A humane raccoon trap is a live cage trap big enough to hold a raccoon without hurting it, about 11 by 12 inches and 30 to 36 inches long, according to Purdue Extension. But in New York City, a trap shouldn’t be your first move, and you shouldn’t set one yourself. NYC Health’s raccoon flyer says: “Never attempt to capture or trap a raccoon.”
There’s a second reason. The city’s WildlifeNYC program says the law requires licensed trappers to humanely euthanize raccoons they trap. So in NYC, the most humane fix is usually to get the raccoon to leave on its own, make sure no babies are left behind, and then seal the way in. Get the order wrong and you can end up with a bite, or with kits sealed inside your home.
Where is the raccoon?
What to do depends on where it is. Find your situation below.
In the chimney
A raccoon in a chimney may be a mother with young. Humane World for Animals advises waiting until the kits are around 10 weeks old, then encouraging the family to leave with bright light, a loud radio and a bowl of cider vinegar. It warns never to use smoke or fire to drive animals out of a chimney. Put a cap on the chimney only after you’re sure every animal is gone.
In the attic or a wall
Find the way in first. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM) says raccoons need only a 4-inch gap and may tear off shingles or fascia boards to get into an attic. Before anything gets sealed, NYC Health’s flyer says to make sure no dens with raccoon pups remain. Humane World’s light, radio and cider vinegar approach can work here too, and it says one-way doors are best left to humane wildlife professionals.
If you find a pile of droppings, don’t clean it up bare-handed. Raccoons use the same spot over and over, called a latrine, and the droppings can carry roundworm eggs. The CDC recommends disposable gloves, an N95 respirator in tight spaces, and lightly misting the area so dust doesn’t rise (November 2024).
Under a deck, porch or shed
Use the same order: check for young, encourage the raccoon to leave, then close the space so it can’t get back in. The CDC notes that raccoon latrines turn up on decks and in woodpiles and garages, so look before you reach under anything.
Getting into the trash
Don’t trap it. Take away the food. NYC Health’s flyer says to make sure garbage containers are tightly sealed, and WildlifeNYC tells New Yorkers not to feed raccoons. Bring pet food inside at night. A raccoon out in the daytime isn’t automatically sick: WildlifeNYC says raccoons seen during the day should not be considered dangerous or assumed to carry rabies.
Acting sick, or someone got bitten
Call 311. NYC Health’s flyer lists the warning signs: stumbling or trouble standing, shaking it can’t control, and acting unusually friendly or aggressive. Raccoons are the most commonly reported rabid animal in NYC, according to NYC Health. If a raccoon bites or scratches someone, wash the wound with soap and water for 15 minutes, as the CDC advises, and call 311.
When a trap is the right tool
Sometimes the raccoon won’t leave, or it keeps coming back to a spot that can’t be sealed yet. That’s when a licensed professional may trap it, with a trap sized for a raccoon, set where it travels and watched closely. The New York State DEC says taking an animal is only suggested if other best practices don’t fix the problem. In NYC, keep in mind what happens next: a trapped raccoon is euthanized. That’s why trapping comes after the other steps, not before.
What this can look like
Here’s a simple example. Say it’s late spring in a Staten Island house, and the owner hears scratching and movement in the chimney every evening. Lighting a fire or setting a trap on the roof would put the kits at risk. Instead, the owner waits a few weeks, uses a radio and cider vinegar to make the chimney less comfortable, and watches at dusk until the family has moved out. Then the chimney gets a cap.
The trade-off is time. It can take weeks, and it doesn’t always work. If the family won’t leave, or you can’t tell whether all the kits are out, that’s when to call a pro.
How NYC Extermination handles raccoons
We start with a free on-site inspection to find where the raccoon gets in and whether there are young. When trapping is needed, we use humane live traps watched with cameras, so a trapped animal isn’t left waiting, and we handle it the way New York State rules require. Then we seal the openings so the next raccoon can’t follow.
See our wildlife removal service, our guide to signs of animals in the attic, or call (347) 988-2315.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to a trapped raccoon in NYC?
WildlifeNYC says the law requires licensed trappers to humanely euthanize raccoons they trap, and trapped raccoons can’t be released on public land. That’s a big reason to try getting the raccoon to leave on its own first.
Does a raccoon out during the day have rabies?
Not necessarily. It’s often just looking for food. Call 311 if it stumbles, shakes or acts unusually friendly or aggressive, which are the warning signs on NYC Health’s raccoon flyer.
How do I keep raccoons out of my chimney?
Cap it, but only after you’re sure every raccoon is out, including the kits. Humane World for Animals warns against capping a chimney while animals are still inside.
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