And, please, no crazy stunts that will burn up the house or leave the raccoons to die and rot in our attic. They've eaten two different holes in our eaves, for exits. We've tried an exterminator; caught one, other two were a little smarter. Now, of course, there are more. Tried blasting blaring rock music in the attic for several days; apparently they're big AC/DC fans. No luck. Have smoke bombs, for underground use, but hesitate to use them in attic around insulation for fear of setting the house ablaze. Have a trap, but so far have only caught the neighbor's cat. Hoping for a solution to get them to leave on their own, so the holes can be boarded up without them in the attic to die and rot.
2007-04-29 15:54:12 · 8 answers · asked by admiralcat 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
leave a trail food or other things and lead it to a trap and catch all of them.Then find the place where they come out of and seal it up.
2007-04-29 16:06:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Look in the phone book for animal control people, not exterminators tho they often do the work too. First someone must determine if there are babies involved, that will make this a whole lot harder. The animal control will try to capture then animal and also determine how it got into the attic. Then the entry will have to be sealed. No raccoon is going to want to leave a nice warm attic willingly with winter coming on....you'll need help.
2016-05-17 05:56:45 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are trying to deal with these guys during normal business hours forget it. Raccoons ar nocturnal (active at night) & during the day, they are affected by nothing unless you get to them in their den. Generally they leave their den (in this case your attic) at night to go forage, so the best way is to close up the opening(s) they made after they leave at night.
If the exterminator you hired only caught one, & you still have raccoons, then you hired a rather poor exterminator.
I watched one deal with raccoons in a neighbours attic one time. They set a trap on the roof by grabbing one of the babies from the den, & put it in the trap (cage). Later on that night the rest of the babies & the mother wound up in the trap.
Then the Exterminator returned the next day & nailed a covering over the hole in the roof, & took away the entire raccoon family.
Loud music, smoke bombs, etc don't really phase a raccoon much so don't bother with that stuff. But don't expect them to leave on their own either. You have to keep your roof in good repair or they will find a way in. Getting them out without professional help is hard, but they have to go ASAP because they can do a lot of damage, & are a SERIOUS health risk. (Their feces are toxic to humans)
2007-04-29 16:19:37 · answer #3 · answered by No More 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They do make for noisy neighbors and when they move in they think they own the place. Find a local trapper in the area with live traps and work on it, remember, they're nocturnal animals.
Other then this you'll have to go to deadly means that could be dangerous.
You'll have to seal the area off once the deed is done to prevent this from happening again, they'll keep coming back, right now they probably have young that are ingrained that this is home to them.
2007-04-29 22:39:14 · answer #4 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would use food as bait to get them out. Place the food far enough away from their entry point so that they can't dart back in. Have all materials ready for the repair. I would need to see exactly where they're chewing their way in to advise the best way to prevent re-entry. My first idea would be to get a steel "mesh" type grate and bolt it to the inside of the entry points (assuming this is a gable vent etc.) You said they have "eaten two different holes in our eaves, for exits". Surely they aren't coming in through the eaves are they? They must have an easier way of getting in than this. Identify their entry point, use the bait to lure them out, and then make re-entry impossible. Easy said, right?
2007-04-29 16:09:30 · answer #5 · answered by Loco Mexicano 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Honestly? I've never heard of racoons being in atticks... I would leave some kind of bait outside on the lawn somewhere, maybe like left over pizza crusts or something.... I'm not sure...but to where they'd want food. Then during the day (because they sleep during the day), go up and check all entry ways and board them up. ....
I never had this problem before and that's the only thing I could think of....try putting a distraction of food (bait) or something to draw them away....
How are they even getting in??? That's what is confusing me.
Call up the DEP or DEC and ask for suggestions. Or even a local forest ranger.
Good luck! Just becareful...if you see them during the day....stay away from them, if they go in circles chasing their tails they have distemperment but if they're drooling and don't seem scared and maybe even some blood.....they could have rabies...be very careful!!
Best wishes!!
2007-04-29 16:02:28 · answer #6 · answered by contrabandamanda 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Wow!! It sounds like you have a problem there! Have you tried mothballs, a lot, (and I mean a lot) where-ever the critters are coming in and nesting? I had a similiar problem, and the mothballs worked. Also try cotton balls, soaked in Ammonia, or ammonia filled dishes in the area. Best of luck. Regards-Bob.
2007-04-29 16:05:49 · answer #7 · answered by bobbovienzo@sbcglobal.net 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
well i work in this field and and they make a pest repellent that you plug in and it makes a high frequency noise that chaises rates and other bothersome pest from the area....it covers roughly 450sq.ft. and there's 2 in a pack....they really work...
2007-04-29 16:03:01 · answer #8 · answered by Robert 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋