Raccoon Removal in Jefferson, GA

Raccoons in your Jefferson home

Raccoons do well around Jefferson because the town gives them everything they need within a short walk. The creeks that drain toward the Oconee River provide water, crayfish and cover. Poultry farms, barns and feed sheds provide food and shelter. And the houses — from older homes near downtown with brick chimneys and soft fascia to new builds with unfinished soffit corners — provide a warm, dry place to raise young.

A raccoon in an attic is usually a female getting ready to have kits, and she's strong enough to rip open a soffit, pull back shingles or bend a vent cover. Homeowners describe the sound as something heavy walking around, and once the young arrive there's often a chattering noise too. Raccoons also come with legal rules and health risks that make this a job for a licensed pro.

Georgia law: removal, not relocation

Georgia lists the raccoon as a rabies-vector species, along with the skunk, fox, bobcat and coyote. Under O.C.G.A. 27-2-10, a trapped raccoon can't legally be relocated — catching one and releasing it out past town isn't an option. That rule exists because moving raccoons spreads rabies and other disease to new areas. A licensed pro knows what's allowed and handles the animal accordingly.

Finding the kits first

Raccoons usually have their young from late winter through spring. If the mother is trapped and the hole is sealed while kits are still in the attic, they die there, and you're left with a smell and a much harder cleanup. Pros often use cameras to find where the kits are tucked in the insulation or a wall cavity. The usual approach is to remove the mother first and then the young, unless everything can be taken out together.

The latrine and roundworm risk

Raccoons pick one spot to use as a bathroom and keep going back to it. In an attic, that means a pile of droppings soaking into the insulation and ceiling. Raccoon feces can carry Baylisascaris roundworm, whose eggs survive a long time and can make people seriously ill. Don't clean it up with a shop vac and a dust mask; the latrine area should be removed and sanitized properly as part of the job.

Chimneys, crawlspaces and outbuildings

On the older houses around Jefferson's downtown, an uncapped brick chimney is a classic raccoon den — the flue looks like a hollow tree to them. Many homes here sit on crawlspaces, and a raccoon that tears a vent screen can set up under the floor. On farm and acreage lots, a raccoon living in a barn or feed shed is often the same one that later moves into the house attic once it's ready to have young.

How the pro handles it

The pro finds the entry, confirms whether there are kits, and removes the family. Then the entry is closed with materials a raccoon can't pull apart — heavy-gauge steel mesh, metal flashing, and a proper chimney cap where needed. Raccoons test repairs, so anything soft will be torn back open. Last comes the cleanup of the latrine and any soiled insulation. Be aware that some companies recommend replacing all the insulation when only part of it is contaminated; ask what's actually needed.

Stop feeding the next one

Raccoons stay where food is easy. Pet food left out, unsecured trash cans, open compost, spilled chicken or livestock feed, and fallen fruit all keep them coming back. On a Jefferson property near a creek or farm, fixing those draws alongside the sealing is what keeps the problem from repeating.