Are you hearing noises in your walls that sound like banging or loud scratching? Do you hear what are called chittering sounds or perhaps what sounds like a baby crying? If so, you might have a raccoon stuck in your walls!

This situation can occur when a raccoon is living in your attic, manages to fall through a hole in the insulation, and then becomes trapped in the wall. This commonly happens to baby raccoons. Handling raccoons can be a very dangerous proposition, especially with the mama nearby. It is best to contact a wildlife professional before trying to open up a wall to remove a raccoon or any other animal on your own.  Apex Wildlife Control are the professionals that you should call in this situation.

We will first attempt to identify the species of animal we are dealing with. Different animals make different sounds so it’s important to know the various sounds that animals make. Understanding the sounds you are hearing and the time of day you hear those sounds will help us identify the species and determine the best to approach to remedy the situation. Dealing with baby raccoons is different than having to deal with an adult raccoon.

Apex Wildlife Control uses humane, live cage traps and a noose to capture raccoons stuck in walls. A raccoon can perish within two days of being stuck in a wall without food and water. This can be a slow and agonizing death, so it's very important to get the animal out as quickly as possible. This may seem like quite a lot of work to go through in order to save a wild animal, but it also saves you from dealing with the stench from a decaying animal and that can permeate your home.

A raccoon that gets stuck in a small, tight, enclosed space will struggle to get out.  It may become exhausted and sluggish in the attempt and most likely will not put up as much of a fight. The removal process is fairly straightforward. First, a noose is wrapped around the raccoon’s body, under the front legs. This maintains the animal at a safe distance so it is unable to hurt the technician as he places it into the cage. A tired raccoon is easy put place a cage. We can then hydrate and feed the raccoons before we relocate and release them to a new area for their best chance for survival.  In this way they are stabilized before they are released back to the wild.  In the new area they will most likely have to fight for territory in their search for sources of food and water.

An animal stuck in a small tight space is sluggish and exhausted, and will not put up much resistance. The actual animal removal procedure is actually straightforward. First, a noose is wrapped around the raccoon’s body, under the front legs. This keeps the animal at a distance so it cannot attack the technician while he gets it into the cage. A tired raccoon is easily moved into a cage. We then hydrate and feed the raccoons before relocating and releasing them. They may have to fight for territory or find another food and water source when we relocate them so we try to get them healthy before they reenter the wild.

If the technicians determine that we are dealing with baby raccoons, we try to get to them out as soon as we can because there is no way to know how long they have been trapped inside the wall. A baby raccoon could have fallen and been injured in the process. This can happen before the baby even starts to make noise. By the time it starts making noises there is no way to know the last time it ate from the mother. We can cut out the wall and place the baby in a box that has been prepared for the animal.

Baby raccoons are not at all aggressive when they are first born.  The technician can reach in with gloves on and pull them out by hand. Baby raccoons will make crying sounds, but once they are in a warm box or with other litter mates they calm down quickly. The technician will always check to make sure there are no other little ones in the area, and he will also check in the attic for more babies.

Baby raccoons are unable to take care of themselves at a young age so we have to turn to a wildlife rehabilitator who specializes in raccoons rather than releasing them back to the wild.  Wildlife rahabilitators are trained to properly feed raccoons and will reintroduce them back to the wild when it is time.

Once baby raccoons have been handled by humans then you cannot return them to the mother. She will reject them. Most likely are still nursing so they must be bottle-fed and then slowly transitioned to eat regular food, and taught to forage. It is a long drawn out process that takes a lot of patience. It is not advisable for anyone to try to capture and get rid of an adult raccoon yourself unless you know for certain that there are no babies in the attic or walls of your home.

Sometimes a technician will use eviction fluid to coax the mother to move her little family.  Eviction fluid causes a biological response in the mother raccoon that will make her think her babies are in danger.  This will sometimes cause the mother to move her babies to a new location on her own, but it isn't a guaranteed solution.

After we have safely extracted the raccoon or babies from your wall, we recommend you get a full interior and exterior inspection. You need to know how they are getting in and out of your home so they don’t come back again. If one raccoon gains access to your home, more will surely follow.

We have an extensive list of local rehabilitators who are licensed by the State of Tennesee.  These rehabilitators are incredibly important for the survival of orphan wildlife.  It is best to turn over an orphan to trained professionals who can finish raising the baby in a manner that will allow it to be released back into the wild. 

If you do find an orphaned wild animal, keep your distance for a while.  The mother may be in the process of moving her family, and she may be on her way back to the last of the litter.  The best thing to do in this situation is to stay back and watch for any predators looking to take advantage of the situation.

However, if the mother doesn't come back, cover the baby with a towel to keep it warm and contact Apex Wildlife Control.  Don't try to feed the baby without advice of a wildlife expert.  We can put you in touch with any number of local rehabilitators who will be willing to take another baby in.

Of course, if you simply have an adult or juvenile raccoon stuck in your wall, we can remove these animals as well.  Most adult raccoons can climb back up your wall unless they are hurt or sick.  Juvenile, or "teenage" raccoons are not quite as strong, and they just might end up in a situation they can't get out of.

 Since many raccoons in the Memphis TN area carry rabies and distemper, we always check each raccoon before releasing them into our reserve.  The technician will also check the raccoon for dehydration or injuries that would render them vulnerable to predators.

Once the raccoon is released, it will find food and shelter and begin to live its best raccoon life away from your attic.  Although this funny fellow to the right looks pitiful, he is on his way to a great new life!

So if you happen to hear little crying sounds or odd scratching noises in your walls, give Apex Wildlife Control a call today!  We are here to help!