Hearing bumps and scratches overhead while you're trying to sleep? You might just have a raccoon in your attic. Raccoons look for cozy spots to stay warm and safe, and your attic may just be the perfect place!
Raccoons can be unpredictable and may pose risks if startled or threatened. It's important to keep your distance. This isn't a DIY project — trying to handle a raccoon on your own could be dangerous due to the risk of bites or scratches.
The best action you can take is to call a professional wildlife removal service. They're trained to deal with these situations safely and can help remove the raccoon from your home without anyone getting hurt.
Signs of Raccoons In Attic
Scratching Noises
One of the first signs that you might have a raccoon in your attic is the sound of scratching. Raccoons are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night
So, if you hear scratching sounds from above while you're trying to sleep, it could be a raccoon. These noises might be from the raccoon moving around, looking for food, or setting up a cozy spot to sleep. Paying attention to where and when you hear these noises can help the professionals figure out where the raccoon might be hiding.
Droppings
Another sign to watch out for is raccoon droppings. These aren't just gross; they can be harmful too. Raccoon droppings might carry diseases that are bad for humans and pets.
They look a bit different from what you’d see from smaller animals like squirrels or rats—raccoon droppings are larger and darker. It’s best to let professionals clean these up because they know how to do it safely and thoroughly.
Insulation Damage
If you venture into the attic and notice some of the insulation is torn up or scattered around, this might be the work of a raccoon.
They often pull apart insulation to make nests. Not only is this damaging your home, but it can also lead to higher energy bills since your attic isn’t keeping heat in as well as it should. Regular checks can help spot this damage early, so you can get it fixed before it becomes a bigger problem.
Remember, the safest way to deal with a raccoon in the attic is to contact wildlife professionals who know how to handle the situation correctly and humanely.
Health and Safety Risks of Raccoons In Your Home
Having raccoons in your attic can be more than just a noisy nuisance; they can actually pose some serious health risks to you and your pets, as well as take a toll on your home.
Diseases
Did you know raccoons often carry diseases that are harmful to humans and animals?
The scariest one is rabies, which is a fatal virus if not treated quickly. Another disease is leptospirosis, which can cause some serious health issues like liver failure or kidney damage.
It’s important for your pets to be up-to-date on their vaccinations, as they could be at risk if they encounter a raccoon.
For us humans, being aware of the symptoms of these diseases can help catch them early. Symptoms like fever, headache, muscle aches, and feeling tired could be signs of leptospirosis. If you notice these, especially after knowing there’s a raccoon nearby, it’s best to visit a doctor.
Parasites
Besides diseases, raccoons are known to carry parasites such as fleas, ticks, and roundworms. These little critters can easily spread to your pets and even to you, leading to itchy bites and other health problems. If raccoons have been in your home, there’s a chance they’ve brought these parasites with them.
To protect your family and pets, consider preventive treatments like flea and tick medication for your pets. If you find signs of parasites in your home, it’s a good idea to get a professional exterminator to take care of the problem before it gets worse.
Structural and other Damage to Your Home
Raccoons can gain access to your attic through many possible locations such as around chimneys, roof vents, loose or missing soffit or fascia. These are all perfect access points for a determined raccoon. Raccoons use their keen sense of smell to locate damp rotting wood. They then target these areas on your roof to gain access to the attic, ripping up shingles and digging through the softened, rotting wood.
Raccoons are also attracted to other weakened areas of your attic because they are able to feel the heat loss from the roof and notice where drafts are coming from. They find these areas and start chewing and ripping their way in. These access holes can end up quite large, some as large as a pizza and they end up destroying the integrity of your attic and your roof, causing leaks and/or floods. One heavy rainfall can lead to a lot of damage to your home.
When raccoons are in your attic they disturb the insulation, either packing it down or moving it around. This leaves open spots in your attic, which diminishes or even eliminates the insulation's effectiveness in keeping your house warm. This can lead to ice damming on your roof, often leading to costly leaks.
Once raccoons are in your attic, they can come in contact with wiring. Wires are vulnerable as they can be easily stepped or pulled on, torn or even chewed, leading to possible shorts in electrical lines, or even worse, fires.
Precautions
To prevent raccoons in your attic in the first place, make sure your home is sealed tight. Check for any holes or gaps in your attic, roof, or basement, and seal them up. Cut back tree branches that may give access to your roof.
Raccoons are clever and can squeeze through surprisingly small spaces. Also, keep your trash cans securely closed. Raccoons love to dig through trash looking for a tasty snack.
Since attics are fairly large, raccoons tend to have both sleeping quarters and latrines (bathroom) in the attic. Accumulated raccoon poop (feces) and urine damages the ceiling in your home. It doesn't take much for the poop and urine to eat away at the ceiling, resulting in staining in the rooms below, or even collapsing to the rooms below. This is dangerous because it can expose your family to serious health risks from the built-up raccoon poop that carries disease and the associated mold that develops from moisture of the raccoon poop and urine. The last things you want on your ceiling are giant yellow stains and brown spots with mold growing around it. Removal of raccoons and their feces/ urine is a specialist job.
When inspecting areas where raccoons might have been, always wear protective gear like gloves and a mask. This helps avoid direct contact with any contaminated materials. Regularly checking and maintaining your home’s exterior can also prevent these critters from making a return visit.
How to Get Rid of Raccoons in Attic
Getting rid of raccoons can seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can reclaim your attic and ensure these critters find a more appropriate home elsewhere.
Identifying Entry Points
First, you need to figure out how those raccoons are getting in.
Check your attic and roof carefully for any gaps, holes, or damaged vents. These could be above windows, near the gutter line, or anywhere materials have broken down. Use a flashlight to inspect dark corners and edges where the roof meets the walls.
Sometimes, using bright lights or even smoke can help you spot airflow paths that indicate less obvious entry points Once you find these gaps, seal them up with durable materials like metal mesh or solid wood that raccoons can't chew through or tear apart.
Securing Trash Cans to Prevent Future Infestations
Raccoons are often drawn to your property in the first place by the smell of food, and trash cans are like a buffet for them. Make sure your trash cans are secure by using lids that lock and, if necessary, strapping them down or adding weights to keep them closed.
If possible, store your trash bins in a locked shed or garage overnight to cut off the food supply and discourage raccoons from hanging around.
Live Trapping
Live trapping is a common method for removing raccoons, but it's important to handle it responsibly. Check your local wildlife regulations to ensure that live trapping is legal, and understand the ethical considerations.
We never recommend live trapping as there are hundreds of ways it could go wrong. Calling up a qualified animal control specialist is the only way you can guarantee proper removal of the raccoon.
Hire a Professional to Use Infrared Cameras
For a less invasive and technologically advanced approach, consider hiring a professional who uses infrared cameras
These cameras can detect raccoons' heat signatures in your attic, showing exactly where they are active without needing to disturb your home structure too much. This method is especially useful if the raccoon is hiding in hard-to-reach spots.
Hawkeye uses infrared cameras to track and trap raccoons in attics.
Get Regular Inspections
To prevent future invasions of raccoons in the attic, schedule regular inspections with a wildlife control expert. These professionals can spot potential new entry points and signs of infestation early on.
Align these inspections with the seasons when raccoons are most active, typically spring and fall, to ensure your home stays secure year-round.
Keep Your Attic Clean and Clutter-Free
Raccoons look for comfortable spots to nest, and a cluttered attic can provide just that.
Keep your attic tidy and free of unnecessary items where raccoons could hide or nest. Regularly cleaning your attic also reduces the likelihood of raccoons settling in.
Call Up Hawkeye for Humane & Professional Raccoon Removal
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