Raccoons near Ocean home ready to cause damage | Raccoon control and removal in Ocean, NJ

Challenge

A homeowner in Ocean contacted Little Rascals by Cowleys to have a wildlife technician come to her house to trap and relocate raccoons that had taken up residence on her property. Fortunately, the raccoons had not accessed the attic or other areas inside the home where they could have caused all sorts of property damage and mischief. Their clawing, droppings, and urine can quickly destroy an attic and its insulation, and they often bring in all sorts of parasites that can start spreading throughout the home. However, even raccoons nesting in outside areas like under patio decks pose risks to homeowners. I’m glad that this homeowner contacted Cowleys to remove this wildlife infestation before anyone was bitten or there was damage to the deck. Raccoons can be highly aggressive, especially females protecting their kits. And they are surprisingly big: a raccoon can easily weigh 20 pounds, and sometimes more! A raccoon infestation on your property is an emergency. Besides the raccoon droppings that contain disease-transmitting microorganisms, raccoons are the primary rabies vector species in New Jersey. 

As soon as I arrived, the homeowner showed me the outside deck where she had seen four raccoons, describing them as one large raccoon, and three smaller raccoons, each one a little more than a foot long. Based on her description, I knew that I was dealing with a protective mother and three of her young.  At that size, the smaller ones were probably already weaned and old enough to venture out on their own. However, like with this Ocean residence, they will sometimes stay together for a while if they happen to have found a safe comfortable spot close to a water source. After all, when  raccoons have all they can ask for, why bother moving to a new neighborhood? When the surroundings of a home are appealing to people, it’s generally appealing to critters like raccoons as well. This home happened to have a ready source of water: A lake right behind the home. 

After surveying the property, I noticed numerous paw prints on the back deck. Raccoons have distinctive hand-shaped tracks, measuring about three inches across with five finger-like toes in both front and hind feet. The front tracks have longer toes that are spread apart, and the hind feet have a larger palm and heel pad. I also found the trail that the raccoons had made from their nesting spot under the deck to the lake. I was confident that the droppings came from a raccoon based on their size, 2-3 inches long, and their tubular shape and because it had undigested seeds throughout.

Solution

I set up three traps where the track marks and evidence (droppings) were most prevalent. Because the raccoons were living in close proximity to the lake, I used red fish powder as bait. Raccoons eat a wide range of foods and can even capture fish with their flexible digits. This bait works well for summer wildlife control work because it is not affected by heat. It has a powerful trailing scent to lure raccoons into the traps, and is also effective for skunks and feral cats. Also, scavenging raccoons have a sweet tooth. As added bait attractants, I dipped marshmallows in peaches and cream paste, and covered pop tarts 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.

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.