Most raccoon removal calls fall into two categories; removal of raccoons from an attic and removal of a problem animal from the back yard. Of the two options, removal from the back yard is usually the easiest to deal with. At its simplest, there may be a single marauding raccoon that has been raiding trash cans or pooping in unwelcome locations.

I personally see all sorts of raccoon situations. I have had customers who had raccoons coming in through the cat door and raiding the pet food dish. I also had a raccoon come out of the bushes and grab a lady by the pant leg who was taking out the trash. I can tell you lots of crazy stories about damage done and aggressive raccoon situations. This sort of thing usually requires two visits, one to set up and one to pick up the trap and raccoon. If things go well, it might cost about $150. Sometimes other species like opossums or skunks show up in traps. If we have to come out to remove another animal, we have to charge for another visit. Depending on travel time you might spend a little under $250 if this happens.

Backyard calls really start to peak after females vacate their den with the current year’s litter. At this point there is a lot more potential for mayhem and destruction. Groups can average five or six individuals. Open trash dumpsters and other readily-available food sources can attract larger numbers of raccoons. I have removed groups in excess of 10 animals in situations like this. Removing or at least reducing the number of raccoons will take more trips in this sort of situation. I try to set multiple traps in this situation to save money and time.

Raccoon in the Attic

One of my most common calls is a raccoon in the attic. I had a customer last year that discovered that raccoons had showed up in his attic when his wife looked up and saw urine in the light fixture. What a surprise! Dealing with this is more difficult than just removing a problem animal from the back yard.

Removing raccoons from an attic will require some carpentry work and climbing on the roof to seal entrances. The risk of a fall is significant in this sort of situation. I have had customers tell me about meeting the offending critter while on the roof top. One man fell off his ladder and ended up in intensive care. If the situation is simple, it might cost as little as $400.

Usually a raccoon in an attic is a female that is raising a litter. Trapping the female is the easy part. Getting the kits out can be crazy hard. I have had them fall down inside a void in a wall. I have had to actually cut a hole in the drywall to get them out. If you don’t, they will die and you can have 3-4 pounds of rotten raccoon in the wall/ceiling. Once the maggots start to hatch, flies will start showing up inside the house. The baby raccoons have to come out! If you want to know more about raccoon removal check out our page on Attic invasions by Raccoons and How We Get Raccoons out of Attics.

We can go into the attic and remove everyone by hand if they are accessible. Obviously, this is dangerous and I don’t recommend that just everyone try it. Lots of times we can convince momma raccoon to relocate her den to another location. We have a few tricks that work often enough to make it worth a try. Simply removing the kits by hand is the simplest. Cutting drywall is probably the most expensive. Each situation is different. Cutting and repairing drywall will start at around $200.

One way or the other, a raccoon in the attic is a serious situation and you will probably need some help. I recommend that the problem be remedied as soon as possible. If not, things stand an excellent chance of getting worse.