DIY Raccoon Removal or Hire a Professional? Here's What Citrus County Homeowners Should Know
- Nature-Tech Wildlife Solutions LLC
- May 6, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 19
Few wildlife encounters create more panic than discovering a raccoon living in your attic, chimney, crawl space, or garage. After a quick internet search, it's easy to find countless videos showing people trapping or chasing raccoons away themselves. While some prevention measures are simple enough for homeowners, removing an active raccoon infestation is often much more complicated than it appears.
Throughout Crystal River, Homosassa, Inverness, Lecanto, Beverly Hills, Hernando, Floral City, and the surrounding Citrus County communities, raccoons are one of the most common nuisance animals we encounter. They're intelligent, resourceful, and capable of causing significant damage if they gain access to your home.
Before deciding whether to tackle the problem yourself or call a professional, here are a few things every homeowner should know.
Can You Remove a Raccoon Yourself?
The answer depends on the situation.
If a raccoon is simply visiting your yard at night or occasionally knocking over a trash can, there are several things you can do yourself.
These include:
Securing garbage cans with locking lids
Removing pet food from outside overnight
Cleaning up fallen fruit
Trimming tree limbs that provide roof access
Eliminating other food sources around your property
However, once a raccoon has moved into your attic, crawl space, chimney, or another part of your home, the situation becomes much more challenging.
Why DIY Raccoon Removal Often Goes Wrong
Many homeowners underestimate just how adaptable raccoons are.
Some of the most common problems we see include:
Hidden Babies
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is trapping or chasing away the adult female without realizing she has a litter hidden in the attic or chimney.
Removing the mother while leaving the babies behind often creates an even bigger problem, including odors, insects, and repeated attempts by the mother to get back inside.
Aggressive Mothers
Raccoons generally avoid people, but a mother protecting her young can become defensive.
Attempting to corner or remove a raccoon without the proper equipment can result in scratches or bites.
Entry Points Are Never Repaired
Simply removing the raccoon doesn't solve the real problem.
If the entry hole remains open, another raccoon or a completely different animal may move in shortly afterward.
Professional wildlife removal focuses on both removing the animal and preventing future access through proper exclusion and repairs.
Property Damage Gets Worse
Raccoons are surprisingly destructive.
They commonly:
Tear insulation
Rip open ductwork
Damage wiring
Destroy soffits
Pull apart roof vents
Contaminate attics with urine and droppings
The longer they're allowed to remain, the more extensive and expensive the damage can become.
What We See Most Often
One of the biggest misconceptions we encounter is homeowners believing the problem is solved once the raccoon is gone.
In reality, the raccoon usually entered your home for a reason. Whether it's a loose soffit, damaged roof vent, construction gap, or another vulnerable area, another animal will often discover the same opening if it isn't properly sealed.
We have also responded to many calls where homeowners unknowingly trapped a mother outside while babies remained hidden inside the attic. Situations like these can quickly become much more complicated without the proper approach.
Are Raccoons Dangerous?
Raccoons generally prefer to avoid people, but they should never be handled directly.
Wild raccoons can carry diseases and parasites, and any wild animal that feels trapped may bite or scratch in self-defense.
Even if the animal appears calm, it's always best to maintain a safe distance.
When DIY Makes Sense
Not every raccoon sighting requires professional removal.
If the raccoon is simply passing through your property or occasionally visiting your yard at night, improving sanitation and removing attractants may be enough to encourage it to move elsewhere.
Good preventative measures include:
Keeping trash secured
Removing outdoor pet food
Cleaning barbecue grills
Trimming overhanging branches
Sealing easy access points before animals move inside
When It's Time to Call a Professional
Professional wildlife removal is usually the safest option when:
A raccoon is living in your attic
Babies are present
The animal is inside walls or ceilings
You hear noises overhead at night
Entry points need repairs
Property damage has already occurred
The raccoon appears sick or unusually aggressive
The sooner the problem is addressed, the easier it usually is to prevent additional damage.
How Nature-Tech Wildlife Solutions Can Help
At Nature-Tech Wildlife Solutions, every raccoon removal begins with a thorough inspection.
We identify:
How the raccoon entered
Whether additional animals are present
Any hidden young
Damage caused by the infestation
Areas requiring exclusion or repair
Our goal isn't simply to remove the raccoon. It's to help prevent another one from moving in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will raccoons leave on their own?
Sometimes. However, if a raccoon has established a den inside your home, especially a mother with babies, it's unlikely to leave until the den is no longer suitable.
Can raccoons damage my home?
Yes. Raccoons frequently damage insulation, wiring, ductwork, soffits, roof vents, and other parts of the structure while creating or expanding entry points.
Do raccoons come back?
If entry points remain open or food sources are still available, another raccoon may eventually move into the same area.
What attracts raccoons to my property?
Common attractants include unsecured garbage, pet food, bird feeders, fruit trees, accessible crawl spaces, roof openings, and attic entry points.
Are raccoons active during the day?
Although raccoons are primarily nocturnal, it's not unusual to see one during daylight hours. A daytime sighting alone doesn't necessarily indicate illness, especially if it's searching for food or caring for young.
Need Professional Raccoon Removal in Citrus County?
If you're hearing scratching in your attic, have discovered raccoon damage around your home, or simply aren't sure what's causing the noises, Nature-Tech Wildlife Solutions can help.
We proudly provide professional raccoon removal, wildlife exclusion, and nuisance wildlife control throughout Crystal River, Homosassa, Inverness, Lecanto, Beverly Hills, Hernando, Floral City, and the surrounding Citrus County area.
We'll identify the problem, remove the animal safely, and help protect your home from future wildlife intrusions.
Call us today for a FREE inspection! 352.783.5594
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