What to Do With a Momma Raccoon & Her Babies in My Chimney

Install a Chimney Trap

• Set a chimney trap atop or within the flue, depending on the model you choose. These wire enclosures keep the raccoons under wraps until you can remove the trap and set the intruders free -- preferably in some wooded area that lies a comfortable distance from your home. If you manage to trap any of the babies, you can use your prisoner as bait to lure the mother and other cubs out of the chimney and into a trap set up on your roof or lawn. Check the traps daily so the captured critter -- especially a baby -- won't go without food or water for long.

Spray Repellents

• Spray a rag with dog urine or raccoon repellent -- which is made from the essence of predators such as bears -- and drop it down the flue. Keep the damper closed so you don't have an angry, panicked raccoon scrambling around your living room. Remember that raccoons will seek out the ground in case of a sudden emergency -- such as smoke rising in the chimney -- so don't light a fire in the fireplace. Also, don't try to smoke out the animals or allow access to the fireplace insert when evicting your guests.

Introduce Loud Noises

• Crank up some heavy metal music on the stereo or iPod and let the raccoons have it with your boom-box speakers directed straight into the fireplace. A high noise level, especially during the daytime when raccoons sleep, can quickly drive them out of the fireplace and back to a home in the peaceful great outdoors.

Light Up the Flue

• Run an extension cord to the top of your chimney and hang an electrician's utility light down the flue. Raccoons prefer darkness. If you have a smooth metal flue, it's wise to provide a pole or other easily climbable surface for the raccoons to climb out of the chimney. And remember to keep the damper closed so the raccoons don't escape into your house.

Call in Animal Control

• Some experts advise patience if you hear baby raccoon squeals, as mother raccoons remove their young from the nest after about eight weeks. If you can't wait, contact your local animal control agency to trap and remove the animals; however, be aware that animal shelters won't take in feral animals and in many cases trapped raccoons will suffer the death penalty.

Cautions

• Mother raccoons are extremely protective of their young and fiercely defend them against perceived dangers, so never directly confront a raccoon family in an attempt to evict it. Always keep yourself and your pets a good distance from raccoons, which can carry rabies.