Raccoons in Pt. Pleasant rip hole in shed - Animal & wildlife control in Point Pleasant, NJ

Challenge

A Point Pleasant homeowner contacted Cowleys, reporting a wildlife infestation in his backyard shed. I was immediately dispatched to take care of the problem. Upon arrival, I spoke with the homeowner. Although he had not actually seen any animals in his shed, he knew that something was amiss. The shed was a total mess. There were animal droppings everywhere as well as  “vandalism” to the contents inside. He never actually caught any animals red-handed inside the shed. However, he surmised that the trespassers were squirrels because he had observed so many of them criss-crossing his property. 

It was time to visit the shed and see exactly what trouble was afoot. We walked over to the backyard shed together. Whenever I approach a home or other structure that has been infested with wildlife, my first interest is inspecting the outside for potential entry points. To gain access, the critters need to locate some weak spot in the structure that will give them access, or they often do some construction on their own with their powerful teeth and claws to make an entrance way for themselves. More often than not, the wildlife finds soft, rotted wood that is easy to chew or claw through. You rarely see wildlife breaking into a solid well-maintained structure. Often, backyard storage sheds are not well maintained, and they are “easy pickins” for wildlife to find their way inside if they so choose. 

As we approached the shed, I immediately saw a large hole above the shed door (see photo 1), and thought to myself ... that's one big hole for any squirrel. Of course, there could be other potential access points. A good wildlife technician will identify all of the possibilities. With many wildlife infestations, you’ll find multiple potential entry points, especially if they’ve been there awhile. As the wildlife population increases, often the number of entry points does as well.

The homeowner opened the door to the shed so I could inspect inside. I immediately knew then and there that we weren’t dealing with squirrels. First, I observed a hole in the floor, which was a perfect way for the animals to gain access the shed without being seen. However, squirrels are tree-dwelling rodents that like to stay high up whenever possible. Although squirrels can certainly infest basements and crawl-spaces, usually we find squirrel problems much higher up — in attics where they gain access to the roof by running across utility lines or overhanging tree branches. This ground level entry point was a strong indicator that we were we dealing with something quite different than squirrels. I was convinced that this particular infestation involved the much larger and more aggressive raccoon. The homeowner was surprised when I told him that the visitors to his shed were these masked bandits. It was not just the hole. I showed him that the offending animals had knocked a wooden shelf clean off the wall that had numerous heavy old metal hand tools on it. No squirrel that I’ve ever dealt with was strong enough to do that. While squirrels are exceptionally agile rodents, they weigh all of about one pound are not known for their strength. Raccoons, on the other hand, are much larger and stronger. They can weigh upwards of 20 pounds, and are extremely strong for their size. These tough, fearless creatures are strong enough to rip apart heavy gauge wire and can easily rip and claw their way through wooden roofing and shingles. Given the damage that was done inside, I was positive that raccoons were the culprits.

Solution

I set two traps and baited them. Raccoons are omnivores — scavenging garbage disposals that will eat pretty much anything and everything. From my experience, the best raccoon bait is sweets. My personal favorite coon bait recipe is dipping marshmallows in peaches and cream bait, along with a side of pop tarts covered with Anise sauce. Anise sauce has a strong licorice smell and a sweet taste that coons simply can’t resist. When baiting a trap, I always wear gloves because raccoons can be wary of a human scent. I set one trap inside the shed on the floor (see photo 3) and a second one outside on the ground under the hole (see photo 4).  The shed is not locked and can be accessed for frequent site checks. Once an animal is trapped, it is important to relocate them quickly.

With the traps in place, I’m confident that the raccoons will be safely and humanely trapped in a matter of days. Once trapped, I’ll relocate them to a location far away from this homeowner and other human habitats where the raccoons can live out their days in peace and be much happier.