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Last nite, in what sounded like an alien invasion, a group of racoons were trying desperatly to break into the roof. We turned the lites on in both attics and put radios on (a talk show)
We had this trouble last year and realized too late they were inside and had to have them removed (4 adults)
We had the entrys sealed but word is out that there is a nice home waiting for them.
Anyone have any suggestions,nifty ideas of how to prevent this?
Our roof is very tall with alot of eaves.
Thank you
Ok ok, I looked it up and learned quite a bit about these little guys that I never knew. How to Get Rid of Raccoons
When I was a kid we had a Rabbit and we built a large cage off the ground with 1" heavy gauge chicken wire. We figured nothing could get to it. One morning we kids woke up to find the Rabbit was gone. Something with Human like hands (we later learned it was a Racoon) took the wire mesh and ripped it like it was chinese made sewing thread. No human could rip this wire yet a Racoon did.
Wow,determined critters arent they? Thanks for the link.Very interesting and I see a common problam all over.. Husband is off to Home Depot to get repellent,but according to that article, there is no such thing. Looks like we should hire a brave pro to climb and seal.
Nothing is going to work if they are allowed to remain in the area. In my last neighborhood it was war. Me just barely defending the fort.
You got to either kill them on the spot or trap them.
I had this big Hav-a-Hart trap, about as big as them make. Used peanut on a cracker. Then put them in the back of the truck and took them for a ride. Letting them out was always fun, especially them young bucks who wanted to prove something. Hey, you looking at me..........Yeah, I'm been looking at you.
One big thing to know, never directly put the trap on dirt or grass. They will attempt to dig their way out making a huge mess. They also crap a lot while waiting for you to come give them a ride. I always put a big chunk of plywood under the trap. The bad thing is you will catch more than your share of cats. I caught this one damn black cat a zillion times, never did seem to learn. Did not know cats liked peanut butter either. Messed up my night trapping sessions bad, must have been one of them learned-up challenged fellows.
In theory there you could legally trap them but was only allowed to take and release them to the front of the property, all 4750 square feet of it. Somehow that made perfect sense. My gas peddle always stuck and truck beat feet out of the driveway to various undisclosed destinations.
You might not win the war, but you also can not afford to lose too many battles. They always got plenty of reinforcement battalions to draw other reserves from.
They got to bring back coon skin caps / coats. When I was a kid we went coon hunting over hill and dale chasing them stupid critters. Got like $60 a years from the pelts, which was the old man's beer money. Now there are fortunes waiting to be had just strolling the streets of any big city. They may even taste like chicken, I never went that far. Now I don't worry to much they wind up as road kill in front of the house. Yesterday they even got a fox. They could just start driving faster in cities and get closer to your house. Maybe import some of my local yahoo's, they love to drive fast and blind, some claim to be former unemployed racing drivers.
I'd tell you to trap them out as mentioned earlier. My only questions are:
1. does your State DNR having their own trapping program? Some still do.
2. if you have to trap them yourself do you have to have a special permit?
3. what do you do with the trapped animal? In MD you have to have the permit and then take the animal to be euthanized due to raccoons being a high risk rabies vector here.
I had a similar raccoon problem a couple years ago.
If you're going to relocate, you should know that raccoons have a 20 mile range. You should also be careful to relocate to someplace where there are not other homes/barns/chicken coops so that you're not just dumping your problem on someone else.
I'd tell you to trap them out as mentioned earlier. My only questions are:
1. does your State DNR having their own trapping program? Some still do.
2. if you have to trap them yourself do you have to have a special permit?
3. what do you do with the trapped animal? In MD you have to have the permit and then take the animal to be euthanized due to raccoons being a high risk rabies vector here.
I had a similar raccoon problem a couple years ago.
Be careful of them Great White Trapper dudes, friend of mine tried that and they took forever to show up, didn't use the right baits, set traps all over the place to get one lil coon. IIRC, she had to pay. Really never solved the problem, didn't make a wee dint in the population, other folks in the hood were feeding them, coming from every other state and maybe a few foreign countries as well. Sort of wondered about them boys training, sure were not country boys.
If you don't want to just take the critter for a ride, there is a good olde boy trick that is the easier method. Fill a large garbage can with water and dunk the trap down in, put a cement block over it. One good olde boy I knew used that method he was a cruel fellow at heart. Did it too squirrels too. Caught squirrels, cats and coons by the boat load. Got at least one of those every night / day, week in, week out. Squirrels you tend to get in the day time, same with some dumb cat, get the same cat over and over in the same day. Must never had attended cat K-School.
Big thing is never feed them, can get wild on garbage day. If they go for the dunk, I guess that day is disposal day. You get big monster momma ones, some of those must have been a hundred pounds. Kinda gentle momma's, they just looked at you and sez's ok you got me. Let me go and I will be good. Be careful where your trap is, other folks will steal it. Not any different than most others things they will steal, might steal it with a coon in it.
Real nasty around dogs, never let your dog loose with them around. The rabies thing is a biggy. Make sure your dog always has a current rabies shot, else they will take your pup and destroy it if there is a run in with a coon. Some crazy coons might even attack the dog on a leash.
Skunks are even worse problems, occassionally you get one in the trap. Even more fun to figure out how to deal with that sucker. They never make it to the ride. The rules are crazy in trying to address the problem. Like most things from the government never make any sense. Most bigger cities are over run by illegals, wild critters and assorted boys on the make. Government has no solution for any of them.
Thank God I never caught no deer. Could do that today if I wanted too. Probably need to, might be worse pests than coons, sure eat anything, never saw a coon eat a tomato plant or pine tree. They sure will. Need a system of bonus points for a good road kill. Maybe a few pennies to help pay for the damage. Roo bumpers for free.
If you're going to relocate, you should know that raccoons have a 20 mile range. You should also be careful to relocate to someplace where there are not other homes/barns/chicken coops so that you're not just dumping your problem on someone else.
20 miles would get you out in the burbs. Hey, wait a minute there are already plenty out in them burbs. They are so bad, they are out in the day time. You actually pick places / peeps you don't like to dump them.
Burbs are dumping them in the city. City is dumping them in the burbs. Lil suckers are becoming regular commuters. They really need a place to drop them off for the Final Solution.
Thank you all for your helpful responses. Cosmic, I would never use the 'good ol boy trick",nothing good about that.
We are trying for a preventive measure this time before they break in like last summer. I am not sure what the laws are around here for trapping, but will find out if it comes to that. Its scarey for us to go up on our roof, dont want hubby to do that. Last year when we hired a 'pro' he said they were not allowed to catch and release in Illinois.
We have a radio blaring a talk show and lights in the attic and have declared war. Last nite, hubby heard something on the roof and with flash light and water hose in hand sprayed one till he ran off the roof. We removed branches next to the house where we saw them climb up and put a racoon repellent around the trees and eaves. Last year, the team set traps at their entrances and caught 4- one each day,leaving the house, it was sad to see them suffering on the roof in the hot sun till the guys arrived to take them away, once it was over 6 hours after I called.
We live a bit secluded surrounded by woods,trees and huge nature areas-plenty of critter homes-why our house? We have coyotes, fox, Herons, and the usual critters all over the place here and know never to feed them.
Juast wondered if anyone had any other tricks we could try.Thanks all
When you kill them, don't forget to eat them, and I am VERY serious! Barbecued coon is wonderful!!!
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Take them for a ride..................
We have coyotes, fox, Herons, and the usual critters all over the place here and know never to feed them. 
