Raccoon Removal


Learn how to solve your nuisance raccoon problem in a humane, responsible, and effective manner.

Step-by-step solutions

Do-It-Yourself Tips

Solve this problem yourself for free! Step-by-step instructions for solving a raccoon conflict, without resorting to ineffective and inhumane methods such as poison, lethal traps, or cage trapping. Raccoon removal strategies for homeowners or pros. Read more

Wildlife Education Resources

Find a Local Rehabber: If you have found an orphaned baby raccoon, or an injured raccoon, you can bring them to a local wildlife rehabilitator.

Find a Local Wildlife Pro: If you can't solve the raccoon problem yourself, read here for tips on how to hire to right person to help you.

Learn Your Local Laws: Some aspects of conflict wildlife control may be subject to state or even federal laws. Find Help In Your Area

Common Raccoon Conflicts

Raccoons are one of the most common wildlife species that come into conflict with people. It's no wonder, because across the United States, raccoons are becoming increasingly more urban. Just a few decades ago, they lived only in undeveloped forest areas. Now, as we speak, populations in very dense urban areas, such as Brooklyn NYC are becoming home to raccoons.

These are highly adaptable, intelligent, strong, and nimble creatures. They can open your pet door to go inside your house and sneak pet food. They can scale a vertical brick wall, and even descend headfirst, by swiveling their hind feet 180 degrees. They have very dexterous hands, and can break into garbage cans, boxes, bird feeders, etc. Most of all, they need shelter to live in, and oftentimes, human houses, the attics in particular, make ideal habitat. Because of their climbing ability and strength, they commonly get onto the roof, and then pry their way into loose vents, soffits, eave gaps, etc. They will also commonly live in a chimney if it is left uncapped.

As you may be able to tell, prevention is a more effective strategy than trapping or killing raccoons. If you already have a raccoon problem, you have a good chance of solving it by removing the attraction - strap your garbage can lids shut, bring the pet food inside, install a steel cap on your chimney, secure your soffits, etc. Trapping is difficult, commonly fraught with failure, and a temporary solution. In almost no cases is it beneficial to trap raccoons.

Probably the most important thing to know about raccoon removal is that a raccoon in an attic or wall or chimney is almost certainly a female with a litter of 3-5 young. If you simply remove the adult, the job is not complete - in fact, it's made much worse, because now you've left a group of young raccoons waiting inside the structure. If you fail to remove them, they will die of starvation and then rot and cause an odor problem. This is a common occurrence in the field of wildlife control, and we consider it a great tragedy, one of the least humane aspects of wildlife conflict, and it's so easily preventable!

It is the purpose of this website to educate the public about proper methods of raccoon removal - to do what's humane for animals, yes, but also effective at solving the conflict. Please read about proper strategy for your raccoon removal on this site, and if you do need outside assistance, with laws, wildlife rehab, or even tips to find humane and effective assistance from a pro in your town, check out the locations section of this site, which covers most of the United States.