Mama Raccoon finds Home in Lincroft, NJ School
Recently, a momma raccoon decided to take up residence in an elementary school in Lincroft, NJ. She set up a nesting area above the school’s drop ceiling for herself and her three babies. Needless to say, school administrators were none-too-pleased with this wildlife problem. Raccoons are large aggressive animals that also happen to be New Jersey’s primary rabies vector. Mother raccoons can be particularly aggressive if they feel that someone is threatening their kits. In short, raccoons, in and around any structure, especially a school where there are curious little kids looking for trouble, is a dangerous situation. I was told that the raccoon noises were becoming a serious distraction to both students and faculty. In addition, raccoons can cause extensive property damage. With this infestation, as often happens, the raccoons ruined much of the insulation above the drop ceiling. They tear up the soft, cushiony material for nesting and it becomes a sponge for their wastes. The school will handle the insulation removal and replacement later on. And it’s not just the animals that pose a danger. Wildlife urine and waste particles, which can become airborne, can contain dangerous pathogens.
Upon arrival, as with any wildfire infestation, I inspected the building to to determine how the raccoon gained access to the building. Usually, with large animals, the entry points aren’t too subtle. Here, I immediately saw that the raccoon ripped out one of the flimsy air vent screens. Often, standard air vent screens used by contractors are not sturdy enough to withstand a wildlife “break-in.” They are simply not made with wildlife intrusions in mind and standard vent covers are no match for a determined raccoon. There animals are not only strong intelligent animals, but they also have human-like five-fingered front paws that are extremely dexterous. They have been known to open doors and screw the lids off cans!
It was important to trap these raccoons, and get the job done quickly. We placed four baited traps on the roof of the school in strategic locations based on their activity. The mother raccoon must leave the nest in order to forage for food for herself and her babies. Two days later, “momma” was successfully captured. We then proceeded to retrieve the helpless babies, removing them one by one, and reunited them with their worried mother. One thing we don’t do is split up happy raccoon families! We relocated the family to a safe area far away from human habitats. Finally, to prevent future re-infestations, we fortified all of these potential entry points by screening off the eight roof vents with 1/4-in, galvanized hardware. Raccoons or squirrels will not be able to gain access into the building through these heavy-duty vents. This Lincroft school that should not have to worry about another wildlife infestation anytime soon!