Nesting Raccoon Removal and Damage Repair in Lakewood, NJ

Challenge

A frustrated homeowner in Lakewood contacted Cowleys because he was hearing animal noises on and off in his attic for close to six months! The wildlife technicians from two other nuisance wildlife companies that he had previously contacted for help were unable to find the entry point into the attic or, for that matter, even identify the type of animal invading his house.  Upon my inspection, I quickly determined that the offending animal, based on its hand-shaped animal tracks and the shape of the droppings, was a raccoon. Raccoons can be highly aggressive creatures, especially females protecting their kits. A raccoon infestation is a genuine health hazard. Besides the raccoon droppings that contain disease-transmitting microorganisms, raccoons are the primary rabies vector species in New Jersey.  

Raccoons are large creatures; an adult can weight up to 20 pounds! Even though there were no obvious holes or weak spots in the roof or soffit, I knew that the animal had to have a decently sized entry point. Sure enough, I found the raccoon’s “doorway” into the attic — a loose gable vent. Homes are equipped with multiple vents to allow hot air to escape from the attic. You’ll find them on the underside of your soffits and on a gable, that triangular portion of a house that comes to a peak between the edges of the intersecting roof pitches. A gable vent is typically found at the end of the house, over the garage, but many homes have multiple gables with multiple gable vents. (Those of us who are secret early American literature buffs know that The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA, the oldest surviving 17th century colonial mansion, is the setting for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel of the same name.)

Solution

With the entry point determined and the type of animal known, it was time to capture and relocate the wildlife. I set multiple traps in strategic locations, and sure enough, soon caught a large raccoon.  I used tape over the vent to determine if there were more than one critter using the attic. Once I saw that no other animals were coming and going from the house, I screened off the vent from the inside. Some clean-up work in the attic is necessary to ensure that there are no remaining scents to attract other raccoons . Also raccoon urine and droppings are toxic. It is important to clean and sanitize the attic to make sure that the attic and the air quality of the home is safe.