How raccoons get onto your balcony, and how to cut the route

Guide 29 October 2026 · 3 min read

Raccoons climb

A raccoon’s front paws work almost like hands, and it climbs trees, downspouts and rough walls with ease. One that reaches your balcony has a route, and it will use the same one again.

Find the route

At dusk, stand at your railing and look at everything that touches or nearly touches the balcony:

• Trees and branches within jumping distance of the railing or roof.
• Downspouts and building corners it can climb.
• The neighbour’s balcony, below or beside yours.
• Trellises, vines and stacked furniture against the wall or railing.

Muddy paw prints and soil scattered from the railing toward one corner show which way it came.

Cut it

Québec’s advice for keeping raccoons out of buildings is to block the way up: trim branches and fit metal sheeting on building corners so there’s nothing to grip. On a balcony, that means asking your building to trim branches near the railing, taking down trellises and vines, and moving furniture away from the railing so it can’t serve as a step. Downspouts and corners belong to the building, so ask before attaching anything.

Then remove the reason to come

A route only matters if there’s something at the end of it. Bring pet food in at night, keep garbage and compost in bins with locking lids, take down bird feeders and cover planter soil with mesh. Our raccoon guide covers each step.

Don’t trap it yourself

Moving a raccoon is regulated. In Ontario, an animal caught to protect your property must be released within one kilometre and within 24 hours. In parts of Québec with raccoon rabies, moving raccoons is prohibited. If one is inside your home, call a licensed wildlife control service.

Stay safe

Raccoon droppings can carry roundworm eggs. Clean them up promptly with gloves, bag them and wash your hands. Keep away from a raccoon that looks sick or unusually bold, and keep pets inside at night if one is visiting.

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