Raccoon Removal in Vinings, GA

Raccoons in your Vinings home

The wooded hillsides of Vinings drain down through small ravines toward the Chattahoochee, and those strips of woods and water are where raccoons live and travel. From there, a hillside home offers them two good options. The first is the space under a raised downhill deck or around a walk-out basement — dry, out of sight and close to the ground. The second is the roof, which a raccoon reaches by climbing a tree, a downspout or a corner of the house, then pulls open a soffit, a vent or a loose chimney cap with its strong front paws.

You'll usually hear it before you see it. A raccoon in the attic is heavy — people describe it as sounding like a dog in the attic — and if there are babies, you may hear a high chattering. Because the raccoon is a rabies-vector species in Georgia, and because a mother with kits has to be handled carefully, this is a job for a licensed pro rather than a store-bought trap.

Georgia law: removal, not relocation

Georgia classifies 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 driven off and released somewhere else — the lawful outcome is removal. The rule exists because moving raccoons spreads rabies and other diseases to new areas. A licensed pro knows how to handle a rabies-vector animal within the law; a homeowner with a rented trap usually doesn't.

Why raccoons pick hillside homes

The slope does a lot of the work for them. Tall downhill decks leave a sheltered space at ground level that's easy to den in. Older homes on the hill often have chimneys with missing or rusted caps. And many newer homes have deep roof valleys and dormers where a raccoon can sit out of sight while it tears at the shingles or soffit. Food helps too: unsecured trash cans, pet food left on the deck and spilled birdseed all keep a raccoon close.

Finding the babies first

In Georgia, raccoon kits are usually born in late winter and spring. A raccoon in the attic at that time of year is very often a mother with young. If she is trapped and the hole is sealed, the kits starve inside and you end up with a smell and a dead-animal removal on top of the raccoon job. Pros use cameras to find kits hidden in walls, insulation or soffits, and plan the removal so the whole family comes out.

The latrine is a health hazard

Raccoons go to the bathroom in the same spot over and over, so an attic latrine builds up quickly. That waste can carry Baylisascaris, a raccoon roundworm whose eggs are dangerous to people and last a long time. Don't sweep it up yourself. A proper raccoon job includes removing the droppings and the soiled insulation under them and treating the area. Ask the pro to show you how much insulation is actually contaminated before agreeing to replace all of it.

Under the deck today, in the attic tomorrow

A raccoon living under a downhill deck or beside a walk-out basement may seem harmless, but it's close to the house and often moves up into the walls or attic, especially a female getting ready to have kits. Dealing with it early is cheaper. The pro removes the animal, checks for young, and closes off the space under the deck with metal screening dug into the ground so the next raccoon can't move in.

How a pro clears and seals

The pro inspects to find the opening and any kits. Removing the mother first is usually recommended unless the whole family can be taken out together. Once the attic is empty, the opening is repaired with heavy metal, not foam or thin screen — a raccoon that tore its way in once will try again. Chimneys get a proper cap. Then the latrine is cleaned. Get the warranty in writing.