Raccoons nest in hollow trees, underground burrows, rock crevices, and, increasingly, in human structures like attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces. They don’t build nests the way birds do. Instead, they find enclosed, sheltered spaces and claim them as dens, rotating between several den sites depending on the season, food availability, and whether they’re raising young.
Natural Den Sites
In wooded areas, the classic raccoon den is a cavity inside a living or dead tree trunk. These hollows check every box: they’re elevated off the ground, dark, enclosed, and difficult for predators to access. Raccoons also den in hollow logs lying on the forest floor, rock crevices, caves, and abandoned burrows dug by other animals like woodchucks. They strongly prefer areas with tree cover and nearby water, which provides both food and drinking access.
Raccoons aren’t territorial about their dens the way some animals are. A single raccoon may use five or more den sites across its home range, moving between them every few days. This rotation helps them stay close to shifting food sources and reduces parasite buildup in any one spot. During harsh winter stretches, they’ll settle into one den for longer periods, entering a state of torpor (a light, intermittent hibernation) to conserve energy, though they don’t truly hibernate.
Urban and Residential Dens
In cities and suburbs, raccoons treat human structures the same way they treat hollow trees. To a raccoon, a chimney is nearly identical to a tree cavity: tall, vertical, dark, enclosed, and protected from wind, rain, and predators. They commonly den on the smoke shelf inside chimneys, in attics, under decks, inside sheds, and in crawl spaces beneath houses.
Attics are especially attractive. They’re dry, warm, insulated, and out of reach of coyotes and dogs. For young raccoons recently separated from their mothers, an accessible attic is an ideal first den. Raccoons typically enter through damaged soffits, loose roof vents, or gaps where the roof meets the fascia board. They can pry open surprisingly small openings with their strong, dexterous front paws.
Other common urban den sites include storm drains, culverts, the underside of porches, and gaps beneath concrete slabs. Anywhere that’s dark, enclosed, and relatively undisturbed will do.
Where Mothers Den With Young
Raccoon mating season runs from January through March, with a 63-day gestation period. Most litters (averaging four kits) arrive in April or May. Mother raccoons are especially selective about their maternal den. They favor high, enclosed spaces, with tree hollows being the top choice in natural settings. In residential areas, attics and chimneys are common nursery sites.
Newborn kits weigh about two ounces and are blind and helpless. Their eyes open around three weeks, and they become active by seven to eight weeks. Between five and eight weeks old, the mother moves her litter to a den site closer to the ground, and the kits begin joining her on foraging trips shortly after. They’re weaned by late summer and functionally independent of their mother after about 20 weeks, though the family group often continues denning together through the winter. Young raccoons fully disperse the following spring, at nine to ten months old.
This timeline matters if you discover raccoons in your attic or chimney during spring. Between April and August, there’s a strong chance babies are present, even if you only see one adult coming and going.
Signs a Raccoon Is Denning Nearby
Raccoons are nocturnal, so you’ll often hear them before you see them. Scratching, thumping, or chittering sounds in the attic or walls at night are telltale signs. Outside, look for tracks (five-toed prints that resemble tiny handprints), torn-up sod or garden beds, and toppled trash cans.
The most distinctive sign is a latrine. Raccoons repeatedly defecate in the same spots, creating communal waste piles. These latrines show up at the bases of trees, on flat surfaces like logs, stumps, rocks, and decks, and inside attics. The droppings are dark, tubular, and often contain visible seeds or berry fragments.
Health Risks Around Raccoon Dens
Raccoon latrines carry a serious but underappreciated health risk: a roundworm parasite called Baylisascaris. Raccoons carry these worms in their intestines and shed eggs in their feces. After two to four weeks in the environment, those eggs become infectious to humans and other animals, including dogs. The eggs can survive in soil for several years.
People become infected by accidentally ingesting the eggs from contaminated soil, sand, water, or surfaces. Young children are at highest risk because they’re more likely to put dirty hands or objects in their mouths. Infection can cause serious neurological damage in rare cases. If you find a raccoon latrine on your property, don’t sweep or hose it down (this can spread eggs). The Washington State Department of Health recommends keeping children and pets away from latrines entirely. Cleanup typically involves carefully removing and bagging the contaminated material and treating the area with boiling water, since most chemical disinfectants don’t kill the eggs.
Keeping Raccoons From Denning in Your Home
Prevention is straightforward: close the openings they use to get in. Cap chimneys with commercial chimney caps. Repair damaged soffits, seal gaps around roof vents, and secure crawl space entries with heavy-gauge wire mesh. Raccoons are strong enough to pull off lightweight materials, so hardware cloth (at least 16-gauge) is the minimum.
Trim tree branches that overhang your roof by at least five feet. Raccoons are excellent climbers and routinely use branches as highways onto rooftops. Securing trash cans with bungee cords or locking lids removes a major food incentive for denning nearby.
If raccoons are already inside, avoid sealing the entry point until you’re certain all animals, especially babies, have left. During spring and summer, assume kits are present. One-way exclusion doors (which let animals leave but not re-enter) are the standard humane approach, but they should only be installed after confirming no immobile young are trapped inside. Kits under five weeks old cannot follow their mother out on their own.