Heavy thumping overhead at night, scratching in the chimney, or trash pulled apart by morning? November is when Wakefield raccoons commit to a winter den — the cold sends them house-hunting, and the attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces of Wakefield's older homes are at the top of their list. A raccoon that gets in now plans to stay until spring.

 

Harvey's Animal Evictions LLC is a licensed Massachusetts wildlife removal company based in Wilmington, with our shop in Medford. We humanely remove raccoons from Wakefield homes and businesses, and seal the entry points so the next one can't follow the same route in.

 

Signs raccoons have moved in

 

• Loud thumping or slow, heavy walking sounds in the attic or ceiling, mostly at night

• Scratching or chattering in the walls or chimney

• Droppings in the attic, on the roof, or at the base of the chimney

• Torn shingles, bent attic vents, or damage around soffits and roof returns

• Trash barrels tipped and raided, pet food cleaned out, bird feeders emptied overnight

• A strong, musky smell coming from the attic, chimney, or a wall void

 

Raccoons are strong, smart, and surprisingly good with their hands. A loose soffit panel, a chimney without a cap, or a small rotted gap at a roof return is all the invitation they need — and once a raccoon dens in an attic, it can shred insulation, chew wiring, and contaminate a wide area with droppings and urine.

 

Where Wakefield raccoons get in

 

Wakefield wraps around Lake Quannapowitt and Crystal Lake, and its streets — from the older colonials and Victorians near the lake and downtown to the capes and ranches in Greenwood and out toward the Reading line — sit between water, the Saugus River corridor, and wooded pockets like Breakheart Reservation just over the line in Saugus. That is year-round raccoon habitat, and in November every bit of it pushes raccoons toward houses:

 

• Chimneys without caps — a classic den, quiet and protected from weather and predators

• Soffits and roof returns — aged or rotted wood at the corners gives them an easy chew point

• Attic and gable vents — thin screens bend or tear under a determined raccoon

• Under porches, decks, and sheds — ground-level dens close to food and water

• Gaps where additions, dormers, and porches meet the house — every roofline change leaves small openings

 

Lakefront and tree-lined streets mean raccoons travel Wakefield's back fences and shoreline nightly. In November, every one of them is checking your house for a winter opening.

 

How we get them out — and keep them out

 

Every job starts with an inspection, which you can book online through our website. We don't give estimates over the phone or online, because the price depends on what we find: how they're getting in, how much damage there is, and what it takes to seal the house back up.

 

• Inspection — We find the entry points, check whether it's a single raccoon or a denning female, and assess the damage, then give you a clear plan and price before any work starts.

• Humane removal — Raccoons are trapped and removed safely and humanely, in line with Massachusetts regulations.

• Exclusion and repairs — We seal entry points with durable, animal-proof materials: chimney caps, vent covers, soffit and roof-line repairs. This is the step that keeps the problem from coming back.

• Cleanup — We can remove soiled insulation and nesting material and sanitize the space.

 

See our full raccoon removal process and our wildlife exclusion and damage repair services.

 

Why Wakefield homeowners call Harvey's

 

• Licensed Massachusetts Problem Animal Control agents

• Wildlife only — no bugs, mice, or rats; raccoons and other nuisance wildlife are all we do

• Removal + exclusion together — the raccoon is gone and the hole is sealed, so you're not doing this again in the spring

• 24/7 emergency service — a raccoon in the living space at 2 a.m. is a call we take

• Close by — based in Wilmington with our shop in Medford, we're in Wakefield for jobs every week and know the housing stock street by street

 

Wakefield raccoon questions

 

How much does raccoon removal cost in Wakefield?

It depends on the entry points, the damage, and the exclusion work needed, so we never quote a price without looking. Every job starts with an inspection — book online through our website, and the inspection fee is confirmed at booking. After the inspection, you get a clear price before any work starts.

 

A raccoon got in this week. Is it one animal or a family?

In November it's usually a single adult or a small group settling in for winter — the spring babies are grown and on their own by now. The inspection tells us exactly what's up there, and the removal plan follows from that.

 

Will raccoons come back after they're removed?

They try — raccoons follow scent back to dens that worked before. That's why we seal every entry point we find, not just the one they were using, with materials they can't tear out or bend back.

 

Do you handle other animals in Wakefield?

Yes — squirrels, bats, skunks, woodchucks, opossums, birds, and more, plus mole and vole lawn treatment. See the full list on our FAQ page.

 

Book your inspection

 

A raccoon denning in your attic for the winter only gets more expensive the longer it stays. Book an inspection online, or call 1-800-692-0406 — emergency service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.