I'm a bit Freaked Out (a little off topic)

[nikon_sam]

We've had Squirrels, Rabbits, Raccoons, Opossums, Coyotes, Rats & Gophers in our backyard at one time or another...the only ones trying to stay and nest are the Gophers...caught another one the other day...recycled him into coyote food...

[farlymac]

Had a co-worker once who decided to help out a neighbor who had a groundhog nesting under the house. Took his pistol, and went on patrol one day. Got off a good shot, but didn't kill the bugger. It headed straight for it's burrow, where it soon expired. Let's just say he wasn't on speaking terms with the neighbor for a long while.

I was living in an apartment in the center of town, and a squirrel got in the attic. I informed the landlord, who being the cheapskate that he was, got some drunken maintenance man to get rid of it. He threw a bunch of poison in the attic, then patched over the entrance hole. For such a small animal, it sure made a big smell. I should have asked for double my deposit back when I moved out (luckily, I was at the end of the lease, but had to put up with the smell for a month). It was five months after I moved out before he was able to rent the place out again.

One night, I was at a girlfriends place out in the country, and she was talking about how beneficial her bats were, with all the mosquitos they ate. I asked her where the bat houses were, and she said they lived in the rafters of the house. So I sat on the deck after sundown, and counted at least 75 of the flying bug catchers emerging for their nightly feeding. Who knows how many dead ones were up there.

Then in this place, I had woodborer bees on the balcony. I just waited till the evening, and blasted one of the nest openings with some killer spray, and they came tumbling out of the other hole. One of them tried backing out, never making it completely, dying right in the entrance.

Animals think we exist to provide them with living space.

PF

[robklurfield]

I almost always have a camera with me when I bicycle. I'm nowhere near as fast or nimble as I once was, but I do still try to log some decent mileage.

About a year ago I was riding on a road not far from the central downtown of the county seat where I live (Morristown, NJ), when I happened upon a bear that I'm guessing weighed at least 300 pounds walking out into the middle of the road from someone's driveway (guessing he'd been feasting on some trash).

He stopped. I stopped. I eyed him. He eyed me.

I am 100% certain I was more scared of him than he was of me, BUT he did saunter back into the driveway. Fortunate for me, as both directions were steep uphill climbs. I thought I would crap my pants.

I was NOT quick enough to pull my camera from the bag! No pictures.

Perhaps this explains why most of my wild animal shots are taken of dead, rather than live critters. Simply a bit of survival instinct from a kid who grew up in the city and the suburbs and who probably doesn't know any better.

[DRabbit]

Thanks for the input everyone.

UPDATE:

So yesterday morning, the wildlife guy took mama away in her cage (and I felt so bad for her) -- if you didn't read my reply above, we did catch her late Friday night. After he put mama in his truck, he proceeded to have his assistant go up in my attic briefly to try to find the babies. Unfortunately, we have the blown type of insulation, so they couldn't find them.

He told me I'd have to wait to hear them cry, then he'd come back and retrieve them... (apparently this is the normal way to go about this kind of thing). I was not happy.

So last night we hear moving around near the pull-down stairs to our attic. We stand and listen for a bit and are SURE we hear them. We call the raccoon man. He proceeds to tell me he won't come until we clean the boxes out of our attic. Nice. Now I'm angry, and upset and it's 9:30 at night. My husband is not going up there with raccoons (he's generally afraid of any animal). I'm crying and call the guy back and basically beg him to come, and he gives me a hard time about it. He then brings his teenage daughter and makes her climb around my attic. Charming. She finds nothing, but she is sure she hears them whining somewhere.

This morning I go back in there and stand by the door for a while. I listen and hear shuffling again. The sound seems to be moving around a small area by the pull-down door. I'm looking at the door and listening for like 10 minutes when a little raccoon paw comes through the edge of the door (there's a small hole there). I jumped back (stunned)! I swear I wish I had my camera at that moment ready to take a photo because until my daughter's friend saw the same thing 1/2 an hour later, no one believed me.

I call the raccoon man. He basically accuses me of lying about seeing a paw. He tells me to go pick up his daughter and she'll get them. Not happy about that, but we do it (his daughter was VERY nice). By the time we get back, he pulls in not 5 minutes later. They go up in the attic and find nothing. He's annoyed.

And he then proceeds to tell me I'm "crying wolf". I could have punched him.

My husband is ready to have me committed because of how this bothers me. I've cried about the babies being up there alone. I don't want them dying up there! Dying also isn't going to make it any easier to find them (until they smell, which will be awful for everyone). I can't believe how difficult this is.

I've called another wildlife guy (who I originally called because he also does restoration, which he is going to do for me when this is all done). He's been very nice. I've filled him in on what is going on, and he's a little annoyed at my current guy's demeanor. He's going to come by tomorrow and take a look for me, to see if he can find where they are. He also told me to go outside and listen by the soffits, which we are going to do in a little while.

I need for all of this to be over.

[porktaco]

when we had roof rats, the pest guy said to get wolf urine at the sporting goods store. really. apparently, humans can't smell it, but rodents (and civets, presumably) can. it comes in a little plastic bottle and you squeeze it up in the attic. it's used for deer hunting, i think. anyway, it worked pretty well.

[daveleo]

Throw that (first) animal guy to the wolves. He is not the solution to your problems. His daughter might be, but not him !

If it was my place, I would get (buy?) 3 traps (how many babies do racoons have) and trap them and then call a nice animal guy or your local veteranarian (I can't spell, you noticed) or wildlife sanctuary or zoo ! ! about what to do.

If you are going to eat or use the dead animal, or if it's a real threat . . . then kill it. If you're going to kill it only because it's an annoyance, Sh#t, most of the people I know are an annoyance !

[Keith]

I remember living in a renter several years ago that had a problem with native rodents that evaded all attempts at trapping (they were protected) and baiting wasn't an option. Eventually a large carpet python moved in for a few days and disposed of the lot of them for me!

[Paulbe]

Amy--the mothball theory isn't a myth!
Squirrels and opossums and the like detest the smell.
After you get rid of the opossum--aka possum--spread mothballs throughout your attic.
It does work..
Paul in Ga where we get 'em too!

[DRabbit]

UPDATE: 1 BABY CAUGHT!

Okay, I'm seriously going to start thinking that it's good luck for me to post here about this!! LOL

We heard the noise again. My brother and husband carefully opened the attic door, and my brother went up there to try to spot the baby/ies. He did. So I called the raccoon "expert" right away.

It took him nearly 40 minutes to get here (though I admit, it is a sunday night)... and my brother kept his eye on the baby raccoon he could see the whole time.

And the raccoon man got him! (then handed it off to my brother so he could see if there were more...)

We didn't see or hear any others, but we will have to keep an ear out... usually there is 3 or 4. Sometimes if there is only one, they do keep very quiet, which could be why we didn't hear any loud crying. I'm going to hope there was only one, but we'll be listening out...

Here's my brother!

[alan davus]

A few months ago I was awoken about 4AM. one Monday morning by something walking on our tiled roof. It must have been loud because my wife woke up in a start and said "Alby, there's someone on the roof" (normally she sleeps through anything.) We have two Jack Russells and they were growling. I leapt out of bed, let the dogs out who were soon yapping their heads off, grabbed a shovel and raced into the back yard. There sitting just above the gutters was a great big fat koala bear. My wife came out and said as only a woman would, "what are you going to do?" "I'm going back to bed. If he found his way up there, he can find his way down." Which is exactly what happenned. For about a half an hour I could hear him clunking around on the tiles then all went silent.

[DRabbit]

I'm posting this based on my last reply and hoping it gives me more raccoon luck. LOL!

I had a second raccoon professional come today (he is also a restoration expert and he'll be doing the attic clean-up when this is over). He looked at the picture of the baby and said to try small (humane) squirrel traps, baited with marshmallow and a fruit paste he gave me. He looked up in the attic to see if he could find more babies, and my brother spent a good hour up there looking as well. I did hear more shuffling sounds, but neither of them could find anything.

I'm hoping we'll find any additional babies that might be up there by tomorrow... as time wears on there's a bigger chance of them dying up there and I'm SO not happy about that prospect.

Thanks for listening!

[I Love Film]

One can only imagine into what body part they give the rabbi shots. They send a mohel to administer them.

Originally Posted by clicker

BTW they bite and rabbi shots hurt. Be careful ,they are wild animals and can be very aggressive.

[DRabbit]

Final Update

We took matters into our own hands (or shall I say, my courageous, much younger brother did).

Tonight, my brother and husband cleaned out the rest of the boxes in the attic. After it was clear up there, my brother started removing floor boards... low and behold, there were two more babies. Very tired and very scared, but still alive. Mind you, I had suggested to the first raccoon guy that maybe they were under the floor boards up there, and he assured me that was impossible.

We put the babies in an old cat carrier and called the raccoon guy to come get them. They'll be reunited with mama tonight. And I can finally sleep knowing they aren't going to die a slow painful death in my hot attic.

Next step now, after the holiday weekend, will be the attic restoration. All the insulation is going to be replaced and they'll look and make sure there aren't any chew wires. The holes in the roof will be permanently fixed (instead of the patch job that's up there now). The facia is all going to be replace and extended up over the lip of the roof so animals will be less likely to chew there. We've already trimmed some of our trees and bushes back and will finish the rest.

And then hope we never have another raccoon nest in our house.

Thanks for listening all...

[farlymac]

A wonderful portrait, Amy. Now you can rest a bit.

PF

[dfatty]

dang, those little guys are cute. good on you for persevering and finding them.

[boomguy57]

Reminds me of that car insurance commercial where the guy pretends to be a raccoon...your situation isn't funny, but this commercial is hilarious!

So sorry about your attic!

[paulfish4570]

way to go, d ...

[robklurfield]

Aw, Amy, the more portraits you make, the cuter these darned pests look. Next thing we know, you'll be feeding him/her puppy chow and walking her on a leash. Glad this worked out.

[I Love Film]

What makes you think they won't all be painfully murdered by the "raccoon guy"?

Why would he keep them alive?

[daveleo]

Originally Posted by I Love Film

What makes you think they won't all be painfully murdered by the "raccoon guy"?

Why would he keep them alive?

Wonderful thought. Thanks for ending this thread on a high note.

[jsrockit]

Originally Posted by dave lackey

Don't raccoons taste like chicken?

Yeah, I know, not PC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsrwDl-SxSc

[DRabbit]

Originally Posted by I Love Film

What makes you think they won't all be painfully murdered by the "raccoon guy"?
Why would he keep them alive?

Thanks for the cheery note.

I'm not unrealistic. I do realize that it's possible the Raccoon Guy may have to euthanize them. I'm unclear on what the catch and release laws are in New York.

and honestly don't want to know.

However, even if they are to be euthanized, it is FAR more humane than to let them die a slow and painful starving dehydrating death in my attic.

I will say this... we had some problems with Raccoon Guy #1, but he was the guy that had the mother raccoon. His daughter was very very very nice and did explain how the moms and babies are reunited. She also clearly loves animals, and I asked her if her dad does, and she went on and on about how much he loves them. His house/yard was adorned with cute animal sculptures. His camera was filled with photos of animals, including a deer that basically "rang his doorbell" looking for food. It increasingly became clear, he's an animal lover.

When he came to retrieve the first baby, we suddenly saw this side of him as he retreated into raccoon land, snuggling with the baby and "chirping" at it (and it was chirping back)... to a point where he was basically ignoring us. It became immediately obvious that he's a guy who is better with animals than with people (and it also explained a lot about our odd experiences with him).

I think if he has the option to lawfully release them, he will.

[I Love Film]

[jsrockit]

That's not right I Love Film! (but it made me laugh even though I like Racoons).

[DRabbit]

There's always one...