Raccoons find easy entry into Belmar, NJ home.

Challenge

Recently, a homeowner in Belmar, NJ contacted Cowleys after his eagle-eyed next-door neighbor informed him that a raccoon hanging around on his roof. The homeowner contacted us to trap and relocate any invading animals.  

Upon arrival, I started my exterior inspection, setting up my ladder and climbing up on the roof so I could check out the situation. My immediate concern with a wildlife infestation is damage and entry points. With attic entries through the roof or soffit area, we are usually dealing with either squirrels or raccoons; however, rats and birds sometimes make their way in as well. Cowleys is equipped to handle all of them.

Here, I immediately noticed a large hole at the edge of the roofline that was the raccoons’ likely access point into the home. The roof had water-rot and damaged building materials that are often exploited by animals to gain entry. Homes that require maintenance and repair are more vulnerable to wildlife infestations. Critters have a distinct knack for finding weaknesses in a home’s structure. It is much easier for them to expand an existing hole or use their razor-sharp claws and teeth to shred through water-damaged building materials. Soffits and facia boards are prone to water damage being near the roofline, especially if a home has clogged, overflowing gutters.

Solution

With the entry point identified, I could set up traps in the most strategic locations. First, I installed a “one-way” over the entry hole. These devices have a hinge that allows the animals to leave, but their return is blocked, much like a one-way valve that forces water in one direction. I also set and baited two traps. Within a couple of days, i caught the offenders, a protective mom and her two babies. It’s important to make sure that all of the babies are kept with the mother since they are helpless on their own.  

Once the raccoons were caught, I checked to make sure that there was no more wildlife inside the attic. I patched the roof hole with trim coil to prevent any future re-infestations. The raccoon family was relocated to a safe location far away from human habitats.