If you’ve heard the heavy thumping and scratching of a raccoon in your attic, your first instinct is likely to get it out fast. But when you call a professional, you might hear two different approaches: trapping and humane eviction.
At Attic Kings Animal Removal, we believe in doing what is most effective for the homeowner and most humane for the raccoons. Here is what Lawrenceville and Norcross homeowners need to know about these two methods — and why the repair is actually the most important part of the entire process.
The Problem with Traditional Trapping
Many homeowners think that setting a cage trap on the roof is the only way to solve a raccoon problem. While trapping is sometimes necessary, it comes with a few significant downsides:
- The “Empty House” Effect: Removing one raccoon often creates a vacancy that another neighborhood raccoon will quickly fill if the entry point isn’t fixed.
- Separating Mothers from Babies: Raccoons commonly enter attics to have their young. If a mother is trapped and removed, the babies left behind will eventually perish in your walls, leading to serious odor and sanitation issues.
- Stress on the Animal: Traditional trapping can be highly stressful for the animal, especially if the trap is left in the sun or exposed to the elements for too long.
What Is Humane Eviction?
Humane eviction uses the animal’s natural instincts to encourage it to leave on its own. This is typically done using one-way safety exit doors, along with eviction fluid and paste to encourage mothers to move their babies when needed.
The exit doors are installed over the raccoon’s main entry hole. They allow the raccoon to exit the home to find food and water but prevent it from getting back inside.
Here is why it works:
- Natural Transition: The animal leaves under its own power without the stress of being handled or caged.
- Safety: It ensures the animal is fully outside the structure before we seal the home permanently.
- Efficiency: Once the raccoon realizes it cannot get back in, it will move on to one of its backup den sites in the wild.
The Most Important Step: Animal-Proofing Repairs
Whether we use a one-way door, a humane trap, or a hand catch, the job is not done until your home is excluded. Raccoons are incredibly strong and intelligent. They can tear through shingles, plastic roof vents, and rotted soffits with ease.
It is vital to choose the right amount of animal-proofing in the right areas to solve the problem. Not every job requires a full exclusion, which is why we offer partial exclusions when the evidence allows. Our detailed initial inspection tells us everything we need to know before making a decision on what is right for your specific home.
Effective animal-proofing for Lawrenceville and Norcross homes includes:
- Galvanized Steel Reinforcement: We seal open soffit gaps, gable end gaps, roofline builder’s gaps, chimney caps, and attic fan wraps, and address missing soffit and roof vents.
- Full Perimeter Inspection: During the inspection, we walk the attic and the perimeter of the home to locate all current and potential entry points and travel routes. Locating droppings is a vital part of the process. At the end of the inspection, the technician will determine whether a full or partial exclusion is the right call.
- Lifetime Renewable Guarantees: We don’t just patch holes. We can do the whole house so we can guarantee the whole house. We provide a one-year renewable guarantee on full home exclusions, and a one-year guarantee on the specific work performed for partial exclusions.
Which Method Do You Need?
Every home in Lawrenceville, Norcross, and the surrounding Gwinnett County area is different. Sometimes a raccoon is stuck and needs physical removal. Most other times, a one-way door or traps combined with animal-proofing repairs performed at the right time is the perfect solution.
If you’re hearing noises in your attic, don’t wait for the damage to get worse. Attic Kings Animal Removal specializes in humane, non-poisonous wildlife removal and high-quality exclusionary repairs that keep animals out for good.
Serving Lawrenceville, Norcross, and Gwinnett County — contact Attic Kings today for your free inspection!