Hi: This is one of two letters from our son about raccoons inthe soffit just over their front door. He gave me his
permission to share it with you. :-) -- Mary
Part One:
Yesterday the raccoon was chewing on the house again.
Earlier I thought she was trying to remove a panel sothat her kits could more easily get out when it wastime for foraging, so I took out a panel for her.
Yesterday she was chewing again, and I becameconcerned that if I let her stay much longer she, orthe kits could do some serious damage somewhere. Itold her, if she chewed anymore, she was going to bekicked out. Of course she listened but did notunderstand, and within a half hour resumed chewing. Iwent out and looked up at her, and we had a mild staredown a couple of times, and I banged on the wallswhenever she chewed, but nothing worked. SO, it wastime for them to leave.
I waited till around 5:30 pm when she left to goforaging. I know her route, so I could check that shewas all the way clear of the house. Then I took downthe remaining soffits over the door, reached over andtook photos to locate the kits (fortunately still nearthe front), removed the remaining batten board panels,
and reached in and grabbed each kit and put it in a bigwhite plastic tub lined with some of our attic insulationwhich she used for a nest.
I went around the side of the house where she comes in and
placed the kits (in tub) where I hoped she'd find them. I
covered over the hole in the roof with some securely nailed
boards, nailed open the gate so that she couldn't use it toclimb onto the roof, turned on all the back and side-yard
lights and set a TV camera to watch the tub of kits. I also
blocked off the soffit channels she crawls through (the roof
patch should be enough, but if she excavates another hole, I
want her to meet a second line of defence).
Then I waited for her to come home. She returned.
Tried several times to get from the fence onto theroof, but couldn't. Seemed to not notice the kits,
though she took a very brief look in the tub, and thenshe walked around front. The soffits over the doorweren't in place yet, so I was afraid she'd find a wayright back. I went out and shooed her away from thedoor. She panicked and climbed the front maple tree.
I took the tub of kits and put it right at the base ofthe tree, and went inside to watch from upstairs.
She finally came down the tree, looked more thoroughlyat the tub of kits, took one out and began walkingaround the yard, looking for ways in, dragging thepoor kit the whole way. She paced the fences on theside and back, and once dropped her kit from thefence. That was the first time I've seen real emotionfrom her. She was really upset and made many panickymournful agitated cries. Then she climbed down thefence and got her kit back.
She came around the front several times. I stood atthe front windows to make my presence known. Shestood up on hind legs, resting front paws on thewindow sill, and looked straight at me.
Finally, the kits were screaming for milk too much,
and she could see she couldn't easily get in anywhere,
so she took each kit, one by one and bunked down atthe side of the house, between the air-conditioner andthe wall.
The kits complained most of the night. They'renormally quite vocal, but I think they also did notlike sleeping outside on a chilly night (3-4 C).
In the morning, she collected each kit and moved themto the backyard in the sun. She nursed them there,
and caught some sleep. She hadn't gotten much sleepat all last night (me either - I was busy defendingthe house and replacing the missing soffits).
The little family is at the base of the wall:
that is where they are now. I have no idea what herplan is, but I'll find out soon enough. She doesn'tyet know that the hole in the roof is covered, or thatthe channels from there to the nest are blocked, too.
Maybe she needs to learn that before she gives up.
For that she has to get on the roof, but I've alsomade that very difficult. Once, many months ago, araccoon (maybe this one) climbed a downspout to get onthe garage roof. This one prefers reaching up to theeaves from the top of the gate. We'll see.
love,
