Once they get in, minor repairs will not keep them from tearing in again. The real destruction begins once raccoons are in the attic. They tear and scatter insulation and chew holes through the walls. Their waste accumulates and creates an odor problem. It may even cause the ceiling to fall.
Raccoons find ready-made summer dens in the fireplaces of many homes.
They resemble a hollow log, the raccoon's normal home in the woods. They may bear young in the chimney. Diseases Raccoons contract a number of diseases. Distemper occasionally causes raccoons to decline in some locations, but studies show that this is not as common as once thought. Raccoons often are exposed to canine, feline and porcine parvovirus, but to date there is no evidence that raccoons have transmitted this disease to pets or livestock.