Raccoons In The Attic!

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compactelectra

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Joined
Aug 21, 2006
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Palm Springs
Yikes! A couple of weeks ago I noticed some insulation on my deck in the back yard. I looked up and saw this all the way up by the roof above the second floor.

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I Called A Specialized

Wild animal removal company to inspect. The long and the short of it is that the attic was at one point recently (probably this winter) home to some raccoons. This is no small matter. What they leave behind is disgusting. According to the service, the raccoons have since moved on but left me with a major problem. The attic has to have all the insulation removed, everything sanitized, insulation replaced and external damage repaired. There have probably been some squirrels up there as well.

Damages estimated to be $10,000. Should be covered by homeowners insurance. Lesson learned: if you see raccoons around, call the trappers and have them removed immediately!
 
In the South...

We who grew up in the country have a better cure....its called a shotgun!!!Those critters get in your house and they will wreck it!!
 
Wow that's some hole. How in the heck did they manage that. We've got lots of them in our neighborhood as well. Last summer one was sitting on the chimney top then disappeared down it for a bit and came back up.. I'd already had chicken wire covering it but the buggers are smart and removed it.
 
Make sure you have them check all the wiring as well. Those critters chew everything. Our neighbors have a flat roof and the chewed through...it was mess. After they had it repaired they had electrical problems only to find out the racoons had chewed into wiring.
 
I once had rats in my attic, they were getting up there through piping going down the side of the house. They make a mess alright! And chewed threw some wiring too. Now the alarm system doesn't work lol.
 
I had mice in my attic a few years back - droppings everywhere, and scratching above the bedroom ceilings at night. I live in a terrace so that the mice had come in from next door's attic. I put one of those electric mice repellers up there and they soon cleared off. Fortunately mice don't tend to chew through cables like rats or larger things do. I have 2 cats as well, but unfortunately they cant get into the attic lol, or the mice would have never arrived in the first place.
Fortunately too - we don't get raccoons in the UK!

Ah - don't we just love those meeces to pieces lol

...

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Ida Corwin............

goes to her stately attic and finds RACCOONS instead of birds! Pretty much the same except Ida had three fingers bitten off and one Jimmy Choo pump disappeared along with a Chanel purse.

Oh, the pain of it all..........new insulation, new fingers, new pumps and a new purse!

H.

 
I had the same problem-heard strange noises one day--looked in the attic-came face to face with a racoon!!Told him to wait---he did-had a surprize for him-my high powered pellet rifle-didn't see him again-had to clean up his calling cards-since my roof and trim redone-trees trimmed----THIS IS IMPORTANT-if you have plants or tree limbs over or near your house the racoons and other creatures use them as ladders to get into your attic.Have them trimmed away-did this----No more "guests" in the attic!!After all they aren't paying rent!Had to evict three of those things.As is said--Houses and buildings are for PEOPLE!!the great outdoors is for creatures!A man just told me the skins of racoons are worth money-didn't know that the time-could have made a nice coonskin cap!Learned it from a freind who is a trapper.Next time will call on him-imagine racoon hunting and trapping in your attic!And racoons can't gnaw thru wood-probably got thru rotten trim fascia,soffet boards
 
Trees and shrubs next to a house cause a lot of problems. You are right, they act as ladders for critters to get where they want.

That is what happened across the street. Paul had all the trees that were close to the house cut down and the others trimmed way back.

The other problem that people forget about with trees, shrubs and plants to close to the house is mold.

You need to make sure the sun and wind can get through. It may be pretty to have things around the house, but it can be very hard on the house itself.
 
In one of my mothers houses she had squirrels in the attic-place was in Florida.I was visting one summer and sleeping in as she lets me do-one morning there was a strange tapping sound on the wall-knocked on the wall-and the whatever KNOCKED BACK-She had an exterminator get rid of the squirrels-I put new screens over the attic vents-this is another place critters get in if other parfts of the attic are intact.Se also had a football sized wasp nest up there-she called the exterminator to get rid of them and the nest,too.she had no more problems with "tree rats" or wasps after the screens over the vent put in.
 
Looked at the top picture again-looks like squirrels gnawed thru your fascia board-then the 'coons used the opening to get in.Raccoons don't have the large incisor teeth as squirrels do-the raccoons have canine type teeth arrangement like cats or dogs.Squirrels did the same thing to mine a while back-just after I bought the place and moved in-the seller went ahead and had the dam age fixed.
 
Always something isn't it?

What a mess. At least being in Chicagoland, the wiring is (or should be) all in conduit, and protected from gnawing.

Low voltage stuff on the other hand, might be at risk. Alarm, intercom, central vac, phone, etc...

Don't you wonder what made them decide to start chewing a hole in the side of your house in the first place??
 
Owen

I got a new job nearby and have decided to keep Tarantula Arms! Currently undergoing major remodeling/redecorating. Do you still have the Filtex? If so, let's talk.

Fred
 
Well -

We thought that the raccoons had left the neighborhood. Well at least they weren't in the attic anymore. Must have moved outside for the summer. I saw one walking across the deck on Friday evening and a young on as well as they slipped under my deck in the back yard. Called the trappers, they set the trap yesterday and this was waiting for me this morning. We'll keep it up until we have moved them all out of the neighborhood!

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He Was Taken Away Today

More traps set. Yikes! I am wildlife central. Saw a fox running across the property today. Of course, the area I live in is called the Fox Valley and I live along the Fox River. Haven't seen any chipmunks in a while.

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