# Raccoon Intrusion - puzzling



## miamicuse (Nov 13, 2011)

I have a property in South Florida that I am doing some renovations so I had part of the ceiling removed in order to run some electrical as well as some framing repairs.

Last Friday evening as I was getting ready to leave I noticed some strange noises from above. I looked up the ceiling and noticed some movement in the area where I placed the red arrow.










I waited a little and eventually I saw a raccoon head poked through.




























I whistled a little to get his/her attention so I can take some pictures, and for a split second I saw two heads then they disappeared.

I called a pest control company the next day (Saturday) and they said they can send someone that afternoon.

After the technician arrived I showed him these pictures and took a walk on the outside of the house. He didn't see any obvious signs of where they may be entering or exiting. I asked if he would inspect the attic as I have heard stories about raccoon babies and the mess they make. He said raccoon in attic is "VERY DANGEROUS" and to stay away from the attic. Due to his not being able to communicate with him (he speaks very little English) I had to speak to his manager on the phone. The manager said he would set two traps (since I saw two raccoons) and it will be $250 first trap and $450 for both traps. The manager told me to not touch the traps with my hands as the human hands will cause the raccoons not to take the bait.

The technician proceed to assemble the traps - it looks like he just bought the traps at a home center. He took the boxes into my house and began the assembly while reading the instructions and cursing that the traps are defective...and he was assembling them with his bare hands. When I mentioned to him the manager told me not to touch it, he didn't understand he doesn't speak English. Oh well.

So two traps were set inside the house right below the open ceiling. The tech said the raccoons will smell the bait (seems to be two cans of cat food) and come down from the ceiling into the cage. I asked would both raccoons come down and get caught in two traps? He said yes.

So they told me to go check every day.

Sunday morning. No raccoons. The bait is still there undisturbed.

I have two attic hatches, so I took a ladder and went up to the attic with a flashlight and did a 360. I didn't see any raccoons. I didn't see any droppings or smell anything. Now I couldn't see every corner because there are sections at the end of the roof overhangs that are very tight, and there are sections that were obscured by AC ducts etc...but I was making noises, whistling, knocking. I was also listening quietly. I also didn't detect any odor which may suggest animal occupation. No raccoon on Sunday morning.

Monday morning. Went up to the attic again, and looked around. Nothing.

Are the raccoons gone?

I then began to look for entry/exit points. All the way around, inside, outside. Eventually I went up to the roof and found a hole. There is an area I have a rooted roof deck and there is a hole there. I am not worried about the roof as I am going to completely reroof within 2 months once I finish all the framing repairs below. But the wood has rotted through and seemingly have been enlarged by the raccoon to a hole about 7" in diameter. So I think this is where they are coming in.










I looked in the attic and no sign of raccoons. I didn't hear and smell anything since Friday evening.

The traps they set inside the house below where they are spotted didn't catch anything for 2 days...may be they didn't catch anything because the tech hands were all over the traps?

Are they gone?

My questions:

(1) Is there a way for certain to find out whether there are still raccoons in my attic?
(2) What is the chance that when I saw them on Friday evening was the first time they entered the place and saw me below looking at them and decided to not nest there?
(3) Should I close up the hole? Or should I leave it open so they can enter/exit?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I would patch the hole and leave the attic access a little askew so if some one is still home they will check out the access panel.
If they didn't the smell of people they wouldn't be in your garbage.


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## KHouse75 (May 14, 2008)

After a re-roof job due to hail damage, the roofers pushed up the soffit on my house and squirrels got in and had babies. I installed a one way cone so they could get out but not back in. Unfortunately, a squirrel that thinks your house is their house will always come back to nest so they can't just be released. I tried. Painted their tails and they always came back after release. Took one 8 miles to my other house and it came back. They must be destroyed. They are also territorial so if you release them elsewhere, odds are, other squirrels will force them out and they'll eventually die.

Anyway, either a one way exit cone or a one way exit cone with a cage attached to trap them is what you'll want to do if you do it yourself. Check your local laws. It may not be legal to trap and release elsewhere. It may not even be legal to trap. They may just need to be trapped and euthanized. Again, check local laws.

Where I live, wildlife that destroys or threatens your property, people or animals, aka nuisance wildlife can be killed if within 300 ft of your home. No license required and there is no closed hunting season on private property.

We have a big fox and coyote problem in my area. A neighbor took care of the foxes several years ago after they ate some of her pet chickens. I saw some coyote eyeballing my 10lb dachshund so I keep a ranch rifle for them. They can easily jump my 5' fence without even touching it. Funny thing is my dachshund can easily fit between the fence pickets but in the 5 years the fence has been up, she hasn't figured that out yet.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Raccoons are just smarter than people care to think about. We moved in to a foreclosed home that had a female and probably 3 of her young living in the attic. Once the PC guy got them out, what a mess I had to clean up.

I had to remove ALL the attics blown in insulation because the scat was everywhere and the once 12 in. high pink blown insulation was packed down by the bandits to just two inches tall in places. 

So I would not blame the trap or hand smell. They just were either too leery of the new contraptions or were not hungry enough. As said, secure the home and then watch and listen for noises/signs of them still getting in the home.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Unlike we humans, when mommy raccoon deems the attic to be an unsafe neighborhood to raise her kits she will move the family. If the disturbance was sufficient they've probably already departed.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Try some smoke bombs in the attic. Be ready to patch the entry point when the smoke clears.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Buy your own trap. Set it up in attic. If it’s hungry it will come. Seal the whole so they can’t get back in. Deal with the animal when its caught. If it’s not legal to dispose of them then don’t post on the internet. Sometimes we have to take control of our situation. Sometimes the laws interfere. But no way I would live with them in my attic. Had trouble with 5 at my house. 22 took care of them quickly and humanely. 


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

The law here is: You can release them on your property or you can kill them on your property. You can't release them anywhere else.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Aw, poor little darlings. You big meanies would shoot these little creatures ? :smile:


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Gregsoldtruck79 said:


> Aw, poor little darlings. You big meanies would shoot these little creatures ? :smile:




Yeah they look cute. But those rascals are nothing but mean. They act pretty docile. But if he were to catch one in a cage or corner it I can imagine the little rascal would look like a lion! Lol







Heres one of my granddaughters face to face with one. With glass in between them. I didn’t do anything with that one that night until they physically got in the cage of our cockatoo and had him pinned in the bottom of the cage. Looking to make lunch out of him. 


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

> Aw, poor little darlings. You big meanies would shoot these little creatures ? :smile:


Wait a minute. I never shot anything. I was just stating the law. Actually, I had a blow gun once. A lot of fun.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

I know what the bandits are capable of doing with those teeth and claws, plus they are avid rabies carriers and their saliva carries a organism that once ingested in to a humans blood stream, can make the person have brain/nerve damage. 

I grew up in the woods in the 60's and my oldest sister married a.... State Champion **** Hunter, complete with his blue ribbons and trophies. 

He would stay out some nights until 2:00 am with his hunting bud and their prize winning Red Bone and Walker coonhounds hunting raccoons. They would tree them, then my BIL would shoot them with a .22 rifle. Really a sport that today, is not heard of much probably. 

My BIL told me before my sister divorced him,( and rightfully so, she was the senior class queen for goodness sake, and he stayed out all night hunting raccoons ??? geezzz .......

that one of a **** hunters worst fears was allowing the raccoon to get their hunting dog in the water. The raccoon would get on their head while biting and clawing their eyes and nose and drown them.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Yeah sure, he was hunting racoons until 2 AM. You're smarter than that.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Guap0_ said:


> Yeah sure, he was hunting racoons until 2 AM. You're smarter than that.


Well G, my BIL was convincing in his charades then, if he was not out hunting half the night.. 

Because behind their house was a shed with **** skins nailed all over the inside wall of it, and their yard had four dog houses with prize winning **** hounds chained to them.

And the BIL's 68 Chevy PU truck always had a dog box in the back of it in the truck bed and it smelled like a wet dog in the cab of it. And had not a bit of perfume smell in it.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

If you & your sister want to believe him, it's ok with me. I know a woman who's husband "loves to go fishing" on the weekends. He even brings home fish. We're New Yorkers. We don't believe him.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Gregsoldtruck79 said:


> Well G, my BIL was convincing in his charades then, if he was not out hunting half the night..
> 
> Because behind their house was a shed with **** skins nailed all over the inside wall of it, and their yard had four dog houses with prize winning **** hounds chained to them.
> 
> And the BIL's 68 Chevy PU truck always had a dog box in the back of it in the truck bed and it smelled like a wet dog in the cab of it. And had not a bit of perfume smell in it.




They still hunt the ***** like that here. Have never done it myself but there’s a season for it. There’s a lot of guys that do it


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

$450 ?? If you were closer I'd trap them for that price. 

My house had been vacant a couple of yrs. there were feral cats living next to it. The city came and placed traps. Twice racoons got trapped. The city released them in my yard and they ran off. Human scent didn't matter. 

Yrs ago I was visiting dad. My room was upstairs. I heard the loudest racket in the wall at night (attic area) that terrified me. I was too old to get my dad. I told him the next morning. 

There had been a hole in the soffit he'd just patched up. When he did that he sealed up a raccoon in the attic. The raccoon chewed its way out. We looked at the soffit an dads patch was broken and there was raccoon fur all around the hole.


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## miamicuse (Nov 13, 2011)

An update with a recap.

Last Saturday pest control came and set two traps inside the house. Traps were placed inside the house because they said part of the ceiling is open so the raccoons would come down inside to take the bait. They never entered the attic as the tech said it's dangerous with the raccoons.

Sunday, the traps were still open and the bait (canned cat food) were untouched. I went inside the attic from both of the attic hatches (shouldn't they be the one to go up and inspect the attic?), and looked around with a flashlight. Didn't see anything, no sign of any animal or poop. I then made some noises by banging on the trusses and listened nothing. I didn't smell anything either. Since then I have been up in the attic twice and did the same thing, nothing.

Monday, the same situation. I called the pest control company and they came by and moved the two traps outside, and replaced the cat food with two pieces of fried chicken tender they bought at a local supermarket. One on each side of the property. I showed them where I found the hole in the roof (Shouldn't they be the one to look around looking for entry points?) an they said..."oh yes, for sure it's coming this way".

Tuesday morning, both traps were occupied. Trap #1 has a brown cat in it. I opened the trap and let it go. Trap #2 has a raccoon inside. I don't know if it's male or female.



















I called the pest control company and they sent someone out to remove the trap with the raccoon.

Regarding whether it's legal to transport and release raccoons. The pest control company told me the law is you can kill it inside your property, or transport/release it as long as it's within the same county and into a site that's larger then 20 acres with the owner's permission, and they have a place to release it so I didn't ask any further.

By the way, when the technician came to remove trap #2, he said he saw another raccoon on the outside of the trap - possibly it's mate trying to help free it? But it saw the guy coming and ran away.

So after the one raccoon was removed, the tech told me to reset the other trap (the one where the cat was in).

Wednesday morning, the trap door was closed, but nothing inside. Not sure what happened. I reset the trap.

Thursday, it caught a cat, a different cat. I set it free. I then called the pest control company because the bait inside is now gone. They told me to get some fresh chicken or cat food and toss it inside which I did. They also told me to relocate the trap to the other side, where the first raccoon was caught, so I moved it.

Friday, again, the trap door was closed with nothing inside.

Saturday, it caught a possum. I called the pest control company once more, and they are sending someone to remove it. They told me if I want to set a trap...if I do, it will be another $250.

I told them to just remove the possum and trap for now and let me think about it.

Any suggestions?

The second raccoon was outside the trap it probably won't fall for a trap anymore?

I have been inside the attic three times looking for signs of raccoons especially babies but saw or heard nothing.


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Might be time to just buy your own trap, you can get them at the home centers or you might have to order one if they are out of stock. Look at the trigger mechanism closely, you can set it so it's more sensitive.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Seems like a lucrative business I may need to consider.:biggrin2:


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

My wife years ago become quite the trapper while using her Havaheart trap. She never caught anything we could eat though.


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