Why Squirrels and Raccoons Move Into Ontario Attics This Summer (June 2026)

Quick answer: Late June is peak baby season for Ontario raccoons and squirrels, and a quiet, sheltered attic is exactly what a mother is looking for to raise a litter. Scratching overhead, daytime noise, or stained ceilings mean it’s already happening. Removal now must be humane and timed around the young — and that’s a job for a licensed pro, not a trap from the hardware store.

If you’re hearing thumps, scratching, or scurrying above your bedroom ceiling this June, you don’t have a “maybe later” problem — you likely have a den. Across Ontario right now, raccoons and squirrels are moving into attics to birth and raise their young, and they’ve chosen your home because it’s warm, dry, and undisturbed. In a well-kept home, wildlife in the attic isn’t something you monitor. It’s something you resolve.

The instinct to grab a trap and handle it over the weekend is understandable — and in June it’s the single most common way homeowners turn a small problem into an expensive, smelly one. Here’s what’s actually happening and how to deal with it properly.

What’s happening in Ontario attics right now

What’s happening	What to do
Raccoons birth litters in spring and again in June; squirrels breed into late summer	Treat new attic noise as active denning, not a one-off
Mothers seek quiet, sheltered attics to raise young	Book an inspection before the litter grows and spreads
Juveniles chew wiring and shred insulation	Get a wiring and entry-point assessment — fire risk is real
Maternity season runs ~March–August in Ontario	Removal must be humane and timed around the babies
DIY trapping often orphans the young	Use a licensed operator who removes the family together

Why are squirrels and raccoons getting into attics in June?

Because it’s baby season. Raccoons in Ontario have birthing periods in spring and again around June, and squirrels breed into late summer — so mid-summer is prime time for a mother to claim a warm, quiet attic as a nursery. Your roofline offers everything a den needs: shelter from weather, safety from predators, and no disturbance.

Grey and red squirrels can squeeze through gaps as small as 40 mm — about the width of two fingers — so a small soffit gap, a loose roof vent, or a rotted fascia board is all the invitation required. Raccoons are stronger and will tear open weak spots to get in.

Is wildlife in the attic actually dangerous, or just noisy?

It’s both — and the danger is the part homeowners underestimate. The two real risks are fire and disease. Raccoons and squirrels gnaw on electrical wiring, and chewed wiring is a documented house-fire hazard; they also shred insulation for nesting, which drives up energy bills and can mean a full insulation replacement.

The health risk is more serious than most people realize. Worms & Germs Blog, run by veterinary public-health experts, reports that roughly 95% of raccoon feces in Ontario carry the raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) — a parasite whose eggs can cause a difficult-to-treat and potentially fatal infection in people and pets. A raccoon latrine in your attic isn’t a mess to sweep up; it’s a contamination that needs professional decontamination.

Can I just trap and remove them myself?

In June, this is exactly the wrong move. If a mother is raising young, trapping and relocating her leaves the babies behind — hidden, dependent, and unable to survive. Within days you have a far worse problem: decomposition, odour, and flies inside your attic. It’s also restricted: in Ontario it’s generally not permitted to disturb wildlife during maternity season (roughly March to August) except for health or safety reasons.

Be honest about the trade-off. DIY here isn’t a money-saver — it’s a time-and-risk gamble that frequently ends in orphaned animals, a contaminated attic, repeat entries through the same unsealed hole, and a professional call anyway. The efficient path is to have the family removed together, humanely, and the entry points sealed once — properly.

How professionals handle it the right way

Inspect the roofline and attic to confirm the species, locate the den, and identify every entry point.
Remove humanely, family intact. During baby season that means reuniting or relocating the young with the mother — never trapping her and leaving them.
Decontaminate any latrine or soiled insulation to remove roundworm and other health hazards.
Seal entry points properly — soffits, vents, fascia, and gaps as small as 40 mm — so the next animal can’t simply move in.
Verify and monitor to confirm the attic stays empty.

Ontario homeowners: what to check this week

If you’re in Toronto, Oakville, Barrie, Innisfil, or anywhere across the GTA and Central Ontario, do a five-minute scan now:

Listen at dawn and dusk for scratching, thumping, or scurrying overhead.
Walk the exterior and look up — check soffits, roof vents, fascia, and the chimney for holes, stains, or torn screening.
Look for greasy rub marks or paw prints near roof edges and downspouts.
Scan the lawn and deck for droppings or a latrine area.
Note any daytime activity on the roof — a strong sign of a nursing mother coming and going.

Spot any of these and the right next step is a professional residential pest control and wildlife removal inspection — not a trap.

Why Sani IQ

Sani IQ is a licensed, insured, owner-operated Ontario company offering professional pest control and humane wildlife removal, with 108 five-star Google reviews and a satisfaction guarantee. Our approach is humane removal, proper decontamination, and permanent exclusion — sealing the home so the problem doesn’t repeat next season, rather than catch-and-release that leaves the door open. Because we’re a local operator, every attic gets a real inspection and a real plan. See our plans & pricing for transparent, up-front quotes; wildlife jobs are priced after a quick inspection.

The bottom line

Attic noise in June isn’t background — it’s a mother raising young in your home, with fire and health risks attached. The clean fix is humane removal of the whole family and proper sealing, done once, by a licensed pro. Don’t lose a weekend to a trap that orphans babies and seals nothing.

Call (705) 302-1887 or book a free inspection at saniiq.com/contact.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if it’s squirrels or raccoons in my attic? Squirrels are lighter and most active at dawn and during the day, with quick scurrying sounds. Raccoons are heavier — you’ll hear distinct thumps, dragging, and vocal chittering, usually at night. A technician confirms the species during inspection and checks for young before removal.

Why can’t I just remove them now? Because June is maternity season. Trapping a mother leaves hidden babies behind to die in your attic, creating odour and contamination, and disturbing wildlife during the March–August season is generally restricted in Ontario except for health or safety reasons. Humane, family-intact removal is the correct route.

Are raccoons in my attic a health risk? Yes. Roughly 95% of raccoon feces in Ontario carry raccoon roundworm, whose eggs can cause a serious, hard-to-treat infection in humans and pets. A raccoon latrine in an attic requires professional decontamination, not ordinary cleanup.

Will they come back after they’re removed? Only if the entry points aren’t sealed. Animals follow scent and reuse old holes, and squirrels can re-enter through gaps as small as 40 mm. Proper exclusion — sealing every soffit, vent, and fascia gap — is what makes removal permanent.

How much does wildlife removal cost in Ontario? It depends on the species, the access, and whether decontamination and repairs are needed, so it’s quoted after a quick inspection rather than as a flat rate. Sani IQ provides a clear, up-front quote before any work begins — no hidden fees.

Sources: Ontario raccoon roundworm prevalence and health risk, Worms & Germs Blog (veterinary public health); raccoon/squirrel baby-season timing and Ontario maternity-season rules, Affordable Wildlife Control and Ontario wildlife removal regulations.