Raccoons find easy entry to Barnegat Light, NJ home

Challenge

For nuisance wildlife technicians, “Pac-man” isn’t just a video game that we used to play in our youth. It’s something we still encounter. I understand if you’d be a bit confused, so let me explain.  

Many homes have dormers, those roof structures that project vertically on a sloping roof. Dormers are a cost-effective way to increase the usable space of the home and allow for installation of window openings in a roof plane. When looking at these projections from the outside, they create an area where the roof meets the soffit and forms a sideways “V” shape. Wildlife technicians informally call this area of the roof the “Pac-man” because its shape resembles that devouring character in the video game.

Well, enough about video games and back to important stuff like nuisance wildlife. These “Pac-man” roof areas are well known by wildlife techs, and not in a good way. They have a notorious reputation as entry points into homes for animals like squirrels and raccoons. These animals have amazing climbing skills and can easily gain roof access by an overhanging free limb, utility wire, or straight up a gutter. The angle of the dormers makes it difficult to secure and seal the surrounding soffit during construction. And you know the old saying about a chain only being as strong as its weakest link — the Pac-man area is a common location for wildlife to gain attic access. 

Recently, I was sent to a home in Barnegat Light, NJ after the homeowner contacted Cowleys after hearing strange “thumping” wildlife noises in her attic. Upon arrival, I immediately noticed an opening in the “Pac-man” roof area. Once I climbed onto the roof, I identified the unmistakeable “human hand” paw print of a raccoon that was left behind on a piece of soffit it had ripped away. 

Solution

Now that I knew the type of wildlife and its entry point, I could develop the most effective trapping plan. Successful trapping requires a strategy. You can’t just start putting down traps anywhere. It has to be the right traps in the right location secured the right way. For this particular situation, I decided to use a Comstock trap. These traps are among the fastest closing cage traps on the market. They  work exceptionally well for even the most wily raccoon. A Comstock trap open on both ends, so that once the trap is in place, no matter whether the animal is entering or existing the home, when the animal is in the center of the trap, it’s game over. The trap doors on both sides immediately shut tight and the target animal is captured. 

Once the trapping is complete and the animals are relocated to a safe location, I’ll seal the entry point with a patch made from trim coil in order to exclude any attempted future wildlife infestations.