Raccoons are highly capable climbers that frequently interact with residential structures, making them a common concern for homeowners. These masked mammals possess a blend of intelligence and physical prowess, allowing them to thrive in urban and suburban environments. Their natural behavior involves seeking high ground, viewing houses and other buildings as complex climbing opportunities. Understanding their physical tools and motivations is the first step toward effective exclusion.
The Physical Tools Raccoons Use to Climb
A raccoon’s climbing ability stems from specialized anatomical features that enable vertical movement on a variety of surfaces. Their front paws are extremely dexterous, featuring five long, tapered digits that function almost like human hands. This manual dexterity allows them to grip small ledges and manipulate objects, such as turning doorknobs or opening simple latches.
Each toe is tipped with a sharp, non-retractable claw, which acts like a small grappling hook, digging into rough surfaces like tree bark or wooden siding. Unlike many other mammals, raccoons can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees. This rotation is especially useful for descending, allowing them to climb down a tree or the side of a building headfirst, a rare feat for an animal of their size.
Common Access Points on Residential Structures
Raccoons exploit various features of a home’s exterior to gain vertical access to the roofline and potential entry points. The rough texture of brick, stucco, or natural wood siding provides ample purchase for their sharp claws. They can scale these walls by using the slight irregularities in the material or the seams between individual pieces of siding.
Downspouts and gutters are often used as makeshift ladders, with the raccoon gripping the edges of the metal or plastic to propel itself upward. The corners where two exterior walls meet also offer a strong advantage, as the raccoon can brace its back against one wall while pushing off the adjacent wall, moving upward with relative ease.
The final ascent to the roof is often facilitated by nearby structures that act as bridges. Mature trees with branches overhanging the roof or extending within five or six feet of the home provide a direct pathway. Fences, utility wires, sheds, and garages can also be used, allowing raccoons to bypass the lower portions of the house to reach the attic or chimney.
Primary Motivations for Climbing
The primary reason a raccoon climbs a house is to find a safe, secure location for denning, particularly during the breeding season. Female raccoons seek warm, dry, and secluded spots to raise their kits. Attics and chimneys perfectly mimic the high, protected tree cavities they use in the wild, and a mother raccoon will work tirelessly to create an entry point if she perceives it as a suitable nursery.
Food is the other major driver for this climbing behavior, as urban raccoons are highly resourceful scavengers. If a food source is located high up, such as pet food left on a second-story balcony or poorly secured garbage on a raised deck, the raccoon will climb to reach it. Their excellent sense of smell helps them locate these food sources from a distance, motivating the vertical journey.
Exclusion Strategies to Keep Raccoons Off the House
Preventing raccoons from climbing requires a multi-pronged approach focused on eliminating attractants and installing physical barriers. The first step involves securing all potential food sources. This means storing garbage cans in a locked shed or garage, or using cans with heavy-duty locking lids. All outdoor pet food bowls and bird feeders should be brought inside overnight to remove easy meals.
Trimming back any overhanging tree branches eliminates the most common bridge to the roof. Branches should be cut to maintain a gap of at least five to six feet from the roofline and exterior walls. To deter climbing on the house itself, consider installing smooth metal flashing or galvanized sheet metal, extending about three feet, around the corners of the building or utility poles. This slick surface prevents raccoons from getting a necessary claw-hold.
Downspouts can be made unclimbable by wrapping them in a smooth, wide section of aluminum or sheet metal that prevents a grip. All vulnerable entry points at the roofline must be secured, including uncapped chimneys and damaged roof vents, which should be covered with a heavy-gauge, galvanized wire mesh. Inspecting and repairing loose soffits, fascia boards, and damaged shingles also removes opportunities for the animal to rip away material and create a larger opening.