Your Free Guide to Raccoon Removal and Prevention

Understanding Raccoon Behavior and Why They Enter Homes

Raccoons are intelligent, adaptable animals found throughout North America. According to wildlife surveys, raccoon populations have grown significantly in urban and suburban areas over the past 50 years, making encounters more common. These animals are naturally curious and have excellent problem-solving abilities, which means they can open containers, manipulate latches, and remember solutions to access food sources.

Raccoons are primarily nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. They search for food during evening and early morning hours, which is why you may hear them in your attic or garage between dusk and dawn. They do not hibernate but enter a state called torpor during winter, where they sleep for extended periods and live off stored body fat. This makes fall and early winter particularly active seasons for raccoon entry, as they seek shelter and food sources before the coldest months.

The main reason raccoons enter homes and buildings is the search for food and shelter. A single raccoon may travel several miles in a night looking for meals. They are attracted to garbage cans, pet food left outdoors, bird feeders, garden vegetables, and compost piles. Once a raccoon discovers a reliable food source near your home, it will return repeatedly. If your home also offers shelter—such as an attic, crawl space, or shed—the raccoon may attempt to establish a den there, particularly if it is a female preparing for breeding season.

Raccoons can cause significant damage when they enter buildings. They may tear through insulation, damage electrical wiring, contaminate spaces with their feces, and create entry points that allow other animals inside. Understanding this behavior helps you recognize why prevention is more effective than removal alone. The goal is to make your property less attractive to raccoons by eliminating food sources and blocking access points.

Practical Takeaway: Keep a log of when and where you see raccoon activity. Note the time of day, location around your property, and what might be attracting them. This information helps you identify which prevention methods are most important for your specific situation.

Securing Garbage Cans and Outdoor Food Sources

Garbage cans are the number one attractant for raccoons in residential areas. A raccoon can open standard trash cans by lifting the lid or tipping the container over. Research from urban wildlife programs shows that homes with unsecured garbage experience raccoon visits at rates up to three times higher than homes using secured containers. The solution involves both container selection and storage methods.

Metal garbage cans with tight-fitting lids are significantly more effective than plastic containers. Heavy-duty plastic cans can be damaged by raccoon claws and teeth. Look for cans with locking mechanisms or lids that require two hands to open. Store garbage cans in a garage, shed, or enclosed area until collection day morning. If you must keep cans outside, place them against a wall or in a corner so raccoons cannot tip them as easily. Some communities offer bear-resistant containers that also work well against raccoons—these are heavy metal bins with locking mechanisms.

Beyond garbage, raccoons will consume pet food, compost, and garden produce. Remove pet food dishes immediately after pets finish eating, rather than leaving food out overnight. Do not leave pet food in garages or on porches where raccoons can access it. If you maintain a compost pile, avoid adding meat, fish, dairy, oils, or other protein-rich foods that attract raccoons. Use a closed bin rather than an open pile. Many people do not realize that bird feeders are major raccoon attractants. Raccoons will climb poles and trees to reach bird feeders. If you feed birds, remove feeders at dusk or use feeders with mechanisms that close when heavier animals try to access them.

Garden vegetables, particularly corn, watermelon, and squash, attract raccoons in late summer and fall. Protect gardens with fencing at least four feet high, with an additional foot bent outward at ground level to prevent raccoons from climbing over or digging under. Some people find success using motion-activated lights or sprinklers near gardens, though raccoons may eventually learn these are not threats.

Practical Takeaway: Create a checklist of all outdoor food sources on your property—garbage, pet food, bird feeders, compost, and gardens. For each item, write down when you currently access or maintain it, then identify one change you can make this week to make it less accessible to raccoons.

Identifying and Sealing Entry Points

Raccoons can enter buildings through surprisingly small openings. An adult raccoon can fit through a hole as small as 3 to 4 inches in diameter. They commonly enter through damaged roof vents, gaps around chimneys, holes in siding, spaces where utility lines enter the home, and openings under decks or sheds. A thorough inspection of your property's exterior is the first step in prevention.

Conduct your inspection during daylight hours, walking around your entire home at ground level and using binoculars or a ladder to examine the roof and upper areas. Look for holes, gaps, loose boards, damaged flashing, or separated trim. Pay special attention to where pipes and wires enter the building. Check vents—bathroom vents, dryer vents, foundation vents, and attic vents—to see if screens are intact and securely fastened. Examine the roof line, particularly around chimneys. Look under decks, porches, and sheds for gaps or openings. Even small gaps should be noted, as raccoons can enlarge them or squeeze through.

Once you have identified entry points, seal them with appropriate materials. For small holes in wood siding, use wood filler or caulk rated for exterior use. For larger gaps, install metal flashing or hardware cloth (quarter-inch mesh metal screening). Hardware cloth is more effective than plastic screening because raccoons cannot tear through metal. Secure hardware cloth with nails or screws every few inches. For vents, install or repair vent covers using hardware cloth backed by a frame. Chimney caps should be installed by a professional and must allow smoke to escape while preventing animal entry.

Entry points under decks and sheds require a different approach. Install hardware cloth along the perimeter, extending at least one foot below ground and bending outward at the bottom to prevent digging underneath. Secure the cloth with nails or screws, and check it regularly for damage or gaps where raccoons may have attempted to loosen it. For accessibility, some people install removable panels of hardware cloth that allow entry for inspection and maintenance while remaining secure against animals.

Timing matters when sealing entry points. Do not seal holes during spring through early fall if you suspect a raccoon may be inside, as you could trap an animal or prevent a mother from accessing her babies. If you find evidence of raccoon activity in an attic or wall, contact a licensed wildlife removal service before sealing entry points. Once any animals inside have been removed or have left naturally (typically between October and December), you can seal all entry points.

Practical Takeaway: Draw a simple sketch of your home's exterior, marking all entry points you identify. Assign each point a priority level (1 for high risk like roof vents, 2 for moderate risk like foundation gaps). Start sealing priority 1 points this month, then work toward priority 2.

Protecting Your Attic, Basement, and Crawl Spaces

Attics, basements, and crawl spaces are particularly attractive to raccoons because they provide shelter from weather and predators. A female raccoon seeking a den site will actively explore building interiors, especially in spring and early summer. Once a raccoon establishes a den in your home, removal becomes more complicated and costly. Prevention focuses on making these spaces unattractive and inaccessible.

Attics are the most common entry point. Inspect your attic annually, looking for holes in the roof, damaged vents, gaps around vents, and signs of animal presence such as droppings, torn insulation, or footprints in dust. Raccoon droppings are typically one-half to three-quarters of an inch long, dark, and often found in clustered areas called latrines. If you find fresh droppings or recent activity, do not attempt to clean it yourself, as raccoon feces can contain parasites and pathogens. A professional should handle contaminated areas using appropriate protective equipment.

Securing attic access involves sealing the exterior entry points identified in the previous section. Additionally, ensure that interior spaces like attics are well