Raccoons cause commotion at Toms River home - Raccoon control and wildlife removal in Toms River, NJ
Challenge
I was sent to a Toms River residence to resolve a possible wildlife infestation. The homeowner had contacted Cowleys complaining of strange noises in the attic. She suspected a wildlife infestation, but wisely decided to not further investigate herself. She was understandably upset. Nuisance wildlife not only can cause significant property damage, they also pose a health risk to a home’s occupants. I assured the homeowner that any animals would be safely and promptly removed, and any entry points into the home would be located and sealed to prevent future reentry.
After speaking with the homeowner to get a better understanding of what was going on — the types of noises and when she was hearing them — I came up with my list of usual suspects. I first conducted a thorough inspection around the exterior of the home for signs of animal activity. Sometimes these signs are subtle, sometimes not. With this Toms River residence, finding the source of the wildlife infestation was no mystery. I immediately saw where the animal was gaining access inside the attic. There was a pushed-in hole in the soffit, the material bridging the gap between a home’s siding and the roofline. Often, this part of the home gets water-damaged from backed up gutters, and the weakened wood makes it easy for an animal to gnaw and scratch their way inside. This particular hole was big enough for any New Jersey wildlife we find in the suburbs to gain access to the attic.
Next, it was time to inspect the attic. Again, there was no mystery. I found an abundance of droppings and footprints. The animal tracks were hand-shaped measuring about three inches across with five finger-like toes in both front and hind feet. The front tracks had longer toes that were spread apart and the hind feet had a larger palm and heel pad. With these distinctive prints, I knew the uninvited guest I was dealing with: a raccoon. Raccoons may look cute and cuddly, but they can be highly aggressive creatures, especially females protecting their kits. And make no mistake, a raccoon infestation is a genuine emergency. Besides the raccoon droppings that contain disease-transmitting microorganisms, raccoons are the primary rabies vector species in New Jersey.
Solution
I explained to the homeowner what I found, and she was relieved that she knew what the problem was and that it could be resolved quickly. Unfortunately, the attic was a toxic mess from all of the droppings, and I provided her with an estimate for the clean-up. Wildlife clean-up is potentially dangerous. When you disrupt the droppings, spores become airborne. Breathing them in can trigger serious lung infections. Cleaning up and sanitizing a bird or wildlife infestation should be left to trained personnel who have the proper tools and cleaning solutions, not to mention proper protective equipment for their own safety.
I set and bated animal traps on the roof so I could safely and humanely catch the animal outside of the house and relocate him or her out of harm's way. Fortunately, it did not take long. That night, the homeowner notified us that a raccoon was in the trap, and was voicing his displeasure about his current predicament. We rushed over the next morning to pick up the raccoon and relocate him. However, before doing so, we thoroughly inspected the attic to see if there were any signs of babies. The last thing a wildlife technician ever wants to do is separate a mom from her cubs. Fortunately, there were no babies in the attic. I secured the hole in the soffit to monitor for activity. After several days of no activity, I permanently sealed the hole and performed a final attic check to make sure there is no remaining wildlife hunkering down. Before I finish a job, I want to be 100% positive that there are no surprises for either me or, more importantly, the homeowner.
Job complete. For me, there is nothing better than a grateful homeowner who can finally sleep at night without one eye open listening to strange noises overhead, not to mention a grateful animal that has been successfully relocated back to nature where he can live in peace away from disruptive human habitats.
