How to Trap Raccoons On Roof

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Here is a raccoon captured in a roof-mounted system under a dormer soffit.

Trap is set...

...and raccoon is caught

This particular page shows one method for trapping a raccoon on a roof. In this case, the raccoon was living inside a home, in an attic, and using a hole in the roof, which it tore open, in order to get in. The hole was ripped in the soffit area, and so the trap was set in this exact area, with no other way for the animal to get out. The raccoon was forced to enter the trap. Then it could be safely removed and relocated. It's always important to check the attic for baby raccoons whenever a raccoon is living inside. This is because most of the time, a raccoon enters an attic in order to have young. If the captured raccoon has visibly protruding nipples, then you know she's nursing. In a trap setup like this, there was no need for any kind of bait. However, if you're merely trapping raccoons on the ground, then of course you bait the trap - almost anything will do, but marshmallows, cat food, and white bread work great. For more raccoon trapping information, go back to the raccoon removal page.

Here is an email story that a man sent to me, in which he says he used pepper spray to keep a raccoon on the roof away: "The other night I heard a loud chewing noise outside my bedroom window at about two in the morning. I quickly got dressed and took a bright flashlight outside and observed a large raccoon sitting on the gutter at the rear of my house over the bedroom window. He was busy chewing the soffit and roof edge to get into my attic. I am a deputy sheriff, so I ran back into the house and retrieved my pepper spray. I had intended to spray the raccoon directly, but when I returned back outside the raccoon was no longer visible. I heavily sprayed the entire area around the hole he had been chewing and went back in the house. About five minutes later I heard the heavy footsteps of the raccoon running across the roof away from the corner where he had been chewing.  Apparently he had gotten into the area I had sprayed and luckily he didn't like it. I took my flashlight back outside and observed the raccoon up in a nearby tree. The next day I covered the chewed area of the soffit and damaged shingles with some metal flashing I had in my shed. I will have to make permanent repairs in the spring. This incident occurred several weeks ago and I have not seen or heard from the raccoon since. I don't care if he wants to live under my porch or shed, but I draw the line at inside the house. I have a chain link fenced one quarter acre yard in a suburb of Washington D.C. with all sorts of wild life, first problem I have had in 28 years. As I write this my wife observed a red fox at dusk in the backyard within the fenced area. I guess I may have a new problem. I have a basset hound dog (an old one) and I don't want her to tangle with a fox. I don't think the pepper spray will work this time..."

For more raccoon control information, go back to the raccoon removal page.
You can also check out examples of my raccoon removal work on my Raccoon Job Blog


AAAnimal Control is a professional nuisance wildlife control company. It is my goal to provide information so that you can solve your wildlife problem in an effective and responsible manner. Wildlife services include animal trapping, capture & removal, plus animal damage repairs and preventative measures. We also offer biological cleanup and many other services. You can always browse this site for more details and info, about raccoon removal. If you live elsewhere in the US and have found this site and need a local trapper in your area, click here for a nationwide list of 100's of professional raccoon removal experts.