Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Pests.....

I know.....I know....they are cute. But they are also pests that can inflict a lot of damage....on people as well as your pets and your home.  Right about the time I noticed that I had a problem with them, I also had a problem with some mice.

So I was setting traps inside for mice and my son was setting a trap outside for raccoons. I caught 4 mice in all....not fully grown. As for the raccoons, so far we have caught 2 plus my neighbor's dog, a Lab, killed 2 (that was scary as a raccoon can make fast work of most dogs).  We've also found a possum in the trap.

These coons have made a mess of my roof and attic. Close to the entry point, they have made a small hole in the ceiling over my shower. I know they have rearranged the insulation in the attic because I could hear their claws on the bare floor of the attic. My attic is barely accessible as it is....you can't stand up in it, or even sit down....you have to lay down and crawl. I will have to have it decontaminated. My homeowner's insurance may cover some of the damage....an adjuster is coming here next week to inspect. Hopefully we will have caught all of them by that time.

I had to have a roofing company come out and give me a price on a new roof. The price has doubled since the last time I paid for a new roof. Just like everything else.......sigh.