This is an ultra-cheap means of controlling the raccoons in my ceiling. It works. Since my raccoons are habituated to light and noise, what else is left? I started by snarling and hissing. Hissing seemed to work. But, it did not work for long. The mama raccoon is back, probably pregnant, possibly with already-born kits.
One night when the hissing seemed to have lost effectiveness, I decided to bark. Terrified that a neighbor would hear, I just continued. Each time I heard the slightest movement, I howled and barked. Did you know that is difficult on the throat? It is. I don't know how dogs bark so much and not get really hoarse after the first few seconds.
I stomp around the room, bark, hit the walls and ceiling with a paper, sort of raking it along. Glossy paper won't leave ink on things, I hope.
The real problem with all this is that I cannot spend the night up and alert, barking. I need sleep. Maybe the raccoon just lies still until I leave the room. One of these days, I am going to throw a coon dog up in the ceiling and let all hell break loose.
Your turn
Did you ever try barking to rid your place of raccoons or other critters? If you hear me barking, please don't call the authorities to the old lady who has finally lost her mind. Thanks.
Well, now that you ask, yes, yes I have. It was out the kitchen window and it was to scare the crows away. It didn't work so I still had to go outside before they would fly away. They were hanging around the chookpen and I think they were after the eggs.
ReplyDeleteI like the coon dog idea. I know someone that puts a python in their ceiling to get rid of rats and mice...
Barb.
Barb,
ReplyDeleteWe will have to bark together or at each other for amusement. There are people too close for me to bark out the window. Well, I suppose they would think I got a dog.
I am quite sure those crows wanted the eggs. I'm glad you got rid of them.
Friends figured out they had a snake in the attic. They called an exterminator, telling him about the snake and evidence of a mouse years before. the exterminator advised him that the snake had likely taken care of the mice, and that he would leave the snake in the attic.
Maybe I would put a rat snake in the attic for rats and mice. A python would work.
When I found a rat snake in the basement, I noticed I had no mice around, AND the ground squirrels were absent for the first time in about 30 years.
Is the raccoon in a crawl space? Do you have any access to that area?
ReplyDeleteOne time we had a skunk that tried to move in under our house. We discouraged the move-in by placing a couple of flood lights under the house, attached to a long extension cord. We waited until it was well dark and the skunk had gone out to hunt around. At that time we plugged in the flood lights. It was our hope that the skunk would not find the underneath of our house quite as inviting. It worked! The skunk preferred to find a dark place to spend the day sleeping. We then closed off the spot where the skunk had made it's way in. It was way way cheaper than an exterminator.
Janet,
ReplyDeleteIt is over my head. It only has access to this room. This room is a porch that was expanded and made into a room. So, it is sealed from the other rooms. Except somehow it has a way out down the interior of the walls. The only way to access where she is would be to take down this ceiling over the room where I am right now.
Putting a light in the crawl space was clever. I will keep that in mind. One house around here had to be torn down after a skunk got into the crawl space and sprayed the place. Nothing got out the skunk smell. The scent had penetrated sheet rock and even the studs. I do not want a skunk roommate!