A female raccoon looks for somewhere dry, dark and high to give birth, between March and June. An attic, a roof void or an uncapped chimney is exactly what she wants.
The costliest mistake is sealing the opening as soon as you hear noise. If the mother is out foraging she will tear through your roof to reach her young, and if she is inside you have walled in an entire family.
What to do
- Note what time of day you hear noise: high-pitched chirps in late winter or spring almost always mean young.
- Find the opening from outside, usually at the soffit, roof vent or chimney.
- Turn on a bright light and leave a talk radio running in the attic: noise and light make the place unattractive.
- Wait for the family to leave on its own, which takes a few weeks once the young are big enough.
- Only then repair and screen every opening.
What to avoid
- Blocking the hole before you are certain nobody is inside.
- Using poison: the animal will die inside an unreachable wall.
- Trapping and releasing far away: relocating wildlife is regulated in Québec, and a relocated mother leaves her young to die.
- Climbing a sloped roof yourself to inspect.
- Approaching a raccoon that does not flee, especially if it staggers or drools.
A raccoon in daylight is not necessarily sick
Contrary to a widespread belief, seeing a raccoon during the day is not in itself a sign of rabies. A nursing mother forages at all hours. What should worry you is an animal that staggers, circles, drools heavily, seems paralysed in one leg or shows no fear when approached.
After any contact or bite, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for fifteen minutes and call Info-Santé at 811 without delay.
What should I do about a raccoon living in my attic with young?
Do not block the opening. Make the space inhospitable with bright light and a radio, and wait for the mother to move her young herself. Seal and screen only once the family has left, otherwise the mother will tear through the roof to get back in.
