Spring Wildlife Alert – Baby Raccoon Season in Ottawa
Every spring, female raccoons across Ottawa and Gatineau begin searching for warm, secure dens to give birth — and your attic is at the top of their list. Baby raccoon season runs from late March through early June, peaking in April and May. If you hear thumping or chirping sounds above your ceiling, the clock is already ticking. This guide covers everything homeowners in the National Capital Region need to know.
When Does Baby Raccoon Season Start in Ottawa?
Raccoons mate between January and March, and with a gestation period of approximately 63 days, the first kits of the year arrive by late March. April and May are the peak weeks — the point at which attic calls surge and removal becomes both most urgent and most complex.
- January – March: Mating season. Females actively seek den sites.
- Late March – April: First litters arrive. Kits number 2 to 6 per mother.
- April – May: Peak baby season. Kits are immobile and fully dependent on the mother.
- June onward: Kits become mobile. Removal grows significantly more difficult.
Female raccoons return to the same den sites year after year. A raccoon that nests in your attic this spring will very likely attempt to return next spring.
Why Do Raccoons Target Ottawa Homes in Spring?
Ottawa is home to an estimated 30 to 40 raccoons per square kilometre — a dense urban population that has adapted to living alongside humans. Pregnant females need an elevated, predator-free, weather-protected den before giving birth, and your attic meets every requirement. Raccoons need only a four-inch opening to gain access, and common entry points include damaged soffits, aging roof vents, rotted fascia, and unsealed chimney caps. Urban food sources — compost bins, garbage, and bird feeders — concentrate raccoon activity throughout Ottawa neighbourhoods from Kanata and Nepean to Orleans and across the river in Gatineau.
Signs There Are Baby Raccoons in Your Attic
Thumping and Heavy Movement at Night
Adult females weigh between 4 and 8 kg. Their movement through your attic creates audible thumping and shuffling sounds, typically from dusk through early morning.
High-Pitched Chirping or Crying
Baby raccoons produce bird-like chirps and cries, especially when the mother is away foraging. If you hear what sounds like baby birds inside your home — without an obvious outdoor nest — the sounds are likely coming from kits in your attic.
Visible Entry Point Damage
Inspect your roofline from the ground. Torn soffits, displaced roof vents, and gaps near the eaves are common signs of active raccoon entry.
Musky or Ammonia-Like Odour
A nursing raccoon and her kits produce substantial waste. A persistent, strong odour from your attic or upper walls should be investigated promptly.
Droppings Near Entry Points
Raccoon feces are roughly 2 to 3 cm in diameter and dark in colour, often containing berries or seeds. Droppings at the base of a downspout or near your eaves indicate regular access.
What Damage Can a Raccoon Family Cause?
The damage compounds every day a raccoon family remains in your attic. Raccoons flatten and contaminate insulation — full attic insulation replacement typically costs between $2,000 and $6,000. They chew electrical wiring, creating a genuine fire hazard, and their urine saturates wood over time, weakening roof decking and joists. Raccoon feces also carry Baylisascaris procyonis (raccoon roundworm), a parasite capable of causing serious neurological illness in humans. Even after removal, contaminated insulation requires professional decontamination.
Can You Remove Baby Raccoons Yourself?
No — and attempting to do so can result in greater property damage, animal suffering, and legal liability. Under Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, it is illegal to trap and relocate a raccoon more than 1 km from where it was captured. Improper handling can also trigger charges under the provincial PAWS Act.
Installing a one-way door without first removing any kits inside is particularly dangerous. Kits trapped without their mother will die within days — creating a significant contamination and odour problem that requires costly remediation. A separated mother will also attempt to force re-entry, tearing through soffits and shingles to reach her young.
How Humane Baby Raccoon Removal Works
Professional removal during baby season follows a carefully sequenced process:
- Full inspection to confirm raccoon presence and locate all entry points.
- Manual removal of kits from the attic by hand.
- Kits are placed in a heated reunion box just outside the primary entry point.
- A one-way exclusion door is installed — the mother can exit but not re-enter.
- The mother locates her kits and relocates them to one of her alternate den sites.
- Entry point is permanently sealed with heavy-gauge steel screening.
- All secondary vulnerability points are secured to prevent future re-entry.
Why Acting Early This Spring Matters
Every week of delay adds more damage, more contamination, and more complexity. Kits that become mobile by late May are significantly harder to locate and remove safely. Spring is also peak season for wildlife removal services across Ottawa and Gatineau, meaning earlier calls get faster scheduling. A professional removal and exclusion service now costs a fraction of what full attic remediation will run if the problem is left to compound.
Contact Aspen Wildlife Control – Ottawa and Gatineau
Aspen Wildlife Control has served the Ottawa–Gatineau National Capital Region for over 25 years, providing humane, effective wildlife removal for homeowners across both Ontario and Quebec. Founded and led by wildlife management expert Vincent Leclair, Aspen handles dozens of baby raccoon season cases every spring — from Kanata and Nepean to Orleans, Stittsville, Gatineau, Hull, and Aylmer.
Aspen offers humane raccoon removal using heated reunion boxes and one-way doors, permanent entry point repair, bilingual service in English and French, 24/7 availability, and free quotes. Attic restoration and contamination cleanup services are also available.