Wildlife Removal Photo Album: Raccoons find easy entry into Keyport attic
Damaged vent Lets raccoons in a home in Keyport
Upon arrival, after speaking with the homeowner, I started my inspection. The first order of business is to find the access point into the home and figure out how the critters were getting into the attic wall void. usually, animals get in through holes in the siding or around the roofline, especially through the soffit boards that are prone to water damage. After a thorough inspection, I could not find any breaches to the siding or soffits. This made me even more determined. The animals had to have found or made an opening somewhere, and I was going to find it. I asked the homeowner is any vents or fans were installed on the roof. She stated the home had a static (louver) vent on the roof. These low-rising vents move hot air and moisture out of the attic to help ventilate the home along with the soffit vents. Static vents are stationary with no moving parts, and are are popular with roofing contractors because they're not that expensive. They are installed over a hole cut out of the roof, and are most effective when installed close to the roof's ridge. Because static vents are as flat as pancakes, they can be hard to inspect without actually being on the roof. So, it was time to explore! I climbed up on the roof to get a closer look, and sure enough, there was a big hole in the side of the vent. This vent was in bad shape. It was clearly as old as the roof itself and made of plastic. Many years of weathering had taken its toll. The vent was now very brittle, making an easy entrance making for a small raccoon.
Tape over hole to mark raccoon entry points
I placed a couple of pieces of tape across the opening to serve as a marker. When I return, if the tape is broken and there is fur stuck to it, I'll positively know that an animal exited through the opening. At that point, I'll replace the tape. You have to keep repeating the process until the tape remains unbroken for a few days, so you are assured that there are no more animals inside the home. I also set two traps just outside the access point. Ideally, it is best for the animals to safely and humanely trap them, so that they can be relocated to an area far away from human habitats and live out their lives in peace.
Traps set on roof for raccoons in Keyport, New Jersey
We set traps on the roof.
Branches close to roof to let in raccoons
I also noticed that these raccoons were likely gaining roof access by using a tree with overhanging branches that made for a perfect bridge. I recommended, as a preventative measure that its branches should be cut back away from the home. It's just too tempting! Raccoons are excellent climbers. They can certainly make it to the roof by climbing up the exterior walls if they so choose. However, for these animals, overhanging tree branches are an open invitation to explore your roof. Unfortunately, once they are up there, their next step is to start looking for or making an opening to get inside your home. The best preventative measure for squirrel or raccoon infestations in attics is to not start the chain of events.