Raccoons are clever creatures and expert climbers, which make raccoons masters of finding and exploiting weaknesses in your home’s exterior to find shelter in your attic.
Once raccoons get into your attic, they can cause significant damage and pose health risks. Knowing the common ways raccoons get into attics can help you take measures to protect your home and its surrounding areas such as your yard from a raccoon invasion.
Signs a Raccoon is in Your Attic (Are They Dangerous?)
So, how do you know if there are raccoons in your attic? Well, there are several obvious signs that show a raccoon might be in your attic:
- Noises at Night: The sounds of raccoons in attics likely occur at night since raccoons are nocturnal animals. If you hear sounds like scratching, thumping, or chirping sounds from your attic, it’s likely raccoons.Â
- Odors: If a strong smell comes from your attic, it could be raccoons. Raccoons naturally have a musky scent, and their urine has a pungent smell.
- Droppings: Finding raccoon droppings near or inside your attic is a sign that raccoons have entered your home. Raccoon droppings are dark in color, larger than most rodents, and found in piles.
- Damages: Raccoons will use attics for nesting, and they are known to tear up insulation to make nests. Raccoons may gnaw on wires, so look for chewed or frayed wires.
- Footprints: Racoons leave distinct footprints with five toes. Footprints will likely show up in dusty or dirty areas.
Raccoons can be dangerous as they may carry and transmit diseases, such as Baylisascariasis, roundworm, and leptospirosis, to humans and pets. Additionally, raccoons can cause significant damage to your home by ripping up insulation, chewing on electrical wires (which can cause a fire), and ripping apart roofs to gain entry to the attic. It’s to take swift action if raccoons are living in your attic.
Here’s a look at the common entry points raccoons use to get into attics.
1. Roof Vents
Roof vents ensure proper ventilation in your home. However, they also present an opportunity for raccoons to gain access to your attic. Raccoons have dexterous paws that allow them to easily lift or push through vents to get to an attic.
To prevent raccoons from entering your attic through a vent, you can add galvanized screens to the vents. The vents have to be tightly fastened with screws and washers and designed to withstand tampering from animals like a raccoon.
2. Chimneys
Raccoons have no trouble scaling a chimney to reach the top. If the chimney doesn’t have a cap or cover, it makes for the perfect den for the raccoon since it mimics a hollow tree in the forest.
Installing a chimney cap is one way to prevent raccoons from going down your chimney into your attic. Chimney caps cover the entire top of a chimney and have a mesh screen. Choose a chimney cap made of durable materials, like stainless steel to make sure it’s raccoon-proof.
3. Roof Edge
A roof edge may seem like an unlikely way for raccoons to get inside an attic, but raccoons can use vulnerabilities along the roof edge to their advantage. Raccoons can pull up shingles, pry off flashing, or find gaps where the roof meets the wall to get into attics.
To keep raccoons from using the roof edge to enter your attic, make sure to inspect and repair any roof flashing. Regularly repairing and checking the flashing can prevent raccoons from using it to gain entry. Also, inspect your roof for any damaged, loose, or missing shingles.
4. Openings Around Plumbing Pipes
Openings around plumbing pipes are frequent entry points for raccoons wanting to enter your attic. There is an existing space under the rubber membrane on a plumbing mat that the builders leave for final adjustments. Raccoons can easily tear apart the rubber and gain access into the attic.
To prevent raccoons from entering your attic through the plumbing pipes, you can add galvanized screens to the mat. This will prevent raccoons from being able to tear apart the rubber and squeeze through these spaces.
5. Eaves and Soffits
Eaves are the lower edges of the roof that overhang the walls, and soffits cover the underside of the roof overhang. Soffits protect homes from the weather, bugs, mold, rust, and other pests. However, raccoons are pretty crafty at finding gaps or tearing up holes in these soffits to get into attics.
Look for areas where eaves and soffits have damage. These weak points are likely the best way for raccoons to enter. Replacing the weak soffits will help keep raccoons out, but you can also add metal mesh or hardware cloth to reinforce soffits better.
Will Raccoons Leave Attics On Their Own?
Unfortunately, once raccoons have entered your attic and settled in to make it their comfortable, cozy home, it’s unlikely the raccoons will leave on their own. Raccoons are drawn to the warmth, safety, and darkness that attics provide for them to create nests, give birth, and avoid predators. It’s instinctual for raccoons to want to remain living in a den site that they put the effort into setting up. Saying this, raccoons will set up multiple den sites to ensure they have a back up locations in case of predetors.
How To Get Raccoons Out Of Your Attic
Raccoons are highly intelligent and can be quite difficult to remove from your attic on your own. However, there are ways to remove raccoons humanely. Raccoons can enter through various parts of the roof, so it’s crucial to close any gaps or vents and repair any damage to reinforce the roof to prevent their return.
One effective method is to install a one-way door or repair the hole through which they entered, ensuring the raccoons cannot re-enter your attic. If you find a family of raccoons, especially if there are babies involved, it’s best to seek help from a wildlife removal expert, such as our team at Gates Wildlife Control. Mother raccoons can be extremely protective, so our team is well-equipped to handle them safely and effectively without causing harm.
Reach out to our experts and you can ensure the humane handling of raccoons invasions, protecting both your property and the well-being of the raccoons. Contact a Wildlife Consultant today.
To see how we prevent and remove raccoons from entering attics, check out our video below.
