Raccoons in the Attic

We recently had the misfortune of having a racoon take up residence in our attic. Fortunately we solved the problem before she gave birth. She was looking for a place to nest.

Here are some solutions to getting rid of these nocturnal rodents:

1. Loud Music

   Our neighbour's placed a boom box in their attic leaving it to blare loud music for two days. Mama raccoon couldn't stand the loud noise and left. The problem with this method is that you must endure the loud music, unless your home is well insulated.

2. Bright Light

   Place a very bright light in the attic. Raccoons are nocturnal creatures and don't like the light. However, friends who used this method in their garage found that the raccoons were unplugging the electrical cord.

3. Hire a Pest Control Company

   They will set traps to catch the critters, then take them away to release them into the wild. However, this can be costly and may not always work.

4. Critter Ridder

   A neighbour offered us the use of this product they had on hand. They sprinkled this sand-like substance around the front of their house in the summer to keep the racoons and skunks away. Unfortunately the animals came to like the stuff. I passed on this method.

5. Rat Poison

   If you want to kill off a pregnant raccoon, this is the method to use. She will eat the poison, get thirsty, go away and look for water, and die. Not very humane.

6. Moth Balls

   When you know your unwanted house guest has left for the evening, go into the attic and toss some moth balls around. The smell is strong enough to keep them from coming back. This is the method we used. I didn't actually go into the attic a) for fear of what I might find, and b) the trap door was too small for my adult frame. I bought the largest box of moth balls and threw them as far as I could. The stench is strong enough to keep humans away.

Our raccoon did not return that night. The next day we found the hole in our roof and nailed a board over it - a temporary fix.

If you allow a mother raccoon to take up residence in your attic she will give birth to a litter and remain there for four months. I didn't like being awakened at four o'clock in the morning by the sound of this rodent trying to squeeze her large, pregnant body into my house through a small hole.

I hope you never have to deal with this problem, especially if you have children who are scared and refuse to sleep in their bedrooms. But if you do, one of these methods should help you keep your home from becoming a zoo.