Respect the Raccoon Mama

It’s Mother’s Day, and while we’re celebrating all the amazing moms out there, let’s take a moment to recognize one of nature’s most resourceful and devoted mothers: the raccoon.

This time of year, it’s not uncommon to discover a raccoon has taken up residence in an attic, shed, or crawl space—quietly raising her babies out of sight. While it may be inconvenient, trapping and relocating a mother raccoon can be deadly—not just for her, but for her kits as well.

Here’s why:

🦝 Raccoon mothers are exceptional caregivers, often raising their young alone and rotating between several den sites for safety. If you trap and remove her, the babies are left behind to starve—creating orphans who now require rescue intervention.

🚫 Worse still, relocated raccoons rarely survive. They’re dropped into unfamiliar territory, forced to compete for resources, navigate dangers they don’t know, and search frantically for babies they’ll never find again.

So what can you do?

If you want a raccoon to vacate your property, encourage her to move on naturally—without harm:

🔊 Add noise (radio or talk station)

💡 Use light (leave a bright flashlight or work light on in the space)

🍃 Create scent deterrents (peppermint oil, vinegar-soaked rags, or ammonia in a container)

Give her a few days—she’ll move the babies to one of her backup dens, usually under cover of night. Raccoon moms are incredibly smart and protective, and if we give them the space and time, they’ll do the right thing.

On this Mother's Day, let’s show compassion to all kinds of moms—including the wild ones. 🌸