The most reliable way to get rid of raccoons under a deck is a combination of harassment (light, noise, scent) to make them leave voluntarily, followed by physical exclusion with hardware cloth so they can’t return. But timing matters enormously. Between January and September, any raccoon under your deck should be assumed to be a mother with babies. Sealing her out during those months can trap helpless kits inside, where they’ll starve, and the mother will tear up your property trying to reach them.
Check for Babies First
This is the single most important step, and skipping it causes the most damage. Raccoon denning season runs roughly January through September. If you’re dealing with a raccoon during those months, babies are likely present even if you can’t see or hear them. Kits that are too young to follow their mother out will die if she’s excluded, and a separated mother raccoon will rip through siding, lattice, and decking to get back to them.
If it’s October through December, you’re more likely dealing with an adult looking for winter shelter, and exclusion is simpler. During baby season, the safest approach is to use harassment techniques to encourage the mother to relocate her litter on her own, then seal up once the family has moved out. If you’re unsure whether babies are present, listen at dusk for chirping or chattering sounds under the deck, or call a wildlife removal professional who can do a visual inspection.
Make the Space Unpleasant
Raccoons choose the space under your deck because it’s dark, quiet, and sheltered. Removing those comforts is often enough to convince them to relocate, especially a mother who will move her babies to a backup den site if she feels the current one is unsafe.
Place a bright work light or a motion-activated floodlight under the deck, aimed at the nesting area. Add a portable radio tuned to a talk station, playing at moderate volume around the clock. The combination of constant light and human voices makes the space feel exposed and threatening. You can also place rags soaked in apple cider vinegar or commercial wildlife eviction fluid near the entry point. Eviction fluid, available from wildlife supply retailers, mimics the scent of a male raccoon, which signals danger to a nursing mother.
Keep all three deterrents running simultaneously for several days. Using just one is rarely enough. The goal is to create a layered annoyance that makes the raccoon decide the den isn’t worth it.
Confirm They’ve Left
Before you seal anything, you need to be certain the space is empty. The simplest method is a newspaper test: stuff balled-up newspaper into the entry hole, or tape a double sheet of newspaper across it. Wait three full days and nights. If the paper hasn’t been disturbed and you don’t hear any activity under the deck, do a visual inspection with a flashlight to confirm no animals remain. Only then should you move to exclusion.
If the paper gets pushed out, the raccoon is still active. Continue harassment and repeat the test.
One-Way Doors as an Alternative
If you can identify every entry point, a one-way exclusion door lets raccoons leave but prevents them from getting back in. This works well because it removes all animals at once, whether it’s a single raccoon or a mother with older offspring who can walk on their own. The door mounts over the primary entry point while all other gaps are sealed with hardware cloth.
The critical limitation: never use a one-way door during baby season unless you’re certain the kits are old enough to walk out with their mother. Young kits can’t navigate the door and will be trapped inside. If you’re not confident in your ability to assess this, a wildlife professional is the safer choice.
Seal the Deck Permanently
Once the raccoons are gone, exclusion is what prevents the problem from repeating. Without sealing entry points, a new raccoon will move into the vacated space within days.
Use quarter-inch wire mesh (hardware cloth) attached to the bottom edge of the deck framing. Dig a trench around the deck perimeter, 12 to 18 inches deep. Bend the mesh at a 90-degree angle away from the deck to form an L-shape, with 18 to 24 inches of mesh extending outward along the bottom of the trench as a false floor. This L-shaped footer prevents raccoons from digging under the barrier, which they will absolutely attempt. Backfill the trench with soil or gravel.
Secure the mesh to the deck structure with screws and washers rather than staples, which raccoons can pull out. Inspect all sides of the deck for secondary gaps. Sealing one opening while leaving another defeats the purpose.
Clean Up the Latrine Safely
Raccoons designate specific spots as communal latrines, and there’s a good chance one exists under your deck. Their feces can contain roundworm eggs that are infectious to humans and pets. The eggs become dangerous after two to four weeks of sitting, so prompt cleanup reduces your risk significantly.
Wear disposable gloves, rubber boots (or disposable shoe covers), and an N95 respirator, especially in the confined space under a deck. Lightly mist the area with water from a spray bottle before disturbing anything to keep dust and eggs from becoming airborne. Bag all feces and contaminated material for disposal in the trash, or bury or burn it. Most chemical disinfectants don’t kill roundworm eggs, but heat does instantly. Treat contaminated deck surfaces with boiling water. Afterward, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, and launder your clothes in hot water.
What About Trapping and Relocating?
Trapping sounds like a straightforward solution, but it comes with legal and practical complications. In many states, raccoons are classified as rabies vector species, which means live-trapped raccoons cannot legally be relocated. In Pennsylvania, for example, landowners who trap a raccoon must either release it on site or euthanize it. Relocating is prohibited. Many other states have similar rules, so check with your state wildlife agency before setting any traps.
Even where relocation is legal, it’s often ineffective. Trapping removes one animal but doesn’t address the entry point. A new raccoon discovers the same sheltered space and moves in. Relocating a mother also means abandoning her kits, who will die without her. Exclusion, not trapping, is what actually solves the problem.
When to Hire a Professional
Professional wildlife removal typically costs $400 to $1,500 depending on the number of entry points, whether babies are present, and how much cleanup is needed. An initial inspection runs $75 to $150. If kits need to be manually removed during baby season (March through May), expect an additional $100 to $300. Waste cleanup can add $300 to $1,500 for heavily soiled areas.
A few signs that professional help is the better route: you suspect babies are present but can’t access the space to check, you have a large or complex deck with multiple entry points, or the raccoons have been there long enough to cause structural damage. Be cautious with any company that quotes a flat rate without an on-site inspection, or offers trap-and-relocate without exclusion sealing. Without sealing entry points, you’ll be calling again within weeks.