You hear something in your attic. It wakes you up at night, or maybe you catch it during the day. Your first thought is probably "what is that?" and your second thought is "how do I get rid of it?" But before you can solve the problem, you need to know exactly what you're dealing with.
Raccoons and squirrels are the two most common attic invaders across New Jersey, and they account for the vast majority of calls we get. The good news is that they leave very different evidence behind. The bad news is that if you guess wrong, you could waste time and money on the wrong approach. Here is how to tell them apart.
The Sounds Are Completely Different
This is usually the first clue homeowners pick up on, and it is one of the most reliable. Raccoons and squirrels move through an attic in fundamentally different ways.
Raccoon sounds
Raccoons are heavy animals. An adult raccoon in New Jersey can weigh anywhere from 15 to 35 pounds, and they do not move quietly. When a raccoon walks through your attic, you will hear slow, heavy thumping. Think of the sound a medium-sized dog would make walking across a wooden floor above you. It is deliberate, weighted, and unmistakable.
Raccoons are also vocal. You will often hear chittering, growling, or even purring. If a mother raccoon has babies in the attic (very common in spring), you will also hear high-pitched whining and crying from the kits. This is one of the clearest giveaways. If you hear both heavy movement and vocalizations, you almost certainly have raccoons.
Squirrel sounds
Squirrels sound entirely different. They are fast, light, and frantic. You will hear rapid scurrying and scratching, almost like someone rolling marbles across the ceiling. The movement is quick and darting, with lots of starts and stops.
The other telltale squirrel sound is gnawing. Squirrels need to chew constantly to keep their teeth from overgrowing, and they will gnaw on wood, wiring, and anything else in your attic. If you hear persistent chewing sounds, especially in the morning or late afternoon, squirrels are very likely the cause.
Droppings Tell the Whole Story
Nobody wants to go poking around in animal droppings, but if you can safely get a look into your attic, the droppings alone can tell you exactly what species you are dealing with.
Raccoon droppings
Raccoon droppings are large, typically about 2 to 3 inches long and roughly the size of a small dog's waste. They are dark, tubular, and often found in a concentrated pile. Raccoons tend to use the same spot repeatedly, creating what is called a "raccoon latrine." This is both a clear identification marker and a serious health hazard. Raccoon feces can contain Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm parasite that is dangerous to humans. This is one reason why professional cleanup matters.
Squirrel droppings
Squirrel droppings are much smaller. They look like dark, oblong pellets, roughly the size of a grain of rice or slightly larger. They are usually scattered around rather than concentrated in one spot. You will find them along their travel paths, near entry points, and around any food they have stored. While less immediately dangerous than raccoon waste, squirrel droppings still pose health risks and should not be left to accumulate.
Damage Patterns: Brute Force vs. Precision Chewing
This is where the differences really start to matter for your wallet. Raccoons and squirrels cause very different types of damage, and the repair costs can vary significantly depending on which animal got in.
How raccoons damage your attic
Raccoons are strong. Remarkably strong. They can rip apart ductwork with their hands, shred insulation into nesting material, and tear off soffits and fascia boards to create entry points. We regularly see raccoons that have pulled apart entire sections of soffit or bent back aluminum flashing like it was tinfoil.
Raccoon damage tends to be large-scale and immediately visible. Torn insulation, displaced ductwork, damaged vapor barriers, and saturated insulation from urine are all classic signs. In severe cases, raccoons can compromise the structural integrity of the attic, especially when they tear through roof decking or damage support beams.
How squirrels damage your attic
Squirrel damage looks very different. Instead of tearing things apart, squirrels chew through them. They gnaw on wood trim, create holes in fascia boards, and chew on PVC pipes. But the most dangerous damage squirrels cause is to electrical wiring.
Squirrels chewing through wires is a genuine fire hazard. The National Fire Protection Association has identified rodent damage to wiring as a contributing factor in residential fires. We have seen attics where squirrels chewed through multiple wire runs, leaving exposed copper in direct contact with insulation. It is not a matter of if it could cause a fire. It is a matter of when.
Squirrels also create smaller nests using shredded insulation, leaves, and other materials they bring in from outside. The damage per square foot tends to be less dramatic than raccoon damage, but it accumulates over time, especially since squirrels often go unnoticed longer.
Entry Points: Big Holes vs. Tiny Gaps
The way an animal gets into your attic says a lot about what that animal is. Entry point size is one of the fastest ways to make an identification.
Raccoon entry points
Raccoons need a hole roughly 4 to 6 inches in diameter to enter an attic, and if the hole does not exist, they will make one. They commonly target roof-soffit intersections, gable vents, and roof edges where they can get leverage to pry materials apart. Because they use brute force, raccoon entry points tend to look torn, bent, or ripped open. You might see pulled-back flashing, broken vent covers, or sections of soffit that have been physically detached from the structure.
Squirrel entry points
Squirrels can fit through a hole as small as 1.5 inches in diameter. That is roughly the size of a quarter. They target construction gaps, deteriorated trim, and spots where utility lines enter the building. Unlike raccoons, squirrels create their entry points by chewing. You will see clean, round holes with visible teeth marks on the edges, often at corners or edges where two building materials meet.
One common squirrel entry point in New Jersey homes is where the gutter line meets the roofline. There is often a small gap at the junction, and squirrels will chew it just wide enough to squeeze through. If you see a suspiciously neat round hole at your roofline, that is a squirrel.
Behavior Patterns and Timing
When the noises happen can be just as telling as what they sound like.
Raccoons are nocturnal
Raccoons are active at night. You will hear them leaving the attic at dusk and returning in the early morning hours. During the day, the attic will be quiet because the raccoon is sleeping. If you only hear sounds between roughly 9 PM and 6 AM, raccoons are the most likely culprit.
Raccoons also tend to stay. Once a raccoon finds a warm, safe attic, it does not leave voluntarily. A female raccoon looking for a place to have her kits (typically March through May in NJ) will settle in and stay for weeks or months.
Squirrels are diurnal
Squirrels are active during the day, with peak activity in the early morning and late afternoon. If you hear noises at 6 AM and again around 4 PM but nothing at night, you are almost certainly dealing with squirrels.
Squirrels also come and go frequently. Unlike raccoons that stay inside for long periods, squirrels leave multiple times per day to forage for food. You may hear the sound of them entering and exiting through their hole repeatedly throughout the day. This constant traffic is a strong indicator.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Raccoon | Squirrel |
|---|---|---|
| Sounds | Heavy thumping, chittering, growling | Fast scurrying, persistent gnawing |
| Active hours | Nighttime (9 PM to 6 AM) | Daytime (early morning, late afternoon) |
| Droppings | Large (2-3 inches), concentrated piles | Small pellets (rice-sized), scattered |
| Entry hole size | 4 to 6 inches, torn edges | 1.5 inches, chewed and round |
| Damage style | Tearing, ripping, brute force | Chewing, gnawing (especially wires) |
| Biggest risk | Structural damage, health hazards | Electrical fire from chewed wires |
| Behavior | Stays inside, territorial | Comes and goes multiple times daily |
Why Correct Identification Matters for Removal
Knowing whether you have a raccoon or a squirrel is not just trivia. It directly affects the removal strategy, the cost, and the timeline.
Raccoon removal typically involves humane trapping or one-way exclusion devices installed at the entry point. If there are babies present (common from March through June), they must be removed by hand before the entry point is sealed. New Jersey law prohibits relocating raccoons more than a short distance from the capture site, so working with a licensed wildlife control operator who understands state regulations is critical.
Squirrel removal relies heavily on one-way exclusion doors. These devices let squirrels leave through their entry point but prevent them from getting back in. Because squirrels leave the attic multiple times per day to forage, exclusion doors are extremely effective. However, every single secondary entry point must be sealed first, or the squirrels will simply find another way in. This is where thorough inspection matters.
The cleanup and restoration process also differs. Raccoon contamination usually requires more extensive insulation removal and sanitization due to the volume of waste and the risk of roundworm. Squirrel jobs typically require a careful inspection of all electrical wiring in addition to insulation work.
Getting the identification wrong means using the wrong exclusion strategy, sealing the wrong size holes, and potentially missing the real health or safety risks. We have been called to homes where a previous company treated for squirrels when the homeowner actually had raccoons. The undersized exclusion devices did not work, and the problem continued for months.
When to Call a Professional
If you can clearly identify what is in your attic based on the signs above, you already know what the next step should be. Do not wait. Both raccoons and squirrels cause damage that gets more expensive to repair the longer the animals stay.
Raccoon damage accelerates quickly. A raccoon can destroy several thousand dollars worth of insulation and ductwork in a matter of weeks. Squirrel damage is more gradual but potentially more dangerous because of the fire risk from chewed wiring.
If you are still not sure what you are hearing, that is perfectly fine. A professional inspection will identify the species, locate all entry points, and assess the damage in about 30 to 45 minutes. We offer free inspections throughout New Jersey, and there is no pressure or obligation. Sometimes peace of mind starts with just knowing what you are dealing with.