Critter Attack, advice please

[Hall]

I have one friend. Just one. She has a racoon in the attic of her modern home. It pulled the corner facia (or whatever) off at the house end at gutter height & uses the down spout for a ladder. I suppose it's the family hour for her. Trap above on roof edge and below at ground level near the drain pipe she crawls up and down, all set by a professional service, no results in at least five days. Re-baits of extra flavor done today. It plays poorly tuned very heavy metal and that is annoying my friend beyond all sanity which, in turn, is killing me.

 

Question: City limits is a factor, but is there anything else that can be done. No one will go up in the attic....including me! Any ideas? Everyone says the trap is it.

[Californiaman]

Quietly climb into the attic. Wait for it to show itself and...

Shoot it in the head with a 22 cal.

[Hall]

Californiaman,

 

Thanks, but: No discharge of firearm in city. I can't imagine a protective mother racoon is going to sit there redeyed and afraid while someone sticks his head through a little hall ceiling opening and attempts a stealth entrance and then a single shot with a 22 long rifle. Thanks, or were you trying to get my head torn off..... Say, Have you ever been coon hunting? They get a little agressive when cornered. Don't think that idea will work. But again, thanks, uh, I think.

[Thundergod]

Sorry I can't help you man...

[freak show]

Well, my first suggestion would have been a professional, but you've already tried that.

 

I did have another weird idea:

 

Could you somehow stuff a dog up there?

 

If the raccoon got the idea the space was already "occupied", perhaps she would look for something else...

[Hall]

Thanks for replying, Thundergod and freak show. This has really become a tough one. She is one smart varmit and I sure don't have any ideas beyond the traps the pros have set. I've seen enough one eyed and noseless coon hounds to know better than to try and take on such a nocturnal animal in a dark attic. Found a beekeeper suit, but that would be no protection against a racoon. Damn.

[TommyK]

Any human with an ounce of sense will not enter a confined space where the human cannot stand up or quickly turn around, and where the raccoon has full use of his / her physical abilities. The only thing worse than raccoons are squirrels in the attic.

 

A.) If the mother 'coon hasn't had her babies yet: 1. Get a cooler of cold drinks. Set up a lawn chair, just before dusk, then wait for this nocturnal beast to exit the attic. Securely re-assemble the soffit, fascia and any other damaged portions of the roof to prevent re-entry. You will probably need a flashlight and a helper.

2. Inspect the next morning for re-entry. 'Coons can be quite persistent in getting back into a nice warm place they have been into.

3. If there has been re-entry, repeat step 1, making it more secure.

 

B.)If there are babies in the attic, wait until mother and kittens vacate the premises, then securely re-assemble the soffit, fascia and any other damaged portions of the roof to prevent re-entry. This does two things, It keeps you from being cruel to the kittens, Prevents further damage to property starving kittens trying to get out, possibly trough the ceiling tiles. And provides less incentive for the mother to re-enter. Also, dead kittens tend to smell up the place. You may need to remove and replace ceiling insulation if the odor of kitten urine and feces is unbearable in your living quarters.

 

After evicting these varmints, thoroughly inspect the roof's overhang for other potential entry points. It is most likely your friend's home became a target because of loose or rotting fascia leaving an opening for the 'coon to get a nose in, tempting her to dig a bigger hole.

 

'Coons will usually abandon the nest once the kittens get old enough. Squirrels set up to house keeping and never leave without force.

[thabesh]

I have a friend who had persistent raccoon problems and what seemed to work, although it may have just been coincidence was incense. Apparently, they don't like it at all and will vacate. May explain why I've never had a raccoon problem.

[TommyK]

Moth balls have been known to keep mice and rats at bay. It may work on 'coons.

[TommyK]

Good Idea thabesh. Moth balls have been known to keep mice and rats at bay. It may work on 'coons.

[freak show]

Tommy's advice sounds good.

 

However, I did have another unusual idea.

 

Animals supposedly seek out a safe, quiet place to bear their young.

 

Could you run a speaker up into the crawl space and play a loop of abrasive noise?

 

Perhaps the sound of a buzz saw, an engine or some good ol' Punk Rock?

 

I can't imagine an animal sticking around after a few hours of that...

[TommyK]

Do 'coons dance? Music might exacerbate the problem.... but it's worth a shot. Maybe recordings of dogs growling, or war movies with plenty of small arms and artillery fire?

[cwness]

Put a bug bomb up there. The kind that sprays until the can is empty that

should get it out..

 

CW

[NeoConMan]

Or combine the music idea with the bug bomb idea;

 

WASP Spray!!!

 

 

 

Seriously, the spray can shoots a very strong stream a dozen feet or more.

This is like mace or pepper spray on steriods.

 

Nasty stuff, designed to disable wasps and hornets on contact - and it does.

Small mammals will NOT hang around long.

Babies involved - well, they might return....

 

Cops recommend it for self-defense against home invasion, one shot in the face puts the Bad Guy DOWN.

 

And Tommy was dead on about being ANYWHERE that puts you with limited mobility and at the coon's mercy.

 

Tell your friend to fire the professional service they're paying for.

They sound like amateurs, or they are simply draining they're wallet.

[tulsaslim]

I also thank you guys for the replies. I've got the same problem although I can't say for sure it's a coon. I know there is some critter with bulk crawling around my attic day and night. I can't find it to save my life, though, and it shuts up when it knows I'm looking for it.

[Hall]

Well fellow hell fighters,

 

Thank you each so far for you thoughts. Tried them all from mothballs to some weird smoke cannister. Friend, owns an Alsatian (spelling). It's bark is enough to blow doors off hinges, but not to phase a coon who knows she is safe. This racoon actually ripped off a secure piece of the home and there are no identified weak spots, etc. The pros say to keep quiet and not stir her up; let the traps get her. AS to, "stay quiet", true of most birthing females, no? She is one mean critter and as a racoon goes, extra persistant, mommy stuff must be in full gear. My friend hears no baby yelps yet, but time must be near. I own a lawn chair. I am would sit over there tonight with my 12g. short pump & infra goggles, and just wait. But, police have informed me I am unable to discharge within city limits under any circumstances. By the way, the mayor thinks they are so cute. On way to, Old Codger Remedies Shop and then on to Army Surplus Store.

 

 

Note: We're in Kentucky here. I know better than to take on a racoon in an enclosed space. Thing is about to be night action target regardless of city ordinance.

[EVOL!]

Moth balls have been known to keep mice and rats at bay. It may work on 'coons.

 

I was going to recommend soaking a handful of cotton balls in ammonia and putting them up in the attic along with playing loud, abrasive music. Soaking cotton balls will be stronger than plain old moth balls.

[tulsaslim]

Look at it this way, Groper. She won't eat much.

[KL]

I had a family of possums living in my attic when I lived in Australia. I like possums. I just left them to it. They were beautiful creatures. I like racoon's too. I was wondering if there is like an animal protection society you can call that will come and catch that coon for you and take it to a new home somewhere. I know there was something like that in Austrailia, there must be something similar over there?

[NeoConMan]

I had a family of possums living in my attic when I lived in Australia. I like possums. I just left them to it. They were beautiful creatures. I like racoon's too. I was wondering if there is like an animal protection society you can call that will come and catch that coon for you and take it to a new home somewhere. I know there was something like that in Austrailia' date=' there must be something similar over there? [/quote']

Okay, let me apologize up front for being a colossal d!ck head here - but please hear me out.

 

EVERY TIME I've ever heard of a "proactive or progressive-thinking" animal protection group get involved

in something like this, many times at a significant expense to the city or state, nothing gets done.

 

We get idealistic types from the zoo or some university who can speak passionately about the situation

while those folks in the breech remain just as fxcked as they ever were - only now with the unblinking eye

of the media focused on them.

 

Mayor thinks they're cute?

Enough said.

 

Private citizen has a problem on private property, at a cost that is incalculable, and if he does anything

effective to actually fix it he goes to jail. Thank you very much, ladies & gentlemen of the media, city, police...

 

 

Now that you have everybody up your *** watching the "babies" you're screwed.

Guitarist nailed it.

[TommyK]

Why mess with cotton balls? Just open up a gallon of ammonia, then set it in the attic and let the sun do the rest. When the attic starts to heat up in the mid-day sun, the ammonia will be really out gassing. If the attic is properly vented, then the odor shouldn't get into the human living quarters.

 

One could loosen the down spout so it no longer supports the weight of said mega-rodent. Then when she exits, using her usual climbing pole she will remove it. You should be able to nail up the roof in the day light before she can get back in. Unless... she figures out how to use the corner molding for the siding. Make sure you remove all the other down spouts so she can't use them.

 

Before the Mayor gets all angry, 'coons fall out of trees all the time. God made them tough and a 8 - 10 foot tumble would make her not much worse for the wear.

 

'Coons are strong and resourceful. However, there was certainly something non-standard, and weak, about the soffit / fascia if she was able to tear it loose. Get the roof fixed right.

[cwness]

Get a water bowl and fill it with a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze you won't have

to worry about it again.

 

CW

[Hall]

NEO, I agree. I have a, problem. But, this is war. They won't let me use a BAR or Napalm, huh. Well, I got myself an appointment to see my old Uncle Edgar, this evening. Bit of a drive, but I am confident it will be worth it as education in both strategy and tactics. He is the last living Cherokee in these parts I know of without a warrant out on him. It's time to go back to the old days and the old ways. This a job for a sniper. Will report.

[Hall]

Get a water bowl and fill it with a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze you won't have

to worry about it again.

 

CW

 

It ate Deacon (no spell check) pellets and washed them down with anti-freese 3 days ago. Did not phase it. But, I thank you.

[NeoConMan]

Just open up a gallon of ammonia

Oooohhhhhh......

Tommy' date=' I wasn't gonna go there because I don't know the situation.

Ammonia is [i']so versatile [/i]and so useful for so many things.......

 

 

Get a water bowl and fill it with a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze

I've had er... um' date=' I mean, [i']some people [/i]have had poor/mixed results with ethylene glycol.

And propylene glycol is "safe" for the environment.

 

Are you sure the antifreeze was, um, consumed and not spilled?

Mixing it with water means the water will evaporate and you'll think somebody is drinking it.

Gotta go 100% - don't worry, it's sweet.

 

I've heard of some success with other methods involving tuna.

Buy the cheapest, stinkiest tuna fish you can find - make sure it's packed in oil, not water.

Season it with your choice of "spices" and, well, PM if you need help.....