Raccoons are a problem. However, they have also protected wildlife so harming them is a big no-no. While trapping is legal the raccoon can starve to death if left in the trap too long, for this reason, it is considered inhumane by most people. It also takes an exceedingly long time and often catches the wrong animal including the neighbour cat or dog who actually cannot properly fit in the cage. That could be a lawsuit waiting to happen. If you do want to do trapping warn your neighbours to keep their animals inside or on a lead outside so they cannot get to the traps. However, if the raccoon is on your property just wandering around then you should not do anything. Even if it defecates regularly it is better to spend the money to have it professionally cleaned than to bother with trying to trap it. What does work is affecting your property? If you eat outside, have backyard barbeques or feed your pets outside then there will be plenty of food to attract all kinds of wildlife and rodents. If your garbage is not locked then a heavy rock is not going to protect it from a raccoon. So get a padlock and garbage containers that can be locked and keep them stored in the garage or shed. Take it the morning of, not the night before.
This will dramatically limit the number of animals on your property. Bird feeders and baths, leaky hoses and any source of water like a large buddle in the driveway will attract animals to your property as well. So take precautions, fix any drainage issues with your property’s foundation and take food security seriously. If you do all of this then there should never be an animal in your yard. However, if there is and it’s been wandering around for a while there is a good chance it is living on your property. They can enter almost anything from sleeping in a window box or lying on a deck but when they get into your attic, or especially, under your deck the situation goes from cute to dangerous. The damage they can do, dragging dead animals under it, defecating under it and endangering your family with raccoon roundworm which is incurable and deadly, is endless. They can start a fire in your house by snagging or chewing wires and fire in an attic or under a deck is very hard to put out. The process for humane removal is complicated and expensive. It’s called trenching and can take weeks on your own. A professional can do it in one day. It involves digging a one-foot by six-inch trench around the structure and attaching galvanized waterproof steel mesh to the side of the deck one foot down and six inches out. If the animal is still under it you will need to give it away out. This can be done with a one-way door, a device that allows animals to humanely vacate.