Silver Bullet Pest ControlRaccoons don't sneak in — they break in. They pull off vent covers, tear soffits, climb into open chimneys and dig under decks and sheds. Silver Bullet Pest Control raccoon-proofs North Jersey homes with chimney caps, heavy vent guards, roofline repair and buried mesh barriers, so the next raccoon finds nothing to open.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • Licensed by NJ Fish & Wildlife for wildlife work • 15+ years • Based in Garfield • Hablamos español
Already have a raccoon inside? Call first — proofing comes after the animal and any kits are out. 973-510-2585.
Raccoon proofing in NJ means closing off every place a raccoon can den on your property — usually by capping the chimney, putting heavy guards on roof vents, repairing and reinforcing weak soffits and roof corners, and burying an L-shaped mesh barrier around decks, porches and sheds. It's done after any raccoons already living there are removed, and it works best together with locked trash cans and no outdoor pet food. Silver Bullet Pest Control installs all of it. Call or text 973-510-2585.
Raccoons look for dark, dry, protected spaces. On a typical North Jersey house these are the spots we check, and what we install:
| Where raccoons get in | What they're after | Raccoon proofing fix |
|---|---|---|
| Open chimney flue | A ready-made den, often for a mother with kits | Chimney cap with sturdy mesh |
| Roof and gable vents | Thin covers they can pull off to reach the attic | Heavy-gauge vent guards |
| Soffits and roof corners | Soft panels and gaps where roof lines meet | Repair the wood, then reinforce the corner |
| Under decks and porches | Dry, hidden space at ground level | Buried L-shaped mesh barrier |
| Under sheds | Dirt floor or open crawl space to dig under | Buried mesh around the perimeter |
| Garages and crawl spaces | Open doors, broken vents, food storage | Close openings, screen crawl-space vents |
| Trash cans and pet food | Easy meals that keep raccoons coming back | Locking lids, feed pets indoors |
Want to understand the break-in itself? Read how raccoons get into the attic.
Raccoon proofing seals a house up. That's exactly what you want — unless a raccoon is still in there. A raccoon sealed into an attic or chimney will tear its way out, and a mother sealed away from her kits will rip a new hole to get back to them, often in one night.
So every raccoon proofing job starts with an inspection to confirm the spaces are empty. If we find an animal, a den or kits, we remove them first (we're licensed by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife for this work), then do the proofing. If you think a raccoon is living in the attic right now, start with our page on raccoons in the attic.
Don't cap the chimney or block a deck opening yourself during spring without checking for kits first. Spring is when most raccoon babies in New Jersey are in dens.
An uncapped chimney looks like a hollow tree to a raccoon. They climb the brick, drop onto the smoke shelf or damper, and raise their kits there. Besides the noise and smell, a raccoon den in the flue can block it, which matters if you use a fireplace or the chimney vents a furnace or water heater.
We install chimney caps with sturdy mesh sides that keep raccoons, squirrels, birds and bats out while letting smoke and gases escape. If the chimney already has a cap that's rusted, bent or loose, we replace it.
One thing to know: if your chimney vents a gas or oil appliance, the cap has to be the right type for that flue. We'll talk it through, and you may want your heating contractor or a chimney sweep to look at the flue too.
More: chimney animal proofing in NJ and raccoon in the chimney.
Raccoons pull thin vent covers off with their hands. Heavy-gauge guards fastened over the vent keep the airflow and stop the tearing.
A soft or damaged soffit is an open invitation. We repair chewed or torn soffits, fascia and trim ourselves and reinforce the weak spot so it can't be pulled open again.
Where two roof lines meet, there are often gaps raccoons can widen. Closing these, plus trimming branches that reach the roof, takes away the easy routes up and in.
Raccoons, skunks and groundhogs all love the dark, dry space under a deck, porch or shed. Blocking the opening with lattice or a board doesn't last — they simply dig under it. The answer is a barrier that goes into the ground.
We install buried mesh barriers using an L-shaped design:
As always, we confirm nothing is living underneath before the barrier is closed. If there is, it's removed first — trapping a skunk or a mother raccoon under your deck creates a much bigger problem.
Related: skunk removal and groundhog removal and exclusion.
Proofing the house blocks the den. These four habits take away the reason raccoons visit in the first place:
Use cans with tight, locking lids, keep them in the garage or a bin enclosure, and put them out the morning of pickup when you can.
Bowls of dog or cat food on a porch are one of the biggest raccoon magnets. Bring food and water in at night.
Spilled seed under feeders feeds raccoons and rodents. Use trays, clean up often, or take feeders down for a while.
Grease traps, uncovered compost and fallen fruit all draw raccoons. Cover them or clean them up.
Store-bought repellents usually don't hold raccoons off for long. See what actually works as a raccoon deterrent and home remedies for squirrels and raccoons.
The best time is before you have a problem — late summer and fall work well for many homes, after the spring baby season and before raccoons look for winter dens. That said, proofing can be done any time of year once we've confirmed the spaces are empty.
Spring is the riskiest time to seal anything on your own, because mothers and kits are in dens. If you're doing work on the roof, adding solar panels or building a deck, it's a good moment to have proofing done at the same time.
See baby squirrel and raccoon season in NJ for more on timing.
Tell us where you've seen raccoons or damage — roof, chimney, deck or shed. We'll inspect the whole property and show you what needs to be capped, guarded, repaired or meshed.
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Raccoon proofing usually includes a chimney cap, heavy-gauge guards on roof and gable vents, repair and reinforcement of weak soffits and roof corners, and a buried L-shaped mesh barrier around decks, porches and sheds. We recommend what your property actually needs after an inspection.
Yes. A sturdy chimney cap with mesh sides is the most reliable way to keep raccoons out of a chimney. It also keeps out squirrels, birds and bats, and protects the flue from debris.
Install a buried mesh barrier. Mesh is fastened to the deck frame, run down into a trench and bent outward in an L, so a raccoon digging at the edge hits mesh. Lattice or boards alone don't work because raccoons dig under them.
Yes. Raccoons are strong and use their hands to pull off plastic and thin metal vent covers. Heavy-gauge guards fastened over the vent keep the airflow and stop the tearing.
It's worth it if your home has an uncapped chimney, weak soffits, thin vent covers or a deck or shed with open sides. Raccoons are common across North Jersey, and preventing a den costs less than removal, cleanup and repair.
Most don't work for long. Sprays, granules, lights and noise may move a raccoon for a night or two, but a raccoon that wants a den or has kits will come back. Physical barriers and removing food sources work far better.
No. Every opening is checked first. If an animal or kits are inside, they're removed before anything is sealed, so nothing is trapped and no mother tears a new hole to get back in.
Yes. We repair torn soffits, fascia and trim ourselves, and if raccoons were in the attic we also do HEPA cleanup and insulation removal and replacement.
Yes. We install buried mesh barriers under decks, porches and sheds. The same barrier also helps keep out skunks and groundhogs.
We're based in Garfield and serve Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties. We also serve towns in Morris and Union counties; those visits are scheduled ahead.
Sí. Instalamos tapas de chimenea, protectores de ventilación y malla enterrada debajo de terrazas y cobertizos. Hablamos español: 973-510-2585.
From our base in Garfield we raccoon-proof homes throughout Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
