Tuesday evening, I had just gotten home from work and settled in on the couch with my dinner and my Tivo. I heard a horrible and loud noise right above me and it sounded like a person on the roof. I could hear something that sounded like breaking so of course, as any self-protecting female would do, I grab my gun and my flashlight. If someone is stupid enough to break into my attic, it would be clear they picked the wrong house!
I went outside and didn't see anything, until I went around the corner to the plastic vent cover on the side of my attic....there was a huge hole in it and broken plastic pieces just under it. My amazing detective skills alerted me there must be a critter in my house, which, like a burglar, is completely unacceptable!
I got a broom and banged on the ceiling and immediately heard the animal escape. I went outside, this time armed with pepper spray, a broom, and my flashlight. Of course, there was a monstrous raccoon sitting just outside the hole. Prepared to show the raccoon who the homeowner was, I used my pepper spray but alas, it didn't work (good to know right?!)
For the next 10 or so minutes I chased that animal around the roof hissing and scaring it with my light. Finally I threw a few small rocks and it ran away.
The next morning, I got up early to put some aluminum screening on the hole as a temporary fix. I'm not a complete moron so I pounded on the ceiling a bunch first listening for any movement. Hearing none, I proceeded up onto the roof. I've had my house now for about 5.5 years and the roof is the one place I still hadn't been. I used my flashlight but couldn't really see anything inside the attic and I still didn't hear anything. I had found an old can of pepper spray. It didn't really work, but I got a little bit of it inside. As I was stapling my screen up I heard what I thought might be birds but I couldn't tell if it was inside or not. I pounded on the wall and confirmed the noise got louder and it was definitely coming from inside. It freaked me out so I abandoned ship and pulled out the yellow pages.
I called around figuring I had babies in my attic because of the high pitched sounds. Did you know most pest control places don't do raccoons. You have to use a specialist. Critter control was crap, they wanted $209 just to come out an show me where entry points for animals could be. I'm not a moron, I know where the raccoon came in....and yes, it just came in, I'm positive! I contacted a pest company who agreed to come out and see if their were babies and remove them for free. The guy came out and as he stood on the roof with his flashlight looking in the hole, the raccoon swatted out at him almost getting him. The guy just about fell off my roof. That was the end of my free service :)
Cascade Pest Control referred me to Brendon with West Coast Wildlife Control. I spoke to him and he was very informative and helpful. He gave me lots of info and agreed to come out this afternoon. Last night was horrible, when I was in the living room I could hear the raccoon up in the attic making sounds and it freaked me out....I couldn't be in the living room.
When he arrived, he went into my attic with a pole to catch the animal. He didn't find any adults but found did find two babies. We are talking newborns, one still had the umbilical cord attached! They were right inside the vent where I thought they would be. Apparently momma was probably in labor when I was chasing her around with my broom :)
So, the hole will be left open for a couple of days so the momma can come back and see her babies are gone. Brendon said if the hole gets closed, momma will tear a new hole in the roof, siding, whatever it takes to get inside. Once momma is sure the babies are gone, she should come back and I can replace the vent with a new metal one.
On the bright side, apparently momma is very neat and hasn't taken any dumps in my attic yet! Amen for that!!
