Raccoon Control in Great Falls, MT

Hearing scratching in the attic of your Great Falls, MT home at night? In Great Falls, here's what's likely up there, the right way to get it out, and how to keep raccoons away for good.

Great Falls, Montana cityscape
Great Falls at a glance
14 in.rain a year
57%average humidity
13°Ftypical winter low
85°Ftypical summer high
The short version

Around Great Falls, MT, raccoon control means three jobs: live-trap and remove the raccoon, seal the entry it used, and secure the trash and food that drew it in. In Great Falls, raccoons are a rabies vector — keep your distance and call a licensed professional.

  • Around Great Falls, MT, raccoons are nocturnal and den in attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces.
  • They're a primary rabies vector — a daytime raccoon around Great Falls, MT can be sick.
  • Trapping and relocation are regulated, so removal around Great Falls, MT is a licensed professional's job.
  • Seal the entry and secure the trash around Great Falls, MT, or the next raccoon moves in.

For anyone in Great Falls, MT hearing nighttime noises in the attic, seeing raccoons near the house, or finding droppings. If a raccoon around Great Falls, MT is acting sick or aggressive, call animal control first.

What to look for

Raccoons don't wander into a Great Falls, MT attic by accident — they're looking for a warm, dry den, especially in spring when females birth their kits. Around Great Falls, MT, raccoons are heaviest in spring, when females den from March through June, with a second push in fall, and the common raccoon is the only species you'll meet. In Great Falls, the real problem isn't the raccoon you hear; it's the entry it found and the food that drew it close.

  • In Great Falls, MT, the clearest sign is scratching or thumping overhead at night — raccoons are nocturnal and den in attics.
  • Around Great Falls, torn shingles, a bent soffit, or a damaged chimney cap marks where a raccoon forced its way in.
  • Tipped trash cans and scattered garbage around a Great Falls home are classic raccoon work.
  • A raccoon latrine — repeated droppings in one spot in a Great Falls attic or yard — is a health concern, not just a mess.
  • In Great Falls, MT, a raccoon wandering in daylight can signal rabies or distemper, so keep your distance and call.
  • Around Great Falls, noises and young kits crying in the wall in spring mean a mother has denned to raise a litter.

Why it’s worth acting soon

  • Around Great Falls, MT, raccoons are a primary rabies vector (CDC), so a daytime or aggressive raccoon is a genuine safety risk.
  • Raccoon roundworm eggs in a Great Falls, MT latrine can survive for years and cause serious illness if ingested (CDC) — cleanup needs care.
  • A mother raccoon denning in a Great Falls, MT attic in spring will damage insulation and structure raising her litter.
  • Leaving a Great Falls, MT entry open means the next raccoon moves in after the first is removed — the gap doesn't fix itself.
14 inAverage annual rainfall in Great FallsNOAA U.S. Climate Normals
85°FTypical summer high in Great FallsNOAA U.S. Climate Normals
57%Average humidity in Great FallsNOAA U.S. Climate Normals
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Do you have a raccoon problem?

Treatment options and typical costs

Inspection and entry mapping

$150–$300

A provider finds every gap a raccoon could use on your Great Falls, MT home — roofline, soffits, chimney, and vents — and confirms whether one is denning now.

Time
45–90 minutes
Best for
Any Great Falls, MT sighting or noise.

Trapping and removal

$300–$600

Live trapping and removal of the raccoon, done legally — Montana regulates wildlife handling, so around Great Falls a licensed operator does this work.

Time
1–3 days
Best for
A raccoon denning in a Great Falls, MT attic, chimney, or crawl space now.

Exclusion and repair

$400–$1,500+

Sealing the entry points and repairing the damage so the next raccoon can't follow — the part that actually lasts on a Great Falls, MT home.

Time
Half day to a full day
Best for
Repeat visitors or a Great Falls, MT home with known gaps.

Cleanup and disinfection

$300–$1,000+

Removing a Great Falls, MT latrine and contaminated insulation safely, with proper gear, so the roundworm risk is handled and the attic is usable again.

Time
Half day to a day
Best for
A Great Falls, MT attic or crawl space with droppings.

Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.

Attic rafters above pink insulation with a soffit vent
Inside, look for flattened insulation, latrines and nesting spots. Leave cleanup to someone with the right gear.

Raccoons around Great Falls.

Around Great Falls, the raccoon you'll meet is the common raccoon — nocturnal, omnivorous, and clever with its paws. In Great Falls, it's drawn to unsecured trash, pet food, and the warm, dry space of an attic or chimney, especially in spring when females den to raise kits.

When raccoon season runs around Great Falls.

Great Falls is with around 57% average humidity and summer highs near 85°F. Around Great Falls, MT, raccoon activity is heaviest in spring, when females den from March through June, with a second push in fall. In Great Falls, spring is when you'll hear kits in the wall; fall is the second push as they look for winter shelter.

A soffit corner torn open, with splintered wood and a dark hole
Torn soffits like this are typical raccoon damage. Seal with heavy metal mesh once they're gone.

How they get into Great Falls homes.

In Great Falls, raccoons enter through the roof — torn soffits, bent vents, uncapped chimneys, and loose shingles are the usual doors. Around Great Falls, overhanging tree branches make those entries easier, which is why trimming them back is part of prevention.

The risks around Great Falls, MT.

Two risks matter. Raccoons are a primary rabies vector, so a raccoon wandering in daylight around Great Falls, MT should be treated as possibly sick. Their droppings can carry raccoon roundworm, which is dangerous if ingested. Neither is a DIY situation.

Getting them out the right way around Great Falls.

In Great Falls, the humane, legal method is live trapping by a licensed provider, then exclusion and cleanup. Around Great Falls, a provider will also check for kits — separating a mother from a litter is both inhumane and a mess you don't want in your attic.

The three jobs of raccoon control in Great Falls.

- Every raccoon problem around Great Falls is three jobs in order. - Get the animal out: live-trap and relocate it, legally and humanely. In Great Falls, - Close the door on the Great Falls attic: seal the roofline, cap the chimney, screen the vents, and wait for the young to leave; around Great Falls trapping is usually deferred until late summer. In Great Falls, - Remove the reason: lock the bins, pull pet food in at night, and pick up fallen fruit; Great Falls yards with bird feeders are a steady draw.

In Great Falls, a quote usually covers only the first job — ask which of the three it covers.

What raccoon control costs in Great Falls.

In Great Falls, published ranges put trapping and removal around $300 to $600, with exclusion, repair, and cleanup adding more. For a Great Falls home, the four things that move the price are the entry points, whether a litter is present, whether a latrine needs cleaning, and the repair work.

What affects the price

  • Whether raccoons are denning in a Great Falls, MT attic versus just passing through the yard.
  • The number and location of entry points on a Great Falls, MT home that need sealing.
  • Whether a litter is present — removal is more involved when kits are involved on a Great Falls, MT property.
  • Whether a Great Falls, MT latrine needs cleanup and disinfection.
  • The repair work required after a raccoon damages a Great Falls, MT roofline or soffit.
  • Emergency or same-day calls around Great Falls, MT usually cost more.
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What worries you most about raccoons?

When to call for help

In Great Falls, MT, call a professional when a raccoon is denning in the attic, chimney, or crawl space, when you see one wandering in daylight, or when you find a latrine. Raccoon handling is regulated in Montana, and a licensed provider has the right traps, gear, and knowledge to do it safely and legally.

What you can do yourself

Around Great Falls, MT, prevention is safely yours: secure the trash, cap the chimney, trim the branches, and screen the vents. What isn't yours is the raccoon itself in Great Falls — trapping and relocation are regulated, and a cornered mother protecting kits will fight. The cleanup is a pro's job too, because roundworm eggs in a Great Falls latrine are a real health hazard.

Raccoons in Great Falls

Great Falls is a city founded in 1884, with summer highs near 85°F. Around Great Falls, MT, raccoon activity is heaviest in spring, when females den from March through June, with a second push in fall. In Great Falls, raccoons are nocturnal and den in attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces — and because they're a rabies vector, removal belongs with a licensed professional.

Local research

Raccoons in Great Falls, MT: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which raccoons actually live in Montana, when they are busiest around Great Falls, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

When raccoons are busiest around Great Falls

April-August denning. Missouri and Minnesota advise deferring trapping until young leave; 24-hour reporting rules apply.

Based on Great Falls’s semi-arid continental climate profile.

For context, nationally

  • 29% — Share of U.S. rabid animals that are raccoons. CDC
  • 10% — Raccoons that expose people or pets and turn out rabid (within endemic range). CDC

Sources: CDC. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Simple ways to keep raccoons away

  • Around Great Falls, MT, secure trash cans with locking lids and take them out only on pickup morning.
  • On a Great Falls home, cap the chimney and screen vents and soffits so raccoons can't climb in.
  • In Great Falls, MT, trim tree branches back from the roof — raccoons climb them to reach the house.
  • Around Great Falls, seal gaps under porches, decks, and sheds where raccoons could den.
  • In Great Falls, MT, remove pet food and bird feeders at night, which draw raccoons close.
  • Around Great Falls, check the roofline each spring and fall for new gaps before denning season.
A vent pipe sealed with metal mesh beside gloves and snips
Heavy metal mesh keeps raccoons out of vents. Foam and light screen won't.

Did you know?

Around Great Falls, MT, the raccoon's sensitive front paws let it open latches, turn knobs, and untie knots.

A raccoon in Great Falls can remember a solved problem for up to three years.

Raccoon roundworm eggs in a Montana latrine can survive for years in the soil — which is why cleanup needs care.

Questions people ask

When do raccoons den in Great Falls, MT?

Around Great Falls, MT, raccoon activity is heaviest in spring, when females den from March through June, with a second push in fall. Spring is the denning season — females move into attics and chimneys to birth and raise kits — which is when most Great Falls conflicts start.

Are raccoons dangerous around Great Falls, MT?

Yes, for two reasons around Great Falls, MT. Raccoons are a primary rabies vector, and a raccoon active in daylight near Great Falls can be sick. In Great Falls, their droppings also carry raccoon roundworm, a serious health hazard — so keep your distance and don't handle either.

How do I get a raccoon out of my Great Falls attic?

Call a licensed provider — in Montana, raccoon trapping and relocation are regulated, and a mother with kits needs special handling. Don't block the entry while the raccoon is still inside your Great Falls attic, or you'll trap it in your home.

What does raccoon removal cost in Great Falls, MT?

For a Great Falls, MT home, published ranges put trapping and removal around $300 to $600, with exclusion, repair, and cleanup adding more. Your final price in Great Falls depends on the entry points and whether a litter or latrine is involved.

Can I trap a raccoon myself in Great Falls, MT?

In most states, no — wildlife trapping and relocation are regulated, and Montana is no exception. Around Great Falls, MT, a licensed provider is required, and doing it wrong can separate a mother from her kits or expose you to rabies and roundworm.

Why do raccoons keep coming back to my Great Falls, MT home?

Because around Great Falls, MT the entry is still open and the food is still available. If the roof gap on your Great Falls home stays unsealed and the trash stays accessible, each removal just makes room for the next raccoon. Seal the entry and secure the food.

What should I do if I see a raccoon in daylight around Great Falls, MT?

Around Great Falls, MT, keep people and pets away and don't approach it — daytime activity in raccoons can mean rabies or distemper. Call animal control or a wildlife professional serving Great Falls to handle it.

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Sources (4)

The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Raccoon Exterminator · Updated October 13, 2026 · How we write these guides

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