Photo Album: Adorable raccoons captured and removed in Manahawkin
Set traps for raccoons in Manahawkin, NJ
This is a positive set trap, placed at the main entrance/exit and secured to this opening. This leaves no other option, but for the animal having to leave/enter through the trap. Because both ends are open, this makes it a positive set. I prefer to use positive sets whenever possible because it targets the exact animal of concern using this point of entry rather than catching other free roaming animals. In this case the mother raccoon was already inside this static vent cover. I had two options. The first was to place it over the static vent cover where the babies were and the second being to place it over the static vent that she was in. I opted for the second one. I no sooner got the trap secured to the static vent, climbed down, and started to secure the ladder to the truck and the customer said "oh you got her!". So I took the ladder back off the truck and did the final seal up in those areas. I followed up with a search of the attic where maintenance had told the customer there was no more babies. There was however one last baby that was reunited with its mother and taken to a safe location.
Trapped raccoon in Manahawkin, New Jersey.
I climbed down off the rood and was in the process of tying down my ladder on the truck. I heard the door on the trap slam shut while a resident quickly approached me. He was more excited that someone who just one lotto, and was yelling, "Hey, you got her! You got her!" I took my ladder back over to the roofline, and climbed up to meet the mother raccoon who was none too pleased that she was caught in a cage. I wish I could have told her that everything would be okay with her and her babies, but I don't speak raccoon-ese. I removed the mother and temporary sealed up the access hole until maintenance could replace the vent.
A real cutey. Captured raccoon in Manahawkin
But the day wasn't over. I still needed to inspect the attic and solve the mystery of how the raccoon babies managed to end up all the way down the duct next to the dryer. I immediately saw that the box that connects all the ducts to the static vent had been disconnected. In all likelihood, the box could not support the weight of the mother raccoon and her babies inside it. The box tipped over and the babies rolled down the duct like a waterslide at Runaway Rapids in Keansburg! It was a good thing I did this final inspection. I heard one last baby crying. Fortunately, I was able to extract the little critter without any problem and reunited it with its mom, placing the baby in the same trap (see photo). This adrenaline-filled raccoon job took less than an hour from start to finish. Also, I set my new personal record trapping by a raccoon within a couple of minutes of setting the trap. Speed dating is a popular event for singles at the Jersey Shore. Now, after this job, maybe Cowleys should start a new event for just for raccoons - speed trapping!
Raccoon in dryer vent at home in Manahawkin, NJ.
Prior to my arrival, I was told that the maintenance staff had removed three baby raccoons from a dryer vent duct after a homeowner could hear them crying. Raccoons are very vocal animals and raccoon babies can make a variety of sounds when trying to get their mother's attention from crying and screaming to mewing and whining. These kits were making a racket, and everyone was concerned that the mother would soon be returning and looking for her babies. Upon arrival, i was out of the truck and ready to go. I knew that I had a limited window to get prepared for the mother's return and there was no time to waste. As I reached the roof, I observed the mother raccoon enter a static vent to gain access to the attic. With lightening speed, I installed a positive set over the vent.