In a majority of cases, Bergen County raccoons that enter the attic are pregnant females. They come to attic when they are near the term and within 10-15 days they usually have their litter that contains 3-5 babies. Pregnant New Jersey raccoons love to inhabit attics because they are warm and safe, protected from harsh outside weather conditions- excellent conditions for raising babies.



After delivery of babies, female New Jersey raccoon will then spend next several months (generally, until the next spring) nurturing her babies there. For the first 2.5 months she will nurse them; after this period, mother raccoon will start taking youngsters out with her, teaching them to find and catch food. After a female raccoon gets in the attic, she is usually already pregnant. She will start preparing attic for the arrival of her litter, choosing where will be sleeping, feeding and cleaning area. She will shred wall paper and insulation, sometimes even wood parts to prepare bedding and to clear areas as she likes. When the babies come, used area of attic will probably expand and both her and the babies will destroy more and more of things found in the attic. There were even cases when Bergen County raccoons fall through the roof into the rooms used by family.

Female Bergen County raccoons are very nurturing animals and they will spend all of their time with their babies until they grow up-i.e. for the next 9 months, approximately. They will first breastfeed them for 10 weeks and then start taking them out with her to find food and to learn to hunt. After she separates from them following spring, she will probably breed again right away-and it is very likely that she will choose to go back to the same attic, because this was safe and warm surrounding for her and her litter. Raccoons are creatures of habit and they don't change home unless some extraordinary circumstances happen.

Additionally, it is also very likely that one of her babies might choose to return to their old home, if they are pregnant females. They have grown up in that attic and already know that it is safe for growing babies. Only way to safely remove New Jersey raccoons from the attic is to capture both the babies and the mother and then relocate them to the safe surrounding at least 5-6 miles away from your home (or they will come right back). In a case that you catch adult raccoon, find out if she is breastfeeding (nipples will be visible) in which case you will will know that there is still a litter of Bergen County raccoon babies in your attic that need to be caught, or they will starve to death somewhere in your attic.

Visit our Bergen County animal removal home page to learn more about us.