Raccoon Removal & Trapping

Our Humane Raccoon Removal Process

1. Full Home Inspection. We first inspect to find out where the raccoons are coming in and whether a litter of babies is present. We check the attic, the roofline, and the lower sections of the home. Many Middle Tennessee homes sit over crawl spaces, and raccoons are just as likely to enter a house through the bottom as through the top. Our trappers are licensed, and from late winter into summer we treat every job as a maternity job until an inspection proves otherwise.

2. Humane eviction and trapping. Eviction is always preferred when feasible, though there are times when cage trapping is needed. If trapping is the appropriate solution, cage traps go directly on the openings and travel routes the animal is already using, and they're checked promptly or monitored by camera. Raccoons are relocated where permitted and always handled in accordance with TWRA regulations.

3. Babies removed by hand. When there's a litter, no trapping or eviction happens until we've located it. Our preference with all evictions is to wait until the end of baby season, but due to the extensive damage raccoons can cause it isn't always safe to wait. Since young can't walk for roughly their first 4-6 weeks, they aren't able to leave the home with the mom, so they're lifted out by hand and staged where the mother can be safely reunited with them outside.

4. Permanent exclusion and repairs. Getting rid of raccoons permanently means closing every entry point. Pried soffits are reframed, crushed vents are replaced with heavy-gauge metal, chimneys are fitted with stainless caps, and every repair is finished to match the house. When evicting instead of trapping it is important to do additional preventive work so that the raccoons will not force their way into a new area. If the attic or crawl space needs decontamination, this will be estimated once the raccoons are confirmed to be gone and the home is protected.

Signs of Raccoons in the Attic

• Noises in the attic at night: Common sounds are slow, heavy footsteps and motion, with dragging and thudding. During baby season the telltale chittering of the young is an immediate giveaway.
• Exterior damage: Torn soffits, bent fascia, vents that are ripped open. Raccoons are rarely subtle when they enter a home, though occasionally the damage is less noticeable.
• Smudged, dark staining: Raccoons tend to use the same entry over and over, and their fur darkens the framing around it.
• Concentrated odor: An odor from one spot in the attic or through floor registers can sometimes indicate a latrine. Raccoon latrines can even cause the drywall to become soaked and stained overhead.
• Raccoon sightings: Oftentimes a homeowner will spot a raccoon on the roof at dusk, or will see an adult out in the daytime during baby season, when nursing mothers are out feeding.

Biology & Behavior

Procyon lotor has front paws that grip, rotate, twist, and pull. They are dexterous enough to open a latch and strong enough to peel construction apart. Adults can run anywhere from fifteen to forty pounds. Materials that stop a squirrel or a bird often will not stop a raccoon.

Raccoons are nocturnal, active dusk to dawn, which is when the noise inside a home often happens. They're habitual about entry points, using one opening over and over until the framing around it is darkened and smudged. Pregnant females have an affinity for attics and chimneys. An open masonry flue works like the hollow trees she dens in naturally, and the smoke shelf is large enough to hold a litter. Crawl spaces are also common, especially where old foundation vents have rusted loose.

Tennessee's mild winters keep them active nearly year-round. Raccoons don't hibernate. They will often stay inside through a cold snap and come back out when the weather warms, so there is no real off-season here, just a spring peak. A raccoon in your yard in broad daylight deserves attention but not panic. It may be a nursing mother, an animal displaced from a den, or, at times, a sick animal. Keep your distance in every case.

Litters arrive in spring: usually two to five kits, born helpless and unable to walk for over a month.

Are Raccoons Dangerous? Rabies, Roundworm & Real Damage

Rabies. Tennessee ranks the raccoon among its top rabies carriers, and the state runs an oral rabies vaccination program aimed at its raccoon population. The rules are simple. Never approach, never corner, and never handle one. Daytime activity alone doesn't mean rabies, but staggering, disorientation, or an animal that seems oddly unafraid can. Get people and pets inside and make a phone call to the local police immediately.

Roundworm. Raccoon droppings can carry Baylisascaris procyonis, the raccoon roundworm, and its eggs are often present in their feces. Swallowed eggs hatch into larvae that migrate through the body and can damage the brain, the eyes, and the organs. Children playing where a latrine has been are the highest-risk group. The eggs are durable and can survive in soil and water long after the raccoon is gone. A latrine near a pool or pond can contaminate the water itself, and fixing that generally means draining and sanitizing. Never attempt to clean raccoon feces without consulting with a trained professional and your local health department. Cleanup should be done with protective equipment by someone trained for it. It is preferable, when possible, to give the feces a long period to desiccate prior to cleaning.

Structural Damage. Even a healthy raccoon is destructive. In one season a denning female can flatten and contaminate the insulation, tear the wrap off ductwork, gnaw whatever's chewable, and leave an entry hole that lets rain in behind her. At times a wildlife problem can also turn into a rot and mold problem when water gains entry through the damaged areas.

Raccoon Baby Season: March Into Early Summer

From March through June, most of the raccoons breaking into Middle Tennessee attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces are pregnant or nursing females looking for a warm, dry, and secluded den. By the time the noise gets your attention, the kits have usually arrived.

Effective raccoon control in these months depends on the litter. The kits need to come out by hand since they are unable to walk on their own. If the mother is trapped and the job stops there, the litter is left behind with no way out. If she is evicted with a one-way device while the kits stay behind, she may tear at the roof trying to get back to them. Companies that skip the litter check are leaving part of the job undone. The work calls for a licensed wildlife professional who traps or evicts properly, hand-retrieves the young, repairs the entry, and guarantees the seal.

Latrine Cleanup, Decontamination & Insurance

Raccoons return to a communal latrine, and when they den indoors, the latrine is indoors too. Weeks and months of accumulation can create the roundworm risk described above, so once the animals are out, the cleanup is a job in its own right. Ours runs under strict containment. The contaminated area is isolated from the living space, soiled insulation leaves the house in sealed bags, surfaces get HEPA-vacuumed and treated, and new insulation goes in last. Full details live on our Attic & Crawl Space Cleaning page.

This work is sometimes covered by insurance. We photograph and document the damage in the language adjusters use, and give you the information your insurer will ask for.