February 13, 2025 | Raccoons

When Do Raccoons Have Babies?

Raccoons mate in late winter, usually between January and March. Their gestation period lasts about 60 days, so baby raccoons are typically born from April to May. However, it is not uncommon for babies to be born as early as March or as late as June. Understanding the raccoon breeding season is important because pregnant raccoons seek warm places that are safe from predators to nest. This makes your home, especially your attic and chimney, an appealing nesting site.

Raccoon Mating Season
Baby Raccoons
Raccoons in the Attic
Are Raccoons Dangerous?
Raccoon Removal

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How Many Babies Do Raccoons Have?

A female raccoon only has one litter a year with 2 to 6 babies, called kits. Raccoons are born with their eyes closed and cannot see until they are about three weeks old. At birth, they are entirely dependent on their mother. The mother weans the kits after approximately two to three months. By mid-summer, the young raccoons start to explore and forage. Typically, the young raccoons leave their mother when they are 8 to 10 months old, although some stay with her for up to a year through the winter.

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Raccoons in the Attic, Chimney, and House

While many animals often work together as co-parents to raise their young, raccoons do not. Female raccoons are single mothers with no help from the male. In fact, a male raccoon will try to kill her babies to bring the female back into heat. Therefore, new mother raccoons seek safe spaces away from males and other predators to raise their young. Attics and chimneys are some of the most common places where female raccoons have their babies, leading to unexpected issues for homeowners.

Raccoons have very strong hands and can easily tear holes in siding, soffits, vents, and fascia. Once inside, they cause all sorts of damage to insulation, walls, ceilings, and woodwork. Raccoons also carry parasites and are one of the primary carriers of rabies in Wisconsin. Unlike mice, which can squeeze through small openings, holes made by raccoons are pretty large and hard to overlook. Additionally, raccoons are very noisy, sounding like humans stomping around in your attic.

Signs of Raccoon in Your Attic

Baby raccoons make a high-pitched chirping-like cry (and like human babies, they cry a lot).
Loud rustling and thumping sounds in the walls and ceiling, especially at night.
Damaged or torn roof shingles, vents, or soffits.
Muddy footprints on your roof, siding, or around your home.
Urine and feces stains on your ceiling.
Seeing an adult raccoon on your property.

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Are Baby Raccoons Dangerous?

Yes, baby raccoons can be dangerous because they may bite and scratch if you attempt to pick them up, which is why you should have a professional humanely remove them. They can also carry parasites, mites, and diseases passed on to them by their mother. Baby raccoons are not born with rabies; however, they can become infected shortly after birth if their mother is shedding the rabies virus.

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Raccoon Removal in Milwaukee, WI

If you discover a family of raccoons living in your attic, contact the wildlife removal professionals at Advanced Wildlife and Pest Control at 262-242-4390. We specialize in humane raccoon removal in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin. Our wildlife specialists safely trap, remove, and relocate the mother raccoon and her babies 30+ miles away from your residence. Our professionals can also repair minor damages caused by raccoons and install heavy-duty chimney caps or vent covers to prevent future wildlife problems.