Every spring, starting around late February and running through April, I get a spike in calls about raccoons in attics. Most of the time, it's not just one raccoon — it's a mother that found a warm, dry den site and gave birth. Raccoons typically have 3–5 pups per litter. By the time most homeowners notice the activity and call, the pups are already born.
A raccoon family in the attic is handled differently than a single raccoon. Here's what you need to know before you call anyone — including us.
Do Not Trap the Mother First
If a wildlife company traps and removes the mother raccoon without first locating and removing the pups, the pups will die in your attic. A mother raccoon will also break back into a sealed home to reach her young — she can rip open a soffit with her hands. Always locate the pups before any exclusion or mother trapping begins.
The Correct Removal Sequence for a Raccoon Family
Inspection — Locate All Entry Points and the Den Site
The first step is a full attic inspection to find where the mother enters and exits, where the pups are located, and how many entry points exist. Raccoons often use one primary entry point but will create a second if cornered. We document all of them before any removal begins.
Hand-Remove the Pups First
Raccoon pups 4–8 weeks old are mobile enough to scatter but not old enough to survive on their own. We locate and hand-remove them from the attic, placing them in a secure transport container. This is the most time-consuming part of the job — pups hide in insulation and can be hard to find without a thorough search.
Trap the Mother — With the Pups as Bait
The most effective way to trap the mother quickly and humanely is to place the pups near the trap entrance. She will not leave them behind. This typically results in a same-day trap success — the mother enters the trap within hours of the pups being placed nearby. Standard trapping without pups can take days.
Relocate the Family Together
Under Texas law, trapped raccoons must be relocated or euthanized — it is illegal to release them on a different landowner's property without permission. We relocate the family unit together to an approved rural site at least 10 miles from the capture location. Keeping the family together gives the pups the best survival outcome.
Seal All Entry Points
Only after the entire family is out do we seal the entry points. Sealing with animals still inside is one of the most common mistakes in DIY removal — it leads to desperate re-entry attempts (more damage) or animals dying inside (odor problem). Once the attic is confirmed clear, we seal with steel mesh, metal flashing, and heavy-gauge hardware cloth.
When Do Raccoons Have Babies in Texas?
In Central Texas, raccoon breeding peaks in January and February. Pups are born approximately 63 days later — which means most litters arrive in late March through early April. By May, pups are mobile but still nursing. By June, they're following the mother and beginning to learn foraging.
The practical implication: if you hear heavy thumping in your attic in March or April, assume you have a family until proven otherwise. A single adult raccoon is far less common during this window than a mother with young.
What Happens If You Ignore It?
The most common thing homeowners tell me is "I've known about it for a few weeks but hoped it would resolve itself." It won't. Here's what happens over time:
- Weeks 1–3: Pups are born and nursing. Mother is entering and exiting daily, widening the entry gap with each use.
- Weeks 4–6: Pups become mobile. Multiple raccoons are now moving through your attic and depositing waste in a single "latrine" area — insulation damage compounds quickly.
- Weeks 7–10: Pups are weaned. You now have 4–6 raccoons using your attic as a den. Odor is noticeable inside the living space below.
- Months 3–4: This season's pups are sub-adults. They remember your attic as a safe den site and may attempt to return next breeding season.
Attic cleanups for established raccoon colonies — insulation removal, decontamination, structural repair — regularly run $800–$2,000 in addition to removal costs. Early action is significantly cheaper.
Heard Thumping in the Attic This Spring?
Call us before you do anything. A free inspection tells you exactly what you have, where they're getting in, and what the right removal plan is for a family situation. We handle raccoon families correctly every time — pups first, mother second, exclusion last.
Call (512) 785-6226Health Risks From Raccoon Waste in the Attic
Raccoon latrines — the communal waste sites they establish in attics — harbor Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm whose eggs are hazardous if inhaled or ingested. The eggs are microscopic and become airborne when dry waste is disturbed. Do not enter your attic without respiratory protection if you suspect raccoon activity. Do not sweep or vacuum raccoon droppings without a properly rated respirator (N95 minimum).
When attic cleanup is needed, we use full PPE and proper decontamination protocol. This is not a DIY task — it's a genuine biohazard.