Raccoons are naturally looking to set up a nest for the winter as this is the time of the year they are mostly less active. Normally good locations to set up a nest are in a hollow tree, holes and even might go and “steal” the nest of another animal, which abandoned it. This is not always the case though as raccoons often choose to set up in your chimney or attic for the winter. The only way to be sure is to know the signs which give them out

Noisy Scratches

The first, most obvious and the easiest to recognize sign is the noise a raccoon would make if it is set up in your attic. They are somewhat large animals and cause a lot of noise while moving. On top of that, they are known to grunt, crawl and even bark when threatened by something. It is not necessary that the noises come out of your attic, even if you hear them in the yard or somewhere else near the house, the raccoon might be searching for food outside of its nest.

Tracks and Feces

If it’s the months before winter, then the soil around your house is most likely quite soft. That means that the raccoon would leave tracks behind in the form of its paws while going outside. The normal size of its front paw is around two by two inches while the back one is almost twice as bigger. Finding such tracks in the soil or the snow during the winter is a good indicator that you have a raccoon either in your attic or in a tree near your house.

One of the bigger nuisances raccoons cause is the leftover of feces around the yard or at the floor in your attic and basement. Not only are they disgusting and have a terrible odor but is actually a good environment for roundworms to develop which can be transmitted to us, humans. Scat should be cleaned up using proper precautions to prevent potential harm.

Damage to Your Attic and Yard

If a raccoon managed to make your attic his home, then he most likely used some sort of a roofline or a nearby tree to enter it. Once inside it might cause a lot of nasty damage to your property. They are known to chew holes, leave scratching marks and even make a hole bigger just to set up a proper nest.

If you have pipes or wires left uncovered in the attic, they will most likely be torn up. In some cases, this might even lead to a fire. On the outside, they will spread your trash all around your yard and dig holes in the soil.

In case you have found any of these signs around your property, we suggest you make an investigation and take the necessary measures and precautions to deal with the pest.

Read the How to get rid of raccoons page for helpful information and to learn more about How Do You Know If You Have a Raccoon in Your Attic?