Raccoons are seen by many as mere pests out to steal your food or take up shelter in your homes and vacation cabins. But these critters are just looking for a place they can call their own, and they are drawn to human presence by instinct for such conveniences. In short, they are not “nuisance” wildlife.
Locate their main entry point to your abode. Inspect the house thoroughly and look for other entry points, keeping in mind that these animals are just looking for a den. To ensure that the opening is indeed being used by raccoons, block it with a thin layer of newspaper for a few days. The critters will break this if they indeed pass through that hole. Plan on patching it after.
Secondly, study closely the animals’ behavior; the raccoon may be a mother that has decided on using your house for raising its young. Keep in mind that if you trap or relocate the family on your own, the young are likely to die. The best option is to get the services of a wildlife removal team.
If you’ve already coaxed out the raccoon, the more important next step is to prevent them and other wild animals from coming back. Patch up all entry points; no amount of baiting and trapping will help if you do not seal off all possible entry points. Sheet metal or a wire mesh are good materials to use for the hole. Again, make sure that they have really gone before doing so, as you don’t want to get them trapped inside your house.
Baystate Wildlife specializes in trapping, removal, and exclusion of wildlife in a humane and safe manner. The company services homes all over New England and makes stops throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. For more tips on handling critters, check out this website.
Baystate Wildlife 
