Get them out, then close it
Best raccoon exclusion
The best raccoon control you should buy is exclusion: a chimney cap and hardware cloth, after Raccoon can leave and no young are sealed in. Poison for raccoons is a bad product search. A large live trap is legal only where the local rule allows it, and a forgotten cage is a welfare failure. If you cannot tell whether kits are in the attic, hire someone instead of ordering a cap the same day.
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Best for a flue den: Animal-guard chimney cap. Install when the flue is empty. A cap is the permanent fix for a raccoon that used the chimney as a tree.
Compare the picks
| Role | Tool | Best for | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for a flue den | Animal-guard chimney cap | An open chimney | Hardware |
| Best for soffits and decks | 1/4-inch galvanized hardware cloth | The second hole and the skirt under a deck | Hardware |
| Best live trap where it is legal | Havahart large live animal trap | A jurisdiction that allows the set | Hardware |
| Best inspection tool | Headlamp or flashlight for inspections | Seeing eyes before you seal | Hardware |
Which one to buy
Hardware
Animal-guard chimney cap
Best for a flue den — Install when the flue is empty. A cap is the permanent fix for a raccoon that used the chimney as a tree.
Hardware
1/4-inch galvanized hardware cloth
Best for soffits and decks — Fasten quarter-inch or heavier cloth so it cannot be peeled. Trench an L-footer on a deck skirt. Leave a check until you are sure the animal is out, then close it the same day.
Hardware
Havahart large live animal trap
Best live trap where it is legal — A large Havahart-style cage. Check the law before you bait it. Check the trap constantly. Do not use it as a plan for kits in a den. Relocation is often illegal.
Hardware
Headlamp or flashlight for inspections
Best inspection tool — Look, do not crawl into a den and surprise a raccoon. A light from outside the hole is the buy. A confrontation is not.
The purchase is also a legal question
States and cities differ on who may trap a raccoon, where it may be released, and whether a homeowner may touch the job at all. Opossums and skunks under a deck are the same hardware and a different risk, especially the skunk. This page will not give you a bait recipe for a illegal take. Close the structure. Use a trap only if the rule where you live says you can.
Common questions
What is the best raccoon trap?
A large live cage, and only where trapping and release are legal. Exclusion with a cap and cloth is the better buy for a house. Do not buy poison.
How do I know the raccoon has left?
Watch the hole at dusk, look for fresh tracks, and do not seal the day you first noticed the noise if young may still be inside. When you are unsure, stop and call a wildlife control operator.
Will ammonia rags evict a raccoon?
Do not rely on a smell to move a den, and do not gas a flue. Use a legal exclusion method after the animals can leave.