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candyapplekaren · Feb 14, 2009, 02:40 PM

OH MY... I thought I had squirrels in the attic, but since I am remodeling a few areas and needed new soffits, I decided to pull the old down and OH what a scare. I was face to face with 2 racoons as big as a dog and I have no clue what to do with them. I got the water hose and squirted them until they ran on top of the roof and then to where I have no clue. How do I rid them. I am in an area that has no animal control and I am afraid of them. They sure were brave critters, they have to go!! HELP... HELP...

twinkiedooter · Feb 14, 2009, 03:06 PM

Send them over to my house. I feed a raccoon troop of about 12 animals on my back porch just about every night of the year. I live in Northern Ohio in a rural area.

Seriously, what you need to do is repair any kind of hole that they are using as an entrance to get into your roof or soffit area. They can squeeze themselves into very small openings so I would suggest that you very carefully patch on the outside of your home.

They are very inquisitive animals and very dexterous with their front paws and can stand up on their hind legs for extended periods and even walk on their hind legs. I observe my raccoons almost every night and can see how ingenious they are.

They are basically nocturnal animals and sleep during the day. If you know that they have left your roof area during the day, it would be safe to do your repairs then before night comes.

Keep your garbage cans either inside your home or in a closed garage area until you know that they are gone for at least several weeks. If they have access to food and warmth they will stick around, but once those are gone, they will seek shelter and food elsewhere. Mine like to hide out under my shed after snacking in the night.

I've found they will go nest when the weather is very cold say around 15F and stay in their nest until the weather gets warmer say around 25-30F. They have their litters around Dec-Jan and stay in their dens until about mid March.

You didn't say what state you live in so it would be hard to help you. Once you know that they have stopped camping out in your roof area the best deterrent for them is lots of light at night. They really don't like bright lights and tend to shy away from overly lighted areas.

twinkiedooter · Feb 14, 2009, 03:16 PM

When I lived in South Florida years ago, I would go to Dania Beach (near Ft. Lauderdale) with my 3 year old son and feed the raccoon troop by hand. Those raccoons were so tame they would take food from our hands.

If you are not using any threatening behavior towards them such as a broom handle poking at them, they should not attack you or hurt you. Just don't approach them in a way that would be menacing toward them.

We've had raccoons on our back porch that were quite inquisitive. I've opened the back door not knowing there was a raccoon on the porch and if anything, he was afraid of me and ran away. It took about 4 more times before he would stay on the porch and not run away. If anything they are more afraid of you and will run away.

If you are afraid of rabies or think the animals are rabid just remember that as a rule many rabid animals come out during the daytime and are confused. Nocturnal animals that are rabid generally come out during the daytime.

Clough · Feb 14, 2009, 03:54 PM

Hi, candyapplekaren and twinkiedooter!

I'm having the same problem as candyapplekaren with having a raccoon in my attic. Mine is definitely a different story though, so I'll start another thread about that...

I'll be very interested as to how this thread evolves, though.

You do provide excellent, insightful information, twinkiedooter!

Thanks!

twinkiedooter · Feb 14, 2009, 10:12 PM

Clough - send him over to my house for his supper. I can always feed more. Am looking forward to this year's crop of little raccoonies in March. Last year they came up on the porch and were so cute with their moms churteling away. They make the cutest noises when they are little. Mom would churtle to them and when she was done eating they would all skedaddle down the stairs and off into the night. I even have names for these guys as they are so distinctive in their coloring and their manners (or lack thereof). There is Stretch Armcoon, Fluffy, Big Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa (very old coonies), the Rowdy kids, the Nazda kids (very well mannered), Goldilocks who had to look into every bowl, Hockey Puck Dude who batted his food around, Dumper (for obvious reasons), Trashcan Dude who liked to jump off the porch into the trash cans, and various other coonies some who would knock on the back door wanting more food(!) They are quite unique when you think about it. One time I counted 12 "customers" on the porch happily eating out of 5 different bowls.

candyapplekaren · Feb 15, 2009, 02:22 AM

I don't think they are rabid, since they were asleep during the day. No one has lived in this house for about 5 years, but maybe once every 6 months or so someone spends the night there. We have no garbage and no food there, so they have to be eating from somewhere else. I am pretty sure that I demolished a nest, if it was their only one, as I pulled the siding down. It looked like a huge birds nest along with poop. Lots of poop. I have a feeling that they moved to the back of the house which is 2 story and I couldn't reach it today without a ladder which I don't have. I think I want to pull all the siding off and expose the rafters again and maybe they won't have a place to stay. Just the thought of them possible getting into my house scares the crap out of me. If I woke up to find one looking at me I might have a heart attack... lol

candyapplekaren · Feb 15, 2009, 02:26 AM

I live in Central Texas and this house in on a lake with neighbors fairly close. I am sure they are quite entertaining, they are just not for me.

Clough · Feb 15, 2009, 02:52 AM

Originally Posted by twinkiedooter

Clough - send him over to my house for his supper. I can always feed more...

Oh, how I'd love to send him over to you! In the past, I've had as many as six in my attic at one time!

Thanks!

twinkiedooter · Feb 15, 2009, 10:54 AM

An air force friend of mine had a band of raccoons camp out in his home one year. They got in through an opened screened window. They happily raided his kitchen of food and made a mess of the kitchen. They opened the lower cabinets and removed any food. Food was everywhere. One ingenious fellow took up residency in their closet. He had walked boxes of crackers, cookies, etc. and stashed them in the closet. He was using the bathroom toilet as his "pond" to wash off his food, and the utility room as his personal toilet.

My friend kept wondering why there was cookie crumbs in the toilet bowl in the morning for three days. One day he reached into his closet to get his uniform and saw this little dude staring back at him in the closet. It was like "you don't see me" just take your uniform and go. They scared each other. He called out an exterminator who was removing the wayward raccoon only to have the coon hang onto the door jamb not wanting to leave his "den". He finally got rid of them and learned to keep his windows closed when he was not at home. The animals were released into the wild and not destroyed. My friend still chuckles about his "tenant" in the closet. He had all his munchies, cookies, etc ready to spend the winter in style.

Clough · Feb 15, 2009, 02:58 PM

That's a very funny story, twinky! :)

I had a friend who lived in a very old home with some built-in drawers in the walls. One time, in opening one of the drawers, there was a raccoon sleeping in the drawer!

candyapplekaren · Feb 16, 2009, 11:00 AM

Sounds like they are very smart. I guess I will have to get a professsional out. I saw 2 and hope that's all these is.

Clough · Feb 16, 2009, 12:33 PM

A few months ago, I was wondering why one of the windows of a dormer on my attic was broken. Being that it was getting cold, I decided to cover it from the inside with plastic sheeting rather than take the window frame out so that I could put some glass in it.

Last night, I discovered another broken window in the same dormer! Now, I know what is breaking them - the raccoon! Put plastic sheeting over the inside of the window and also chicken wire.

Raccoons are relentless! If they find a good home, they're also going to be "telling" their buds about it and inviting them over for a party!

Thanks!

twinkiedooter · Feb 16, 2009, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by candyapplekaren

Sounds like they are very smart. I guess I will have to get a professsional out. I saw 2 and hope that's all these is.

Make sure the professional releases them into the wild and does not destroy them. This would be considered "humane removal".

My son was a Florida Fish and Wildlife Assistant many years ago and he and the Wildlife Officer would humanely remove all sorts of wildlife even alligators back to the Everglades.

Catsmine · Mar 23, 2009, 05:02 PM

Karen, If you don't want to go to the expense of a trapper (as opposed to an exterminator) you can pick up a couple of Hav-a-hart brand traps at the big box building supply places and set them in the attic for a day or two with some apples sliced up and dipped in peanut butter as bait. Once you catch them they need to be taken at LEAST 30miles away to be released. You might try sweet talking a neighbor/friend/cop into helping if you're as frightened of them as you say.

Clough · Mar 23, 2009, 06:27 PM

Hi, Catsmine!

Why do you say at least 30 miles away to be released, please?

Thanks!

twinkiedooter · Mar 23, 2009, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by Catsmine

Karen, If you don't want to go to the expense of a trapper (as opposed to an exterminator) you can pick up a couple of Hav-a-hart brand traps at the big box building supply places and set them in the attic for a day or two with some apples sliced up and dipped in peanut butter as bait. Once you catch them they need to be taken at LEAST 30miles away to be released. You might try sweet talking a neighbor/friend/cop into helping if you're as frightened of them as you say.

My raccoons really don't care for apples. Now the peanut butter would be a better choice. They love saltines, Ramen soup, sardines or tuna fish in a can is another one of their favorites as well. They also adore chicken grease in a bowl and last night I gave them 6 corn on the cobs and they took the corn on the cobs home with them! I guess that's the equivalent of doggie bags for them.

As far as the 30 miles, make that farther away than that as these guys like to roam around an area and can travel up to 5 to 10 miles a night in their travels. I know this fact from local coon hunters in this area. They have been known to have dogs run the coons for miles and miles until the coon either climbs a tree or goes into a den.

Catsmine · Mar 24, 2009, 02:16 AM

Clough, I said AT LEAST 30 miles because that way they might find something interesting before they get "home". I suggest apples because the slices make a good firm "handle" for the peanut butter, Twink. A cheaper alternative might be peanut butter cracker snacks since apples are out of season.

twinkiedooter · Mar 24, 2009, 02:45 PM

Raccoons don't need handles on their food as they use their front paws like hands. They have eaten leftover peanut butter just fine on my porch without any handles on the peanut butter. They love honey as well and ran off with a honey bear bottle as well. They can eat Ramen soup just fine without a spoon in fact. An opened can of tuna fish is a gourmet delicacy to them and more alluring than apples anyday.