Raccoon in the Attic: What Should You Do?

Raccoons in Attics: A Common Montreal Problem

Every spring, hundreds of Montreal residents discover raccoons (Procyon lotor) have moved into their attic. These intelligent animals seek safe spaces to give birth and raise their young, and your attic is an ideal nesting site: warm, dark, and protected from predators.

How to Know If a Raccoon Is in Your Attic

• Nocturnal noises: heavy movement, scratching, and vocalizations in the ceiling
• Exterior damage: torn soffits, deformed vents, holes in siding
• Droppings: latrines (raccoons use the same spot) on the roof or in the attic
• Odors: strong, persistent urine and feces smell
• Tracks: distinctive paw prints resembling small hands

Health Risks

• Rabies: raccoons are a primary rabies vector in Quebec
• Baylisascaris procyonis: a roundworm in raccoon feces that is extremely dangerous to humans, potentially causing severe neurological damage
• Leptospirosis: from raccoon urine
• Fleas and ticks: ectoparasites that can infest your home

Property Damage

Raccoons (5-12 kg) cause significant damage: compressed and soiled insulation, torn soffits and fascias, damaged wiring and plumbing, water infiltration, and contamination requiring professional decontamination.

Quebec Regulations

Quebec's wildlife conservation laws strictly regulate raccoon management. It is illegal to kill a raccoon without a proper trapping permit. Relocation is regulated. Poison is strictly prohibited. Only licensed professionals can legally capture and relocate raccoons. During denning season (April-June), mothers must not be separated from their young.

Why Not to DIY

Amateur removal risks bites (requiring rabies treatment), trapping babies in the attic, panicked animals causing more damage, and the raccoon simply returning without professional exclusion techniques.

Professional Solution

Professional wildlife management includes full inspection, humane one-way door exclusion, observation period, permanent sealing with resistant materials, decontamination, and insulation replacement if needed.

Call 514 Extermination

514 Extermination has the expertise and permits for safe, humane, regulation-compliant raccoon removal. We offer free inspection, professional removal, guaranteed exclusion work, and decontamination services. Visit our wildlife management service.

Prevention

• Trim tree branches 3+ meters from roof
• Install metal gutter guards
• Secure garbage with locking lids
• Never leave pet food outside at night
• Reinforce soffits and vents with heavy-gauge metal mesh
• Conduct annual exterior inspection before spring