Raccoons, Opossums and Skunks: A Texas Homeowner's Wildlife Guide
When a raccoon, opossum or skunk moves into an attic, chimney or the space under a house, the lasting fix is exclusion: make sure the animal and any young are out, then seal the opening so nothing else moves in. Trapping alone rarely solves it, and Texas law strictly limits what can be done with a live raccoon or skunk. Don't handle the animal, and don't seal a hole that's still in use.
To have a technician find the entry points and explain your options, call or text (210) 281-1064 or book online.
Which animal do you have? #
All three are mostly active at night, so the clues are usually sounds, smells and damage.
- Raccoon. Texas Parks and Wildlife lists raccoons at 33 to 45 inches long and 7 to 20 pounds, and calls them almost entirely nocturnal. They make dens in chimneys, attics and crawl spaces under houses, and TPWD warns they can do a lot of damage in an attic. Signs include chirping from a chimney, brown smudges around an opening and torn shingles. University of Nebraska Extension says a hole 4 to 6 inches across is enough for one to get in.
- Opossum. About the size of a house cat, grayish, with a bare, scaly tail. TPWD says opossums hole up beneath buildings and in attics and usually raise two litters a year.
- Striped skunk. Black with a white stripe down each side and largely nocturnal. AgriLife says skunks den under houses and only rarely in attics, and that the spray can reach about 10 feet. The City of San Antonio adds decks, woodpiles and dumps to the list of den sites.
A simple test for a skunk den: AgriLife suggests sprinkling flour at the hole and checking after dark for tracks leading out.
When do babies show up? #
Spring is the critical season. Sources differ on raccoon litters: TPWD says up to 4 young, while a 2008 AgriLife publication says 3 to 5 born in February or March. Skunks have young in spring too; TPWD puts the average at 5, born in early May. Raccoon young in a chimney leave in about 6 to 8 weeks, according to UNL.
That's why San Antonio Animal Care Services advises skipping live traps between early spring and early fall, since that's when young may still rely on their mother (ACS raccoon guidance). Removing or shutting out the mother can leave babies trapped inside, which creates a worse problem.
Are these animals dangerous? #
Keep your distance and keep pets away. The main health concerns:
- Rabies. DSHS classifies skunks, bats, foxes, coyotes and raccoons as high-risk rabies animals, while opossums and rodents are low-risk. AgriLife describes skunks as one of the main sources of rabies in the state. In the Hill Country, the DSHS 2025 rabies report describes rabid foxes increasing over several years in a seven-county part of Central Texas, with Kendall and Comal counties among them.
- Warning signs. DSHS points to unexplained paralysis or a change in behavior, such as a night animal wandering around in daylight.
- Raccoon roundworm. The CDC says eggs in raccoon droppings become infectious in 2 to 4 weeks, so latrines in attics or on decks should be cleaned up promptly and carefully.
- Fleas and typhus. AgriLife notes opossums can carry flea-borne (murine) typhus. See our flea guide.
If a wild animal bites or scratches someone, wash the wound, get medical care and report it. In San Antonio, Animal Care Services steps in when a wild animal has injured a person or pet with a bite or scratch. For a sick or injured animal, ACS lists Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation at 830-336-2725.
What do Texas rules say? #
Here's the short version (not legal advice):
- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Code classifies all three animals as fur-bearers.
- A landowner, or someone acting for the landowner, can capture a nuisance fur-bearer there without a license, though keeping the animal isn't allowed.
- Moving a nuisance fur-bearer to another property needs TPWD's authorization, consent from whoever owns the release site, and a report each month (TPWD nuisance fur-bearer rules).
- Traps for fur-bearers, live traps included, have to be checked at intervals of no more than 36 hours.
- The state rabies quarantine bans transporting live raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes anywhere in, into or out of Texas; breaking it is a Class C misdemeanor. The DSHS transport rules allow only narrow exemptions, with release limited to within 10 miles of the capture site and in the same county.
- Opossums aren't covered by the quarantine, but the TPWD rule on moving fur-bearers still applies.
You may still see advice about driving a trapped raccoon or skunk out to the woods. Under the state rules, that's not something to do yourself.
What should you do now? #
Do:
- Figure out what attracted it in the first place; it's usually something to eat, drink or hide under. Lock down trash cans and bring pet bowls in at night.
- Give the animal one easy way out. San Antonio ACS suggests blocking the other openings, leaving one, and sealing it only after it has stayed undisturbed for several days. ACS also notes a family won't stay forever, often a month or two or less.
- Cap chimneys and fit attic vents with 1/2-inch hardware cloth on the inside, as UNL and University of Missouri Extension recommend.
- Once a skunk has left, close the den opening with sheet metal or hardware cloth, per AgriLife.
Don't:
- Seal an opening that's still in use. UNL warns you can trap young inside.
- Count on trapping. ACS calls live trapping an ineffective way to control yard wildlife, because removing one animal just opens the spot for another.
- Pick up, move or release a live raccoon or skunk.
- Buy repellents or poisons for raccoons; AgriLife says none are registered for them.
ACS also says it does not pick up wildlife or lend traps for catching it.
What about squirrels? #
Squirrels are game animals in Texas and follow their own rules, so our advice for them is about keeping them out. The fox squirrel is the most common in Texas and, unlike raccoons, it's active by day; daytime noise in an attic is a good clue. University of Missouri Extension says squirrels chew wiring, siding and insulation. Fox squirrels have two breeding seasons, January–February and May–June, and their young venture out after 7 to 8 weeks. Cornell notes that one-way doors sometimes work, but squirrels may chew back in elsewhere, so full exclusion is the reliable long-term fix: trim branches away from the roof, screen vents and close gaps. Scratching only at night points more toward rats, mice or one of the nocturnal animals above; see our rodent guide.
How does Pest Trappers handle wildlife? #
TDA's pest control license category names skunks, raccoons and opossums alongside rats and mice, and we handle these three animals across Boerne, Bulverde, Helotes, Wimberley and Bandera, as well as San Antonio.
- Inspection. The technician identifies the animal, finds every entry point and checks for young before anything is sealed.
- Options within the rules. You'll hear which approaches fit your situation and what Texas Parks and Wildlife and DSHS rabies rules allow. We don't promise to take animals elsewhere.
- Exclusion. Openings are closed once the animal is out, so another one doesn't move in.
- Licensed work. The work is done under Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549), a family-owned San Antonio company.
Pricing is quoted after the inspection. Book online or call or text (210) 281-1064, and the office will confirm your time. Se habla español. See also our pages on raccoon removal, skunk removal and opossum removal.