Raccoon Rips Apart Roof in Long Branch, NJ

Challenge

We’ve turned the corner into 2019 and apparently, these raccoons did not have a New Year’s resolution to not break into homes and other buildings! Nuisance wildlife issues peak during the winter months as many animals seek to escape the harsh weather. Our warm private attics, basements, and crawl spaces are the perfect get-away spots.  

Here, I was sent to an apartment complex in Long Branch, NJ. The property owner reported that raccoons are gaining entrance into the attic through the soffit. Soffits and fascia board are common access points for raccoons. Soffits (the underside of the roof eaves), for instance, are made out of vinyl or other material that is easy for many type of wildlife to tear through. Sometimes, they will just rip the soffit vents right off. 

Solution

To deal with this infestation, we set up a one-way over the entry hole that would allow the animals to exit, but prevent their return. We also set up a few traps to capture and humanely relocate the animals to a more appropriate habitat. Once the animals were out of the house we framed the open cavity and reinforced it to make sure that there would not be a re-infestation. Wildlife is often attracted to the same locations. When we were done repairing the soffit, the building looked as good as new.