How to Keep Raccoons Out: Wildlife Control Tips That Work

Raccoons are clever, persistent, and unfazed by most of the tricks that deter other backyard pests. Once they find food or a warm void under your roof, they treat it like a lease. I’ve crawled attics at midnight, pulled soggy insulation from nests, and watched a mother raccoon neatly pass her kits through a loose soffit seam. You can’t bluff your way through raccoon problems. You need a plan grounded in how they think, what they want, and how they get it.

This guide blends practical prevention, on-the-ground tactics, and when to bring in a wildlife trapper. It avoids gimmicks that waste money and focuses on measures that hold up through weather and raccoon ingenuity.

Raccoons are opportunists. They cruise the same routes nightly, checking predictable resources. Food tops the list. Unsecured trash, birdseed, pet bowls, compost piles, fallen fruit, and open grills keep them coming back. Water matters, too. Leaky spigots, shallow ponds, and dog bowls give them an easy drink. Shelter comes next. Attics with weak soffits, crawl spaces with gaps, and decks without skirt boards offer protected cavities. Finally, access routes seal the deal. Low branches, downspouts, fences near roofs, and trellises create ladders.

When you picture your property from a raccoon’s point of view, think convenience and cover. If a raccoon can reach a food source within a short dash to a hiding spot, you’ll see regular visits. If the route requires crossing open ground without payoff, they usually pass.

Good wildlife control starts with correct identification. Raccoon sign has a certain neatness. They often reuse latrine sites, leaving clustered droppings in flat spots near chimneys, on low roofs, or at fence corners. Their tracks show five long toes like little hands, often visible in mud or on dusty AC units. You might hear slow, heavy steps and shuffling rather than the skittery patter of squirrels. A mother with kits produces chittering and purr-like calls at night. Damage has a particular style: pried soffits, torn ridge vents, and screens pulled back from corners rather than chewed-through centers. They are strong, so expect bent metal or bowed vents rather than small gnaw holes.

Odor becomes obvious inside a day or two if they’re nesting under insulation. The smell is musky and damp, different from the sharp ammonia scent of a rat infestation. If you’re unsure, a quick check with a wildlife removal professional can save hours of misdirected effort.

People often jump straight to repellents or traps. That usually backfires. Raccoon control works best in a sequence: remove the attractants, block the routes, then, if needed, address the animals. Think of it as rebuilding the environment so raccoons decide it’s not worth their time. The most effective work happens outside and involves small changes done consistently.

Start by locking down food and water. This step alone discourages many transient raccoons who are just passing through. Next, fix the pathways that make your home an easy climb. Meanwhile, inspect for current entry points. Only after you confirm whether raccoons are inside should you move to exclusion or trapping. Closing up a home with raccoons inside leads to frantic tearing, secondary damage, and sad outcomes. Take the time to get the order right.

Sturdy trash protocols beat gimmicks every day. Use a bin with a tight-gasket lid and two latches. If your cart type has a single front latch, add a strap over the top that anchors to eyelets on the sides. Store bins in a garage or shed the night before pickup, not days in advance. If that’s impossible, set the bin on a simple wooden platform with short sides and run a bungee over the lid. Raccoons can defeat weak bungees, so use short, thick straps and anchor points that don’t flex.

Treat bird feeders like a high-end dessert cart. If you love watching birds, switch to midday feeding only and bring feeders in before dusk. Put a catch tray under the feeder or spread a small layer of pea gravel to make spilled seed less accessible. Safflower seed tends to be less attractive to raccoons than mixes heavy in sunflower or corn. If raccoon pressure is intense, pause feeding for two weeks. One season of restraint often resets the nightly route.

Pet food is an easy fix. Feed indoors. If that’s not an option, put down only what your pet eats in one sitting, then clean the area with a quick rinse to remove residue. Compost should be contained. A rigid-walled bin with a latched lid and a layer of browns on top reduces odor. Avoid meat and fatty kitchen scraps. For fallen fruit, a daily 5‑minute pickup beats any scent repellent on the market.

Water is a subtler draw. Fix drips, dump and refill bowls in the morning rather than evening, and use motion on ornamental ponds. A small aerator or fountain head disturbs the surface, which raccoons don’t like for washing.

Raccoons get in through the easiest weakness, not the obvious one. I’ve seen them ignore a soft gable end only to pry a flimsy corner of a roof vent. The perimeter is where wins happen.

Begin at ground level. Any opening larger than a golf ball, especially under porches or crawl spaces, should be addressed. Use hardware cloth with a 16 gauge or thicker wire and quarter-inch mesh, cut to overlap the opening by several inches. Bury it 6 to 10 inches into the soil in an L shape facing outward. This footers approach stops digging. If you prefer a cleaner look, install a solid skirt board around a deck with a hidden hardware cloth curtain behind it.

Move upward. Look for places where building materials meet, such as fascia to roof, siding to soffit, and wall to chimney. Pay attention to corners. If you can flex a soffit panel with your hand, a raccoon can drop its weight and open it. Secure with screws at critical points, and if the gap persists, add a continuous aluminum drip edge or a strip of flashing tucked beneath shingles. Replace plastic roof vents with pest-proof metal models or cap existing vents with welded wire guards secured with roofing screws and butyl tape under the flange. On chimneys that lack a crown or cap, install a stainless steel chimney cap sized to the flue, screwed into the crown. Do not use flimsy slip-on covers. They come off in storms and provide handholds.

Downspouts and trellises act like ladders. A simple 2-foot section of smooth sheet metal wrapped around a downspout at 4 feet off the ground increases difficulty. Keep branches 6 to 8 feet away from the roofline. People often underestimate raccoon leap and reach. Err on the larger clearance where possible.

Once attractants are under control and the perimeter is sturdy, it’s time to decide if raccoons are already inside. Signs inside include insulation pancaked into trails, compressed areas that look like sleeping bowls, and scattered droppings rather than the small pellets that rodents leave. Thermal cameras can help in cool weather, but most homeowners rely on sound timing. Activity peaks after dusk and before dawn.

If raccoons are present, wildlife exclusion is the humane, effective approach. The goal is to let animals out, then prevent reentry. Think of it as controlled eviction. A proper one-way door is sized to raccoon shoulders, installed snugly over the active hole, and backed by a firm exclusion barrier around the remainder of the opening. It must swing freely, not bind, and the surrounding material should be reinforced with hardware cloth or flashing that resists prying. Only use a one-way door if you’re confident there are no dependent kits that cannot follow the mother. In most regions, birthing season runs roughly from March into early summer. If you hear soft mewling or chittering, assume kits. In those cases, a professional wildlife trapper can retrieve the young by hand, place them in a padded heated reunion box near the exit, then allow the mother to relocate them.

After the last exit, leave the door in place a minimum of two quiet nights. Watch for signs of attempted reentry, such as fresh scratches or flattened grass near alternate weak points. Once satisfied, remove the door and secure the hole permanently with material that matches the structure’s durability, then seal seams. The repair must look like part of the building, not an afterthought, or it will be the first target of future attempts.

Repellent sprays have a place, but they are not a primary strategy. Scent-based products wash off, and raccoons tolerate many smells if a food reward is present. Motion lights and sprinklers sometimes disrupt habit for a few nights, especially when placed on the approach path rather than right at the resource. Move them weekly so the pattern changes. Ultrasonic devices have not shown reliable results in field work. Predator urine can help in very specific setups, like along fence lines where raccoons pause, but it fades and must be reapplied after rain.

If you want to try deterrents, use them to buy time while you complete exclusion and sanitation. The goal is never to rely on them long term.

Trapping is often the first humane wildlife trapping service thing homeowners think of, but it should be the last resort. It is labor-intensive, regulated, and, if done poorly, creates more problems than it solves. You need to know your local laws. Many jurisdictions forbid relocation of captured raccoons or require release on site after exclusion, while others mandate euthanasia for disease control reasons. There are also seasons and permitting rules. A licensed wildlife trapper knows the legal landscape and the practical timing.

For those situations where trapping is necessary, a cage trap of adequate size with a solid top can reduce stress for the animal. Set traps on stable, level ground along known travel routes or directly at an entry hole that cannot be excluded with a one-way door. Baits like marshmallows paired with a smear of peanut butter work because they attract raccoons while being less interesting to cats. Trap placement matters more than bait. Cover the trap with a towel or tarp to reduce weather stress and visibility once set. Always check traps at first light and often thereafter. Non-target captures happen, and they must be handled legally and safely.

A wildlife removal company sometimes pairs short-term trapping with immediate exclusion, using the trap to remove a problem individual while the rest of the structure is secured. That integrated approach reduces the chance of a new raccoon simply taking over the same hole.

Raccoon latrines carry real health risks, especially from raccoon roundworm, which is a serious zoonotic concern. Treat droppings as hazardous. Wear disposable gloves, an N95 or better respirator, and eye protection during cleanup. Mist the area lightly with a soapy water solution to minimize dust, then carefully scoop droppings and surrounding contaminated material into sealable bags. Do not vacuum with a household vacuum, which can aerosolize eggs. For surfaces, a hot, soapy wash followed by disinfection is appropriate, but note that roundworm eggs are resilient; mechanical removal is more effective than relying on chemicals. In attics with widespread contamination, insulation removal with proper containment may be necessary. That is often a job for a wildlife control team equipped for safe removal and disposal.

If you or a pet is scratched or bitten, seek medical advice promptly. Raccoons can carry rabies, and you should not test your luck with minor wounds.

Gardens with corn, melons, or sweet fruit are raccoon magnets. Fences stop a lot of trouble if they are built with raccoons in mind. Height alone is not the solution because raccoons climb well. Focus on the top and bottom. A floppy top, such as a loosely attached 12-inch extension that bends outward, frustrates climbing. At the base, bury hardware cloth in an L shape as described earlier to prevent digging. If you keep hens, secure coops with half-inch hardware cloth on all openings, including doors, vents, and the area under the floor. Replace slide bolts with lockable latches. Raccoons can manipulate simple latches surprisingly well. Coops that survive long term usually have no gaps larger than a half inch and no exposed chicken wire used as a structural barrier, since raccoons can rip it.

For fruit trees, trunk guards of smooth metal work as a climbing deterrent if installed before raccoons establish routes. Prune lower branches to reduce launch points. In peak harvest, pick fruit as it ripens rather than letting windfalls accumulate. Some growers run a single low strand of electric fence around beds, pulsed and properly posted for safety, to discourage nighttime raids. It doesn’t suit every property, but it’s effective when installed and maintained correctly.

Raccoon behavior shifts with the year. Late winter into early spring brings den seeking, especially by pregnant females. That’s when soffit and roof vulnerabilities get tested. Prioritize roofline inspections before that window. Late summer and fall bring intense feeding as raccoons build fat reserves. Expect bolder attempts on trash and gardens then. After the first freeze, activity may dip but rarely stops entirely in most regions. Keep feeder and pet food habits tight all winter so you don’t become a stop on a winter route.

Storms change the calculus. Trees shed limbs, and winds loosen flashing. If a major storm hits, do a perimeter walk as soon as it’s safe. Catching a lifted vent or twisted soffit bracket early prevents a midnight move-in.

A good wildlife control operator blends building skills, animal behavior, and legal compliance. When hiring, ask specific questions. What does their exclusion warranty cover, and for how long? Do they perform hands-on removal of kits during birthing season and use reunion boxes for humane relocation? Will they disinfect latrine areas and replace contaminated insulation if needed? Can they show photos of before and after repairs, not just the animals captured?

Beware of anyone who leads with the label wildlife exterminator and proposes only trapping without sealing the structure. Without permanent wildlife exclusion, trapping becomes a subscription, not a solution. pest control The best wildlife removal approach pairs exclusion-first thinking with targeted trapping only when necessary. You should receive a site map of vulnerabilities and a plan that addresses each one with material specs. A confident pro explains trade-offs: where to invest in metal versus dense PVC, when to replace a vent rather than cap it, and how to balance aesthetics with durability.

Budgets vary widely. A do-it-yourself weekend securing trash, trimming trees, and sealing obvious crawl space gaps might run under a few hundred dollars in materials. Full professional exclusion on a two-story home with multiple roof penetrations, chimney work, and attic cleanup can range from the low thousands to significantly more if insulation replacement is involved. The price reflects the time and material it takes to reinforce weak points you cannot easily see from the ground.

As for time, simple measures show results in days. If raccoons are conditioned to your property, it can take a couple of weeks of consistent effort to break the habit. After exclusion, expect a brief persistence phase where the animal checks the old route. Nightly camera clips will show them testing, then giving up. That drop-off is the payoff for thorough work.

There are moments where restraint is the smartest move. If you suspect a mother with young in the attic during peak birthing weeks, rushing to close holes can strand kits. Listen for that soft chitter. If present, hold off on installing a one-way door until a pro can confirm the situation. Similarly, if storms just blew through and you find a lifted shingle corner but no fresh sign of entry, stabilize the area and schedule a thorough daytime check rather than climbing in the dark.

Patience also applies to repellent tests. Give any deterrent strategy a few nights while you reinforce structural fixes. Do not layer half a dozen products at once, or you will not know what worked, and you may simply delay the necessary repairs.

Over the years, the same patterns repeat. Properties that remove consistent food sources, break climbing routes, and close building gaps with the right materials stop having raccoon issues. Those that rely on a quick trap or a loud gadget without fixing the environment rarely see lasting relief. Raccoons are problem solvers. If you give them a locked door and no reason to linger, they move to the next opportunity. If you leave a buffet under a loose soffit, they upgrade that access point into a home.

The backbone of effective wildlife control is not cruelty or confrontation. It is design. Good design makes your house a bad choice for a raccoon’s night shift. And good design is within reach for most homeowners with a little time, some hardware cloth and flashing, and, when needed, help from a qualified wildlife removal professional who stands behind the work.

One late spring, a client called after hearing “whispers in the roof.” An inspection found a soffit corner pried back half an inch. Inside, insulation had a smooth trough leading to a dead space over a bay window. Thermal showed heat, likely kits. We paused exclusion and returned at dusk with a wildlife trapper who specializes in maternal moves. He hand-retrieved three kits into a heated reunion box placed near the entry while we installed a one-way door. Within an hour, the mother collected each kit calmly and relocated. Forty-eight hours later, we removed the door and secured the soffit with full-length flashing and screws into solid backing, not just the thin fascia. A year later, the client reported nocturnal visitors on camera sniffing the corner and moving on. The difference was not a stronger spray or louder light. It was the combination of humane timing and durable repair.

That is the model to aim for. Keep the food locked, the structure tight, and your responses measured. Raccoons are persistent, but habit yields to a house that offers nothing easy.