Raccoon living in the Garage

[jaybird]

Like the title says...we think we have a raccoon living in our garage . The local animal shelter doesn't "do" raccoons, the fish and wildlife guys who do are closed on weekends and any local pest control company wants lots of $$$ to come out and set traps. Going to try some of the internet ideas I found. We're going to soak some tennis balls in ammonia and toss them around , then at around sunset we'll open the garage door a bit and put a radio on in the garage...LOUD. Also going to go to the next door neighbour who leaves their cat's food outside to bring it in for a couple of nights (doubt they will...). Hope we can get the little bugger out and then it's cleaning time...all the way up into the rafters where he's been "hanging" out! This could move onto another rant when I get to the cleaning...out in an unheated garage...while it snows...sigh!

[Decaf]

Sounds like a good plan, hope it works. I guess you won't be leaving the garage door open after this.

[Minou]

Get him out of there fast -- get the pest control company if you have to. Raccoon feces can carry dangerous parasites that can kill. If eggs get into the bloodstream, larvae can get to the brain, grow, and cause serious disability and even death. Racoons themselves can be vicious.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer...n_raccoon.html

[jaybird]

Unfortunately all the local pest control companies will do is come and set and bait traps. Which in the end might end up being counterproductive. They come for warmth and food. If you catch them with food they still see it as a free meal...which after they've been released (in the coulees behind our house I'm sure) it'll just turn around and come back...at least this is the information we've been given. We've had 2 radios (tuned to 2 different radio stations) blaring in there at top volume all day, to disturb the little darling's sleep , I've just set out several bowls with rags soaked in ammonia (supposedly irritates their noses) and once dusk hits we're plugging in all the husbands bright halogen work lights and lastly we'll be opening the garage door 1/2 way after we sprinkle flour on the floor (so we can confirm his departure). If that doesn't work...tomorrow will be rip the garage apart day...which it would be anyways to clean it out...but I'd prefer to rip it apart with out the possibility of a critter jumping out at us!

[momof5boys]

Before calling pest control, I'd buy a live trap and set it....my uncle caught six raccoons this summer in a live trap.

[secheltsaver]

Have you figured out how the racoon is getting into the garage?Do you leave the door open??????They're amazingly resourceful-we had them lifting up a piece of plastic roofing they'd pried loose and getting into our greenhouse.You couldn't tell it was loose,and we were chasing them out the door (over and over) until we figured it out

[jaybird]

Totally my fault! Husband put bbq in the garage for the winter and of course I decided to open the door and bbq some ribs...which tasted great by the way. After supper I got involved with homework, reading, etc all the normal after supper stuff and completely forgot to close the door. An added bonus is it snowed about 10 inches overnight so I also had to shovel out the garage. *facepalm*

[jaybird]

Have you figured out how the racoon is getting into the garage?Do you leave the door open??????They're amazingly resourceful-we had them lifting up a piece of plastic roofing they'd pried loose and getting into our greenhouse.You couldn't tell it was loose,and we were chasing them out the door (over and over) until we figured it out

Can I ask how you chased them out? I'm thinking I might have to crawl up into the rafters and drag this one out!!

[abbasgirl]

It sounds like you have a good plan. Good for you for doing the research instead of just going ahead with whatever anyone tells you to do.
My sister had a skunk in her mud room and I don't think they did any research before trying to get rid of it so...let's just say the skunk left but no one wanted to visit my sister for awhile.

[tjthemanto]

If its a female racoon with babies , they can be very protective and can be pretty vicious trying to protect their young, so be careful when you approach them

[jaybird]

I'm thinking it's a loner, there's been no "chatter" which I guess when there's more than one you'll hear them talking to each other and we've had a pretty quiet roommate so far. Definitely going in very cautiously though.

[Aimz]

We had raccoons in our attic. Pest control was called, and I believe they installed some kind of a door/contraption where once the raccoon left for its nightly feeding (whatever it does at night), it wouldn't be able to get back in. It definitely worked.

[kerrylj]

My dad had good luck catching them with a live trap. They like peanut butter.

It is likely that if you don't get rid of it it won't be long before you have a family. That happened to my neighbour in his shed. What a mess.

[jaybird]

The raccoon left the building last night We're now doing a major clean and disinfecting of the garage!!

[Shwa Girl]

The raccoon left the building last night We're now doing a major clean and disinfecting of the garage!!

Yay!
If the racoon is not on the mortgage, he doesn't get to stay for free.
Glad that's over with.