Raccoon Under House

12.15.2007 - Raccoons are opportunistic creatures who love to live in urban areas and neighborhoods.  They take advantage of any space they can find a good, dry, safe home.  Trees are in short supply, but houses aren't!  Many homes have raised decks or are elevated with crawlspaces underneath.  Many wild animals are attracted to such areas, which are protected from the weather.  It's common for raccoons to choose to set up shop under the house.

Most of the raccoons under homes are solitary raccoons, or males.  Female raccoons who have young like to live far off the ground, and so they will crawl to the roof and break into the attic.  But a raccoon under a house is likely a male.  They can't cause as much damage under a house as in an attic, but if you have any ducts or wiring under the house, the raccoons will often tear it apart.  I've also seen many cases in which raccoons die underneath homes, and the stench is unbearable.  Raccoons also commonly carry fleas, and if the raccoon is underneath your home, the fleas may spread to your or your pets.

Many people simply want me to trap the raccoon living under their house or porch because it makes noise, they frequently see it, and they are afraid for the safety of pets.  Raccoons living in or around any part of a house are also likely to tip garbage cans or eventually work their way into the attic.  I humanely trap and remove raccoons, and relocate them far away.  After the raccoon(s) are out, I can seal off the entry points leading under the home, so that no more racccoons get in again.

Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Raccoons page for tips and advice.
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The raccoon (Procyon lotor), is a unique animal native to North America. It's not closely related to any other animals, with distant relatives such as bears and weasels. Coons are easy to recognize, with a black mask and ringed tail. Raccoons tend to weigh between 10-20 pounds as adults. They are mostly nocturnal, and are omnivores. Racoons average a lifespan of about 5 years in the wild, and have a litter of 3-6 young each spring. They are very strong, excellent climbers, very intelligent, and they are very skilled with their hands. Raccoons have learned to thrive in urban areas, and live in very high densities in cities, where they eat garbage and pet food. They commonly break into homes and attics, where they cause considerable damage, and they also destroy other property, and thus racoons are considered pest animals by many people. Raccoon control and removal, especially from inside homes, is best left to a professional.

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