Suburban Raccoons

My neighbor found out one day that raccoons had pushed the soffit in at the roof line and made a hole to get inside his attic. They must have climbed up the fence and onto the roof and then into the attic via the soffits! This can be a major issue for many homeowners. First, there is the idea of animals in your home. Secondly, there is the mess they make. Then you need to spend some time and money getting rid of them. If you do not believe that they can climb up the brick of your home, think again. They are very adept at climbing and they have incredible dexterity in their claws to manipulate a variety of things. They are very smart, have good memories, and will get into many different homes with the same layout and design.

Raccoons in the Attic – What Did it Cost to Get Rid of Them?

Fortunately, they were only inside for a week and did not do much damage. He called an animal removal company who gave him a quote for $1250 which they eventually reduced to $1100! This is still a lot but what are you going to do? If you know what you are doing and are not afraid to get on the roof, anyone can do this work themselves. If you are afraid of heights or you are not very handy, then the best solution is to hire someone. It is important to have this work done as soon as possible after they get into the attic. You want to reduce the amount of damage that they do to your attic.

They installed a one-way trap door over the entrance area so the raccoons can get out but not back in. They also installed wire mesh over all other potential areas where the raccoons, birds, or squirrels could get in. All told there were nine potential entrances that now have wire mesh over them. The one-way trap door is very important. The raccoons can get out and not back in. it also has a flag that indicates that the raccoons have left the attic which is nice to know! Squirrels and birds are also blocked from getting in as well with all of these potential areas now blocked.

Removing the Trap Door

Once the raccoons are gone, the one-way trap door is removed and replaced with a permanent solution that will prevent them from getting into the attic ever again. Basically, it is heavy gauge wire mesh that is screw nailed to the roof. There is no way that they can get through that.

Good job but cost $1100! Some of the work he could have done himself and reduced the price but not all of it. Also, this is still way cheaper than removing all of the insulation and feces if they had been there a long time. Don’t wait, deal with this problem as soon as you notice it and go for a permanent solution. Even if you deal with the current residents, others will move in later if you do not seal off the attic.

If you need to have your roof replaced at some point the wire mesh will need to be removed so that the shingles underneath can be replaced. Once the new roof is on, replace the wire mesh to prevent any future raccoons from getting in. Whether you are aware of it or not they are always looking for a place to live and will be back if you do not prevent them from getting in. We had this same wire mesh installed and for two years we could see tracks on the roof of the raccoons trying to get in at the same location. Fortunately, they could not enter our attic, with this wire mesh installed.

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