If you suspect a raccoon on the roof, it is a common problem. These clever, nocturnal creatures are increasingly finding their way into homes, often by accessing the roof. Raccoons are attracted to roofs for various reasons, including shelter, easy access to food sources, and potential entry points into attics or chimneys. Unfortunately, their presence can lead to significant damage, from tearing up shingles to creating hazardous conditions in your home. In this guide, we’ll help you understand why raccoons are drawn to your roof, the types of damage they can cause, and the effective solutions available to safely remove them and prevent future invasions.
Signs of Raccoon on Roof
It’s hard to spot a raccoon on the roof mainly because they are nocturnal and most active at dusk and dawn. However, raccoons on the roof at night leave signs you can spot. Raccoons often access rooftops by climbing trees, siding, and drainage pipes.
Unfortunately, it’s important to keep raccoons off your roof because the damage they do and the health risks they bring make them more than a nuisance. If you believe you have a raccoon frequenting your roof, call Critter Control for raccoon removal before you incur costly damage.
Damage from Raccoons on the Roof
Raccoons will damage different parts of the roof. The biggest concern is keeping a raccoon on the roof from accessing your attic or chimney. While roofs protect from some predators, raccoons will look for shelter for their dens. Females are known to destroy soffits, fascia boards, shingles, vents, and insulation to establish denning sites. Once a raccoon creates or enlarges a hole in the rooftop, it creates more problems.
- Tearing Up Shingles and Roofing Materials: Raccoons will often claw at shingles, tiles, or any loose roofing materials to create an opening for entry. Their sharp claws can tear through shingles, leaving gaps that can lead to leaks and water damage.
- Damaging Flashing and Vent Covers: Raccoons might chew through or pry away flashing (the metal seals around chimneys, vents, or skylights) and vent covers. This creates holes where water can seep in, leading to mold and structural issues over time.
- Latrine sites on roof: Since they like to keep their latrines separate from their nests, they will use leaves and pine needles to make a place on the roof for their droppings. The debris and feces can damage your roof.
- Clogging Gutters: Raccoons sometimes dig around gutters or climb inside them while searching for food. Their nesting material or droppings can clog gutters and downspouts, which can lead to water backup, ice dams in the winter, and even roof leaks.
- Water Damage: when raccoons tear up shingles, flashing and other roofing materials, it allows rainwater to seep into the structure of the roof. Over time, this moisture can rot wood, grow mold, and damage insulation.
Most Common Signs of Raccoons on Roof
- Smudges and hair on downspouts
- Claw marks on the trunks of trees
- 3- to 5-inch droppings in the same general area on the roof
- Purring, growling, chittering, or scratching
- Damaged attic vents or roofing
- Hair, smudge marks, or actual sighting in chimneys
What Do Raccoons on Roofs Sound Like?
Unlike small rodents that make quiet, skittering noises when moving about, raccoons will make loud thumping noises. You might also hear the scratching of their claws.
Raccoons are also very communicative and use their sounds to express affection, anger, and fear, as well as to speak to their kits. So you might hear raccoon-on-roof sounds, such as screeching, growling, hissing, and even purring.
Images of Raccoon on Roof Damage
How Did a Raccoon Get on My Roof?
Raccoons are excellent climbers and can access roofs more easily than many homeowners realize.
They commonly climb:
- Trees with branches near the house
- Downspouts and gutters
- Fences connected to the home
- Deck railings and trellises
- Brick or textured siding
Even a single overhanging branch can provide enough access for a raccoon to reach your roof.
Why Is a Raccoon on My Roof?
In most cases, raccoons are searching for food, warmth, or shelter.
Your roof may attract raccoons because it offers:
- Safe nesting areas away from predators
- Warm attic spaces for raising young
- Easy access to chimneys or vents
- Nearby food sources, like pet food or garbage
Female raccoons often explore rooftops during nesting season in search of den sites.
How to Keep Raccoons Off Your Roof
There are measures homeowners can take to discourage raccoons on roofs. Since raccoons in suburban settings are on the rise, it pays to consult a professional wildlife service to take preventive measures. Aside from keeping trash cans sealed tightly, trimming tree branches close to your roof, and eliminating bird feeders and outdoor pet food, measures a professional service can help with include:
- Finding roof vulnerabilities and sealing all cracks and gaps
- Capping vents and chimneys
- Installing tree and roof barriers to prevent raccoons from climbing up to your roof in the first place
How to Get Rid of Raccoons on Your Roof
It takes very little time for raccoons on your roof and in your soffits to set up a den in your attic. Critter Control employs the most effective and humane tools and strategies to help you get raccoons off your roof and keep them off.
Many homeowners will try DIY tactics such as using strong smells, motion-detecting lights, and other simple deterrents, but raccoons are clever and quickly learn that these tactics are harmless to them.
Critter Control will thoroughly inspect your roof, attic, and property. They will then present you with a plan in which they will humanely trap the raccoons. The location of a raccoon trap on a roof is important to keep the raccoon safe. It must be secured onto the roof and protected from the elements. The raccoons will be carefully and legally relocated, and their kits will be taken care of as well.
Contact Critter Control today to set up a free inspection and discuss the ways they can help you with raccoons on roofs or raccoon removal.
The signs of raccoons on their roof, such as noises at night, scratching sounds, droppings, or damage to shingles and vents.
easy access to food sources, nesting opportunities, or safety from predators.
Potential damage includes broken shingles, torn insulation, chewed wires, and contamination from droppings.
They want to know about the removal process, whether humane traps will be used, and how the animals will be relocated.
Limiting resources to food, water, and shelter will keep raccoons from exploring your yard. Prevent access to your roof by trimming branches that hang over your roof. In extreme cases, metal around the corners of your house can stop raccoons from climbing.
Generally no, homeowners insurance will not reimburse you for repair work associated with damage caused by a raccoon.
Raccoons can live on a roof if there is adequate shelter, but it is more likely they are using the roof to come and go from the den they’ve set up in a vent or chimney.
Watch a Raccoon Climb into the Attic from the Roof
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