Anyone know how to get rid of raccoons?

I live in the country outside of Sebastopol, and have a family of raccoons living under my house. They get in and out through an opening (a vent grate) that is under a very low deck and makes getting to the opening inaccessible, other than tearing up the deck, which I fear I may have to do. Has anyone done any trapping or used any local service to deal with this situation? Also, once trapped, what does one do with a live raccoon?
I'd love to hear any stories from anyone who has dealt with this - thanks!

Well a technique I have used when discovering a large family in my bedroom (door was ajar for the cats) at 3 in the morning is clap like mad and wave a pair of slippers at them running around the yard - preferably buck naked - which makes sense to you because you think you are just dreaming anyway. Meanwhile they don't really move away much - just stare in rapt amazement at you - probably because you appear to have lost most of your fur.
Kate

See what happens with the power of prayer.

One option, if you're a peacenik, is live traps. If you do that, though, cart them at least 40 miles away before releasing them in someone else's backyard, as they have inborn GPS locators.

We might all organize a raccoon exchange, sorta like couchsurfing.org.

Cheers—
Conrad

This issue has been thoroughly covered here in the past.

Relocating them is illegal, and ineffective, and it involves importing your problem to someone else.

Afinenettle,

Nice one!

It sounds to me like you're probably just going to have to do what you need to do to to put a heavy-duty enough screen or grating on the vent/s to keep the raccoons out from underneath the building.
if the raccoons are living there, you may have to figure out when they are all out at the same time, usually when they are out prowling around for food, then just install the screen or grating, even if it is in the middle of the night. Good luck!

Hi Ray George,
Contact Sonoma County Animal Rescue. I think they still provide a wildlife exclusion service. When I lived in Sonoma Co., I used to do volunteer work for them. Good folks! They'll help you out.
They're now in Petaluma at 403 Mecham Road.

Mammal & Bird Rescue Number: (707) 526-WILD / Business Phone: (707) 992-0274
Regular business hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm.

The Animal Rescue Number (707-526-9453) is checked hourly from 9 am to 10 pm.

Afinenettle, your suggestion was wonderful! I loved it.

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Posted in reply to the post by raygeorge51:

I live in the country outside of Sebastopol, and have a family of raccoons living under my house. They get in and out through an opening (a vent grate) that is under a very low deck and makes getting to the opening inaccessible, other than tearing up the deck, which I fear I may have to do. Has anyone done any trapping or used any local service to deal with this situation? Also, once trapped, what does one do with a live raccoon?
I'd love to hear any stories from anyone who has dealt with this - thanks!

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Thanks very much, all the responses have been helpful and put me into a much more active role in the process. I am still trying to discover how they are getting under my house, but I will do everything I can not to harm them. We just need our sleep! :-)

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Posted in reply to the post by afinenettle:

Well a technique I have used when discovering a large family in my bedroom (door was ajar for the cats) at 3 in the morning is clap like mad and wave a pair of slippers at them running around the yard - preferably buck naked - which makes sense to you because you think you are just dreaming anyway. Meanwhile they don't really move away much - just stare in rapt amazement at you - probably because you appear to have lost most of your fur.
Kate

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Well, if I did that, I think they WOULD run away!

I did get a big rattlesnake out from under my house once by just aiming a strong stream of water at him with a small nozzle on the hose; if you could get behind them and do this, it might work.

the raccoons are my not-welcome-frequent visitors (due to my cat food feeding). i limit my cat food feeding to daytime hours only...yes, i know...

a conversation with an exterminator shared this info with me: raccoons like MARSHMALLOWS.

possible scenario: live trap the raccoon using marshmallow bait, so you avoid trapping neighborhood cats/etc., then call an exterminator (the exterminator should have the necessary/required permits for dealing with the wild animals that we everyday people do not have).

by trapping the raccoons yourself, that should save you considerable amount of money on their fee. it is possible not every exterminator may be amenable to this arrangement, call until you find one that will help you in this fashion.

Tractor Supply Co. (new location near Windsor) has a good deal on two live-animal traps (less than $40 for two different sizes, nested together).

be very careful around the raccoons, do not put your hands anywhere near the trap once you have a raccoon in it, throw an old comforter, sheet over it, put the trap in the shade away from where people could access the trap, use leather work gloves, if you see a raccoon in day light hours, it may have RABIES, so be very careful.

close off the underneath part of your house, look up underneath the exterior edges, or they could be coming in around the roof area and coming down inside the walls

That's really great information, especially about the cost of the traps, which are pretty expensive. I found one at Frisell-Enos for $100, but in Santa Rosa they are $160, and usually that is a cheaper place. I could get them online for about $50, but your deal is way better. I appreciate that.

Hi again Ray,

Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue will likely have traps you could borrow rather than having to buy them.

I found out through the many responses that it is illegal to trap and/or relocate wildlife in CA, so I am going to have to leave it to the professionals who do this for a living. If you have any great ideas, I am definitely open to them, but when 3 large 20-25lb critters are living about 3 vertical feet under my bedroom and like to party hearty at 3am, there's only so much tolerance left.

I have spoken to SC Wildlife Rescue several times now and they can only suggest calling the Exclusion service, who we may have to end up going with. They charge $85 for the initial inspection, and my landlord has to okay that before I go ahead. I did talk to them once and they said that they can install a door that let's them leave their "lair" under my house but doesn't allow them to return. The problem is that I have no idea how they are getting in and out, there does not seem to be any entrance, but I hear them making their racket every night, and sometimes even during the day. It's maddening! I've seen them under my back deck in the evening on several occasions, and also woke up a few times in the middle of the night and went outside and caught them under the deck, but after removing several boards from the deck and peering under the lip of the foundation, I have not been able to find a breach of any kind.

>>>I worry. Raccoons, little bears, can be pests but there are ways to make them unwelcome short of trapping them and having them killed.

Well, that's what the person was asking about to start with. How!!!??? Any thoughts?

Actually, my mate Elizabeth solved a rather severe mouse problem by just concentrating heavy vibes saying in effect, "This isn't your place. Go away." And they did. But that was in Philadelphia. California's another planet.

Cheers--
Conrad

The good thing about using the Wildlife Rescue exclusion service is that they know how the animals find ways in and can figure out where they need to set up their doors and barriers.

Jess

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Posted in reply to the post by tacitus:

Have you crawled the length of the building beneath the deck? They are relentlessly clever. If you're in the area, I would come over and look with you for the entrance. I know they are noisy and can be quarrelsome and losing sleep is no small matter. Let me know if I can help.

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Tacitus, that is extremely kind of you. I have looked and found nothing, and tomorrow I am going to redouble my efforts and look again with a friend. I know how clever they are, but they are also BIG, and I haven't found anything bigger than a golf ball sized hole so far. It's not that big of a house, so there are literally only so many possibilities here. Every effort will be made to not put these critters down, and I am putting out the "vibes" as well! There is enough space for us all, if we can agree on some cosmic level to co-exist and respect one another. I'll keep you posted!

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Posted in reply to the post by jesswolfe:

The good thing about using the Wildlife Rescue exclusion service is that they know how the animals find ways in and can figure out where they need to set up their doors and barriers.

Jess

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Yes, Jess, I am hoping that we can make this solution work. Thanks

i agree with the sentiment to first do no harm to the wildlife...agree, totally; however, when the raccoon family is taking up residence inside a building (which they have NOT entered properly through the front door) that is where i draw the line. i must take action to evict them to maintain the safety of the structure -- should they cause a fire -- which will protect the entire neighborhood.

when i encounter the raccoons (who are hoping i'm setting out some food for THEM, which i will NEVER do -- their lives can be sustained on worms and apples...omnivores) i simply close the door realizing the cats will have to wait til morning for human-manufactured cat food. no agression here, truly (even so in spite of these creatures annihilating a flock of small birds i kept caged, bloodily slaughtered all of them; they can be vicious dangerous predators).

i realized i did not read initial post accurately and O.P. had said he could not access the area he believed they were entering the structure. it occurred to me perhaps an extension of some type, like a long rigid pipe or long piece of wood, etc. could be used to extend pushing of another grate over the vent, or remove a FEW pieces of deck near the location, those can be replaced or repaired, don't worry.

here is a good link, the writer talks of using bait specific to the animal one is trying to trap and to make sure to get the entire family:
https://www.raccoonatticguide.com/trapping.html

believe it or not, the "exterminators" are not all animal-murderers.

as best i can recall, the exterminator i spoke with seemed to indicate they had a large piece of real estate/property where relocation of the raccoon was allowed.

contact "exterminators" until you find one that matches your level of care for the animals!

use your common sense to "weed out" the folks who will just tell you what they think you want to hear...