Raccoon in the Attic? Here's What to Do (and What Not to Do)
By Middle East Pest Control · New Hampshire pest control and wildlife removal experts
Raccoons are strong, smart and determined. In New Hampshire they break into attics most often between February and June, when females are looking for a safe place to raise kits.
How to know it's a raccoon
Heavy thumping or walking sounds at night (squirrels are lighter and active by day), torn roof vents or soffits, and a strong odor from a latrine area are the classic signs.
Do not seal the hole yourself
If a mother raccoon is locked out while her kits are inside, she will tear through the roof to get back to them. If kits are sealed in, they die inside your walls. Professional raccoon removal always checks for young first.
Do not use poison
Poisoning raccoons is illegal in New Hampshire, and a dead animal in the attic creates a worse problem.
How professional removal works
- Inspection to confirm the species and locate entry points.
- Humane trapping or a one-way door, with kits retrieved by hand.
- Sealing the entry with steel and repairing damage.
- Cleaning contaminated insulation, which may carry raccoon roundworm.
See our animal in attic removal and wildlife damage repair services, or find raccoon removal near you.