Raccoons set up frat house in this Jackson attic. Animal Control & Wildlife Removal in Jackson, NJ

Challenge

A Jackson homeowner contacted Cowleys after hearing wildlife noises in the attic, and I was dispatched to resolve the problem. After talking with the homeowner to get a better understanding of the problem such as the types of noises and time of day she heard them, I had my prime suspect in mind, raccoons, based on known wildlife activity in this neighborhood, but I needed to confirm with an inspection. It was time to stop talking and start looking. I cautiously entered the attic thru a hatch in the upstairs hallway. Upon entering, I was greeted with the pungent odor of wildlife urine. Upon further investigation, I found the evidence in the form of several piles of scat (droppings), and I immediately knew those belonged to a raccoon. How could I possibly know the type of animal just by looking at its waste? Glad you asked!  Wildlife droppings help identify the pest and, almost like a trail of breadcrumbs, provide a road-map of their activity. For example, with this job, I immediately knew it was raccoon scat based on its shape and appearance. Raccoon feces is tube-shaped similar to dog feces, about 2-3 inches long, and slightly smaller than the diameter of a hot dog. With raccoon feces, you’ll also usually see undigested food remnants such as berry seeds. In addition to the scat, I also saw their distinctive tracks. They are hand-shaped, 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 observed some pretty bad insulation damage, which is almost a given once raccoons are spending any time in an attic. Many areas of the insulation were ruined from either being saturated with urine and/or by being torn to shreds with their razor-sharp claws. Raccoons may look cute and cuddly, but they can be highly aggressive creatures, especially females protecting their kits. And they are surprisingly big: a raccoon can weigh up to 30 pounds! 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. The homeowner made the right decision by contacting Cowleys to get this infestation resolved.

Now that I knew what I was dealing with, the next step was figuring out how the raccoons were gaining entry. I immediately discovered the route. Raccoons have the balance and dexterity of an acrobat, and they have readily adapted to human habitats. They eat a wide range of foods, and can capture even fish with their flexible digits. Raccoons can even climb brick walls as easily as climbing a tree so there is little to stop them from getting to your roof if they are dead set on it. They won’t hesitate to saunter into your kitchen through a doggie door. Raccoons find attics and even chimneys to be cozy places for sleeping and rearing young. With this house, a mischievous raccoon had shimmied up the downspout to gain access to the roof. And once on the roof, the raccoon discovered a vulnerable part of the soffit (the soffit is part of the roofing system that connects the roof overhang and the side of your home that covers your eves, and without it, your rafters would be exposed to the elements). The raccoon easily ripped off a soffit section to gain entry to the attic. And once he had unfettered access to the attic, all that was left was for the raccoon was hang up a “HOME SWEET HOME” sign. But, unfortunately, their sign is depositing urine and feces. There is no more inconsiderate guest than you can have in your home than a raccoon. The more time that they den in the attic, the more time they will have to damage it, and their specialty is ruining insulation. And if that’s not enough, raccoons usually come with a  “house gift” — all kinds of parasites that can spread through the attic, and eventually throughout the home’s living spaces.

Raccoons were thought to be solitary creatures, but biologists are discovering that these masked bandits engage in gender-specific social behavior. Related females will often share a common area to breed their young, while unrelated males live together in groups of up to four (and are just as messy as any “frat house”) to maintain their positions against foreign males during during the mating season. Raccoons usually mate in a period triggered by increasing daylight between late January and mid-March. After a gestation period of about two months, two to five young (known as "kits”), are born in the spring. The kits are raised by their mother until they disperse in late fall.

Solution

With this job, Cowleys will safely and humanely trap and relocate all of the raccoons. Once we are assured that all of the wildlife has been removed, its time to exclude to make sure that they don’t return. Here, we have a talented team who will rebuild the soffit area so it’s as good as new. Also, this homeowner is going to have us take care of the toxic mess that was left behind. We will remove the existing soiled insulation, and hepa-vac, sanitize, and deodorize the entire attic so the family can breathe safely. Finally, we will install our T.A.P. insulation, our “green” blown-in insulation with superior thermal, acoustical, and pest protection properties. When we are finished installing the new insulation, the attic will be better than new, and the homeowner will have lower utility bills. 

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 grateful animals that has been successfully relocated back to nature where they can live in peace away from disruptive human habitats.