How to Identify & Get Rid of Raccoons
Author:
Mosh Latifi
Co-Owner of Ecocare
Published:
Dec 2, 2025
Finding a raccoon in your attic, loft or garden is more than a late-night annoyance – it’s a real threat to your property, health and peace of mind. Chewed wiring, torn insulation, foul droppings and diseases carried by raccoons can quickly turn a brief visit into a costly infestation. To get rid of raccoons safely and permanently, you need more than a DIY trap and guesswork. This guide walks you through clear steps: understanding raccoon behaviour, habitat and diet; spotting early signs; sealing entry points; and putting effective control measures in place. EcoCare PestControl Management provides fast, humane raccoon removal and nuisance wildlife management across London and Surrey, with BPCA-certified specialists on call to assess, clean and protect your home or business.
Table of Content
Raccoon Facts & Information
Size & weight: Medium-sized mammal, typically 4–9 kg (9–20 lb), with a sturdy, rounded body.
Appearance: Grey-brown fur, black “mask” over the eyes and ringed tail; hand-shaped front paws.
Movement: No wings – an agile climber, using sharp claws and strong limbs.
Raccoon habitat: Wooded areas, riversides, suburban gardens, roof spaces, sheds and lofts.
Raccoon diet: Opportunistic omnivore; eats pet food, rubbish, bird feeders, fish, insects, eggs, fruit and vegetables.
Behaviour: Mostly nocturnal; confident around people, explores roofs, bins and decking during quiet hours.
Raccoon droppings: Dark, tube-shaped scat often left in latrine sites on flat roofs, attics, decks or logs.
Health risks: Can carry diseases such as leptospirosis, raccoon roundworm and, in some regions, rabies, plus harmful bacteria in urine and faeces.
How to Identify Raccoons
To get rid of raccoons effectively, it helps to understand how they live. Most infestations involve the common raccoon, a highly adaptable species that thrives in urban and suburban areas. They favour sheltered spaces such as attic voids, crawl space corners, garages and sheds, where warmth and nearby food sources are guaranteed. A female raccoon may use your loft as a nursery, giving birth once a year; this is when noise and damage usually increase.
Raccoons are long-lived for a small animal, often surviving several years if food is abundant. Their nightly activity revolves around foraging and testing new access routes. Pet bowls left outdoors, unsecured bins, overflowing bird feeders and open chicken coops all attract them. Once a raccoon learns your property offers easy food and shelter, it will keep returning and may bring other wildlife with it. Poorly sealed soffits, loose roof tiles and open vents quickly become regular entry points, turning a casual visit into a full-blown infestation that demands professional raccoon control and safe removal.
Identifying the Infestation: Signs to Look For
You don’t need to see a raccoon to suspect a problem. Listen for heavy thumping, scratching and footsteps above ceilings at night, especially around attic access points or along the roofline. Look for torn insulation, disturbed ductwork, damaged vents and greasy rub marks near gaps or holes. Outside, check for tipped-over bins, scattered pet food, raided bird feeders and muddy paw prints around decks and gardens. Raccoon droppings collected in one latrine area, along with a strong, unpleasant smell of urine, are a clear warning sign. If you notice repeated night-time activity in the same area, it’s time to act before more serious damage is done.
Preventative Strategies: Stop Raccoons Before They Start
Prevention is the smartest way to get rid of raccoons long-term. Start by removing easy food: bring pet bowls indoors at night, secure rubbish in lidded bins, protect compost and clear spilt seed under bird feeders. Next, harden your home’s exterior. Seal gaps, soffits and roof edges, screen vents, and block attic access and crawl space openings with sturdy wire mesh. Trim overhanging branches that allow a raccoon to reach the roof. Keep gardens clear of fallen fruit, stacked wood and clutter that offer shelter to wildlife. A clean, well-maintained property with tight entry points greatly reduces the chance of nuisance wildlife settling in and the risk of costly raccoon damage requiring full removal and professional treatment.
Natural Deterrents: Safe, Non-Chemical Repellents
If you want to tackle a raccoon problem without harsh chemicals, start by making your property far less attractive. Raccoons are intelligent animals that scout for easy food, shelter and warmth, so the goal is to break that attraction. Strong natural smells such as cider vinegar, peppermint oil, citrus peels and used coffee grounds can be placed near regular entry points, around the attic hatch and along garden paths. These do not harm the animals, but they do make the area unpleasant. Cedar chips around sheds and fences also help. Combine this with bright, motion-activated lights and, where safe, timed radios playing at night to disturb normal raccoon activity. These humane steps won’t fully clear an established infestation, but they help push wildlife away from your home and support more permanent raccoon control.
How to Get Rid of Raccoons
Once raccoons move into the attic or crawl space, natural smells alone will not get rid of them. At this stage, you need structured raccoon removal carried out safely. EcoCare’s BPCA-certified team begins by assessing every access point, checking insulation, wiring and signs of damage. Where appropriate, they fit one-way door systems that let the animal exit but not re-enter, a humane technique that works well once baby raccoons are old enough to move. In some situations, a professionally set raccoon trap may be used in line with UK legislation and welfare guidance. After removal, technicians clean nesting material and droppings, using specialist vacuum equipment and sanitisers to reduce disease risk around your family and pets. Finally, they seal entry points to stop repeat activity and help you get rid of raccoons for good.
Integrated Pest Management: Combining Techniques
The most reliable way to get rid of raccoons is an integrated approach that blends deterrents, exclusion and professional wildlife management. EcoCare PestControl Management don’t just focus on the animal; they focus on why raccoons choose your property. Technicians identify food sources, attic weaknesses and garden shelter, then design a raccoon control plan for your exact building. That may include one-way doors, repairs, natural deterrents, changes to outdoor feeding habits and ongoing monitoring. Because EcoCare operates across London and Surrey with 24/7 response, you can move quickly from discovery to safe removal. This integrated approach reduces long-term damage, cuts future costs and ensures nuisance wildlife is handled in a humane, environmentally conscious way.
Unique Tips & Homeowner Insights
Homeowners who successfully get rid of raccoons tend to change small habits as well as fixing big gaps. Bring all pet food indoors at night, wipe bowls and clear spills so no stray food is left on patios. Double-bag rubbish, rinse tins and keep bins shut, even in the back garden. Once a week, do a quick walk-around: look for fresh scratch marks, new holes in soffits, loose vents or signs of digging near the decking or shed. Listen for unusual night-time noise from the attic. These simple checks help you spot activity before major damage occurs. Many customers say that having EcoCare on call and a clear plan in place makes them feel back in control, rather than worried every time they hear a bump in the night.
Quick Takeaways
Remove outdoor food sources: bring in pet bowls, secure bins and clear fallen fruit.
Use natural deterrents such as vinegar solutions, strong herbs and motion-activated lights.
Block access: repair roof gaps, protect the attic hatch, and screen vents and crawl spaces.
If you suspect raccoons, arrange a professional inspection and humane removal quickly.
Keep up regular checks so wildlife cannot return and cause fresh damage.
Long-Term Raccoon Control & Prevention
Getting rid of raccoons is not a single action; it’s a steady programme of control, prevention and follow-up. Relying on traps alone often leaves one animal in the attic or a new visitor arriving as soon as food is available again. EcoCare PestControl Management build long-term solutions around how you live and how your property is used. Their certified technicians identify the real causes of raccoon attraction, from unsecured pet food to ageing roof structures, then design a removal and sealing plan that suits your budget. With 24-hour response across London and Surrey, they move quickly from first call to a clean, safe loft. When you combine your daily habits with professional wildlife control and regular maintenance, you not only get rid of raccoons today – you reduce the risk of future infestations and protect your home, family and pets for years to come.
