The following case study details a raccoon removal service in Mississauga. A raccoon was discovered living in the second-storey attic of a family’s home and was removed safely with the help of a one-way door. The technician on site also performed a complete wildlife-proofing of the roof, sealing all potential entry points. No raccoons have entered the attic since.
Inspection
The homeowners in this case first called Raccoon Control when they heard some strange noises coming from their attic. It was late spring, and they had also witnessed a raccoon walking on their roof. This is a common occurrence in Mississauga’s neighbourhoods as female raccoons need a place to give birth and raise their cubs. Signs of a raccoon invasion include thumping, stomping, and scratching sounds coming from the attic as well as an increased amount of raccoon activity on the property.
Given the owner’s concerns, a technician soon arrived to perform an inspection. This would locate where the animals were nesting and determine how they got inside. With every job, our technicians carry out detailed inspections so they can solve the problem most efficiently and help prevent it from reoccurring. They look for every weakness on the roof that the animals could use to break in again.
Here, the technician found the raccoon’s entry point where a part of the roof met the siding of the house. The animal had torn the shingles off and dug its way into the attic through the siding. The technician then used a thermal camera to determine if there were babies inside because they are common in the spring and this would affect the removal process. No babies were found.
Along with the entry point, the technician on site found that all four roof vents were unprotected. Raccoons can break roof vents off, and squirrels can chew through them to reach the attic below. The chimneys on this property were also prone to invasion and the length of the wall in which the entry point was found was susceptible to future infestations.
As a result, the technician recommended that the homeowners have their roofs excluded from wildlife. The raccoon in the attic would be removed with the help of a one-way door and the other vulnerabilities listed during the inspection would be covered or sealed to prevent the raccoon from coming back. The homeowners agreed and the technician got to work right away.
Removal and Exclusion
To evict the raccoons, the technician installed a one-way door to the entry-point. The one-way door consists of a plexiglass flap that only swings outward, letting the raccoon out of her nest but preventing her re-entry. This is an incredibly effective method of removal because it lets the animals leave on their own and they do not get hurt in the process. The door in this case was screwed into the siding of the house and surrounded by some galvanized steel mesh.
The rest of the roof-siding juncture was strengthened with mesh to ensure that the raccoon would not get back inside. Raccoons will often break back into the attic once they have been evicted, so it is important that all vulnerabilities be accounted for. A total of 20 feet of mesh was installed.
Next, the technician covered the roof’s vents with more galvanized steel mesh. This is a durable, weather-proof material that is strong enough to resist animal chewing and tearing. The technician on site customized the covers to fit the roof vents perfectly and screwed the mesh right into the roof.
A few days after the one-way door was installed, the raccoon was gone. The technician then returned to the property and replaced the door with mesh to ensure that no more animals would be using the entry point. Thanks to the exclusion work, no animals have broken into the attic since.
Conclusion
Raccoons are remarkably strong creatures capable of finding and breaking seemingly invisible weaknesses on the roof. They will take advantage of whatever vulnerability they find to reach the attic where they will cause a serious amount of damage. If there are raccoons in your area, consider wildlife-proofing services to keep animals out. Our wildlife-proofing services at Raccoon Control come with a 2-year warranty.