Mail Us
contact@theanimalguys.com
Call Us
877-334-7158
Wildlife Tips: July 2026
Why Raccoons Keep Coming Back to Your Home — And How to Stop Them for Good
Introduction
If you have dealt with raccoons in your attic once, there is a good chance they have come back — or will. Raccoons are highly intelligent, incredibly persistent, and have an excellent memory for food sources and shelter. Once a raccoon identifies your home as a safe and comfortable place to live, it will return again and again unless you take the right steps to stop it permanently. Understanding why raccoons keep coming back is the first step toward protecting your home for good.
Why Raccoons Are Attracted to Your Home
Raccoons are opportunistic animals. They are not picky about where they live as long as the location is warm, dry, and close to food. Your attic checks every box. Common attractants include unsecured garbage bins, outdoor pet food, bird feeders, fallen fruit from trees, and compost piles. Beyond food, raccoons are drawn to the warmth and shelter that attics and crawl spaces provide — especially pregnant females looking for a safe place to give birth in the spring. If your home has overhanging tree branches, damaged roof vents, or gaps along the roofline, raccoons will find them and use them as a doorway inside.
The Problem With DIY Raccoon Removal
Many homeowners attempt to handle raccoon problems on their own using store-bought traps or scare tactics. While this may seem to work in the short term, it rarely solves the problem permanently. Trapping and releasing a raccoon a few miles away does not prevent a new one from moving in through the same entry point. Raccoons are also protected under Tennessee wildlife laws, meaning improper handling or relocation can carry legal consequences. Without sealing every entry point and removing all attractants, the cycle will simply repeat itself — often with a new animal finding the same way in within weeks.
The Permanent Solution
The only way to stop raccoons from returning is a three-step approach — removal, exclusion, and restoration. First, every raccoon must be safely and humanely removed from your property. Second, every gap, vent, and entry point must be professionally sealed using materials raccoons cannot chew through or pry open. Third, any damage left behind including contaminated insulation, droppings, and chewed wiring must be cleaned up and restored. At The Animal Guys, this is exactly how we approach every raccoon job. Our certified wildlife biologists do not just remove the animal — we make sure it can never happen again. If raccoons keep coming back to your home, call us today for a free inspection and let us solve the problem permanently.
