Close it with heavy wire mesh or metal flashing. Repair any other weak vents or roof edges at the same time.

Never smoke out or burn a chimney den, and never seal an opening with young inside. Baby raccoons cannot climb out of a chimney and will die, and a mother locked out will tear into the house to reach them. One-way exclusion doors are best left to wildlife professionals, who can judge whether the young are old enough to follow the mother out.

Chimneys, crawl spaces and decks

• Chimneys: keep the damper closed while raccoons are present. After the den is empty, install a sturdy, secured chimney cap that meets local fire code.
• Under decks, porches and sheds: after the animal leaves, close the gap with heavy galvanized hardware cloth (1/4 to 1/3 inch mesh). Bury the bottom edge at least 6 inches deep and bend it 12 inches outward, then cover with soil to stop digging.
• Roof access: trim branches that overhang the roof.

Securing trash and food

• Use metal or tough plastic cans with tight lids, and fasten the lids with bungee cords or wire. Tie cans to a post or keep them in a garage or shed until pickup.
• Bring pet food in before dark.
• Pick up fallen fruit and nuts.
• Store birdseed and animal feed in sealed containers.
• Never feed raccoons, and ask neighbors not to. Fed raccoons lose their fear of people.

Mothballs and repellents are not recommended. None are known to work reliably on raccoons, and mothballs are toxic to people.

Cleaning up raccoon droppings safely

Raccoons use the same spots again and again: the base of trees, decks, rooftops, woodpiles, attics and garages. Their droppings are dark and tubular, smell worse than dog or cat waste and often contain seeds.

1. Protect yourself. Wear disposable gloves and rubber boots you can scrub or disposable shoe covers. In an attic or other enclosed space, wear an N95 respirator.
2. Keep dust down. Lightly mist the droppings with water.
3. Remove the droppings and soiled material with a shovel or an inverted plastic bag. Burn, bury or bag them for the landfill, following local rules.
4. Use heat on outdoor surfaces. Most chemicals do not kill roundworm eggs. Boiling water or a propane flame gun does. Check with your local fire department first and never flame anything that can melt or burn.
5. Indoors, skip the flame. Wipe the area with a damp sponge and hot soapy water, flush the dirty water down the toilet and bag the sponge.
6. Clean up yourself. Wash your hands well with soap and warm water, and wash clothes in hot water.

Keep children and pets away until the area is clean. Large latrines in attics or other confined spaces are a reasonable job to hand to a professional.

Legal notes

Raccoons are classified as furbearers or game animals in many states, and rules on trapping, killing and moving them differ widely. Many states restrict or prohibit relocating trapped raccoons; California, for one, bans it without written permission from its wildlife department. Trapping a mother in spring or summer can also separate her from young still in the den. Before trapping, check with your state wildlife agency or local conservation officer.

When to call a licensed wildlife control operator

Raccoons in attics and chimneys are usually a job for a licensed wildlife control operator. Call one when:

• A raccoon is living in your attic, chimney or walls, especially from spring through summer when young may be present.
• You cannot safely reach the entry point or the den.
• An animal is acting strangely, such as stumbling or showing no fear of people. Call your health department or animal control too.
• There is a large latrine in an enclosed space.

Ask how they handle young, what happens to captured animals and whether they will seal the entry and repair damage. Our guide to choosing a pest control company has more questions, and rodent-proofing covers sealing smaller gaps once the raccoon is gone. See the wildlife hub for other animals.