Raccoons are nocturnal creatures that will often look for a home in a hollowed-out fallen log, leaving humans alone; however, with winter fast approaching, the raccoon will often look for other areas that can provide a stable temperature, as well as a plentiful food supply that they can choose from. Enter, your home, where the raccoon will see your attic as their hotel for the cold months, and your garden as their all-you-can-eat buffet. If you have started noticing scratching in your walls or attic, and have seen raccoons around your property, though, don’t worry, as there are a few different ways that you can take care of raccoons, quickly and easily.

One problem with raccoons is that they will often seek out your home- especially closed in areas such as a chimney- to rest and have their babies. Raccoons often have litters of pups that are between two and five, and these pups will usually take between twelve and fifteen weeks to get ready to go out into the wild, during which time they are solely dependent on their mother for food and shelter. If you think that you might have raccoons living in your chimney or attic, you should always check to make sure that there are no pups, as that makes removing the animals a little trickier. If you are dealing with removing pups, you should always wear thick gloves, and keep in mind that you will have to move them by hand, instead of using a trap, like you can with the mother. However, many wildlife experts suggest that you give the mother time to raise the pups and get them out of the area, as it can be difficult to do it yourself without harming yourself or them.

If you decide to get the raccoons out as soon as possible, or they do not have pups, then you should always check with a wildlife removal specialist to give you a more accurate timeline of how long the raccoons should be out by. Traps and exclusion doors are two non-lethal ways of taking care of a raccoon infestation, and are often sold at big-box stores, as well as online, for cheaper than other methods of removal.



While traps may be effective, exclusion doors are often one of the fastest methods of getting rid of raccoons in your home. These doors are designed to let the raccoon out, then to shut, preventing them from making their way back in; all you should do is wait until the raccoon has gone to find food, and your problem will be solved. Since raccoons forage at least three times per day, sometimes more, this method will make sure that the raccoon is gone before you would even have time to get a wildlife removal service to your home.

Read the How to get rid of raccoons page for helpful information and to learn more about How Long Does It Take to Remove Raccoons in a Building?

How Long Does It Take to Remove Raccoons in a Building?