Raccoons may look adorable with their solemn, masked faces, but they can cause harm and damage to your home, your pets, and even your health. They can be annoying, tipping over your garbage cans, but they can also be dangerous—passing on canine distemper or rabies to your pet, for example. This guide will help you learn the signs of a raccoon infestation and what you can do to keep these furry intruders away from your home.
What Are the Signs of Raccoon Activity?
Recognizing the signs of raccoon activity is key for early detection and prevention. Here are some key signs to watch for:
Visual Indicators
Look for overturned garbage cans, damaged gardens, or disturbed compost piles. You might also notice paw prints, which resemble small human handprints, around your property. Raccoons often leave scratch marks on trees, fences, or the sides of buildings as they climb.
Auditory Clues
Raccoons make various sounds, including chittering, purring, and even screaming when threatened. Listen for these noises, especially at night, coming from your attic, chimney, or around your property.
Identifying Raccoon Droppings
Raccoon feces can be a health hazard and are a clear sign of their presence. Their droppings are typically dark and tubular, similar in size and shape to those of a small dog. You’ll often find them at the base of trees, on logs, or on flat surfaces like roofs or decks.
Their feces can carry roundworm eggs that are very harmful to humans. Accidentally ingesting or inhaling these eggs can cause neurological problems in people and sometimes even death. Raccoons are known to repeatedly defecate in the same area, and this can be a big problem if that area is within the perimeter of your property.
How Do I Get Rid of Raccoons?
The best way to get rid of these unwanted guests is to stop enticing them. Secure garbage cans shut with bungee cords, avoid leaving pet food outside at night, clean up birdseed strewn on the ground, and protect your vegetable garden in a mesh enclosure.
If you’ve tried all these things and find that raccoons are still attracted to your property, you may want to consider trapping and physically removing them. Here are the steps to take for that option:
Select a Trap
Most raccoon traps are wire cages with a trigger plate on the inside that closes the door. They come in various sizes, but large traps are best because raccoons are suspicious of small, confined spaces and won’t likely enter them.
Relocation Tip: According to This Old House Magazine, when you’ve captured a raccoon in a live trap, toss a blanket over the cage to keep the animal docile while relocating it. Release it at least 10 miles from your house to prevent it from finding its way back.
Place the Trap
Raccoons don’t like to walk out in the open, so they tend to travel along walls and fences. It’s a good idea to place your trap alongside these structures, parallel to them. Other prime locations include under hedges or bushes. Try to position the trap in the shade, as a captured raccoon can quickly die in the heat. Also, weigh down the trap with bricks or large rocks to prevent raccoons from tipping them over.
Bait and Set the Trap
Raccoons eat just about anything, but they favor meats like pet food or canned chicken or fish. They also have a sweet tooth, so people often use large marshmallows as bait. Wear gloves while placing your bait in the trap so you don’t transfer your scent to the food.
Place the bait at the far end of the trap, past the trigger point. Prop open the trap door according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then check on the trap twice a day.
Relocate the Raccoon
Once you catch a raccoon, you’ll need to relocate it quickly so it doesn’t languish in the trap. But first, contact your local animal control to learn about the laws and regulations surrounding relocation in your area. Some states require licensed operators to perform the relocation.
A Word of Caution: Not all states permit homeowners to relocate wildlife on their own. Pat Vissering, a senior wildlife biologist with the New York State Department of Conservation, warns: “In many areas, there are laws against transporting live wildlife. They must be euthanized.” She adds, “This is more humane because trapping and releasing an animal often dooms it to starve in an unknown territory.” Before attempting any relocation, check your local and state regulations carefully.
If you’re moving the raccoon yourself, wear thick gloves and clothing to protect yourself from bites and scratches. Raccoons can extend their paws several inches out of the cage, so hold it away from your body. Throw a blanket over the cage to calm down the animal and make it easier to transport.
Make sure you drive the raccoon at least 10 miles away from your home, or it may be able to find its way back. To release the animal, face the trap door away from you and open it. The raccoon should run out on its own.
How To Prevent Raccoons From Coming Back
The most effective way to deal with raccoons is to make your property less appealing to them. Here are some strategies to discourage raccoon visits:
Securing Garbage Cans
Raccoons are notorious for raiding garbage cans. Use sturdy, locking lids or secure your cans with bungee cords. Store garbage in a garage or shed until collection day if possible.
Managing Outdoor Pet Food
Avoid leaving pet food outside, especially overnight. If you must feed pets outdoors, bring the food in as soon as they’re finished eating. Clean up any spills promptly to avoid attracting raccoons.
Pro Tip: Reducing cover around your property is one of the most effective long-term deterrents. As noted in This Old House Magazine, removing brush and woodpiles, mowing tall grass, and ripping out growth from under shrubs and trees will help eliminate the sheltered access that raccoons and other small creatures rely on. Leaving a wide buffer of mowed grass around a garden makes raccoons feel exposed to predators, discouraging them from venturing in for an easy meal.
Protecting Your Garden
Install a fence around your garden, burying it at least 6 inches deep to prevent raccoons from digging underneath. Use mesh covers for specific plants or raised beds. Consider using motion-activated sprinklers as a deterrent.
Fencing That Actually Works: A basic garden fence may not be enough to stop raccoons, which are skilled climbers and diggers. This Old House Magazine recommends that fencing designed to exclude raccoons should stand at least 3 feet high with 2-inch woven-mesh wire. Bend the top 15 inches of the fence outward at a 45-degree angle, and add two strands of electric wire—4 to 6 inches and 12 inches off the ground—to prevent raccoons from climbing over it. For additional protection against digging, bury the lower 12 inches of mesh in the ground and bend the bottom 6 inches in an L-shape away from the garden.
Eliminating Water Sources
Raccoons need water to survive, so getting rid of available sources can help deter them. Remove birdbaths or fountains, and ensure that there are no leaky outdoor taps or pipes. This reduces one more reason for raccoons to linger on your property.
Secure Your Home’s Exterior: Raccoons are opportunistic and will exploit any opening in your home’s shell. According to This Old House Magazine, key entry points to seal include chimney flues (cover with a chimney cap and grille), attic vents (double-seal with fiberglass insect screen and hardware cloth), dryer vents (cover with 1/4-inch hardware cloth), roof joints (flash with 22-gauge aluminum or 19-gauge galvanized steel), and any pipes or conduit at foundation level (seal with mortar). Addressing these vulnerable spots is essential to keeping raccoons from taking up residence in your attic, crawl space, or chimney.
Natural Raccoon Repellents
For those preferring natural solutions, there are several repellents you can try to stop raccoons:
Scent-Based Deterrents
Raccoons dislike certain strong smells. Try sprinkling cayenne pepper, ammonia, or garlic around your property. Commercial repellents containing predator urine can also be effective.
Plant-Based Solutions
Plant herbs like mint, lavender, or rosemary around your property. These plants have strong scents that raccoons tend to avoid.
Predator Presence
Introducing elements that signify a predator’s presence can also keep raccoons at a distance. Items such as owl decoys, motion-activated animal detectors, or a dog are great natural deterrents.
When To Call Professional Wildlife Control
If raccoon problems persist or you’re dealing with a large infestation, it’s time to call in the professionals. Wildlife control experts have the knowledge, experience, and equipment to safely remove raccoons from your property.
Legal Considerations for Raccoon Removal
Before taking action against raccoons, familiarize yourself with local wildlife laws. In many areas, it’s illegal to trap and relocate wildlife without a permit. Always check with your local animal control or wildlife agency for guidance on legal and humane raccoon removal methods.
Our Conclusion
Dealing with raccoons can be challenging—so if raccoon removal is too much for you, we recommend calling the pros for help. However, most homeowners can safely relocate raccoons on their own with humane traps, assuming you can do so legally in your area. To keep raccoons from coming back, regular maintenance, proper food storage, and securing potential entry points are best practices.
