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.


8 comments:

lotta joy said...

Try shoving the Lab up there? Honestly though, this is serious damage. WHY YOU? Why is it always YOU!!!

I feel so sad for you. But it happens to all of us. You've got raccoons, we had squirrels in the attic.

Forsythia said...

We watched a program called "Raccoon Nation" on public TV. Urban/suburban raccoons are adapting to life in the city very well and are becoming smarter than their country cousins. Bad news for us.

Saku said...

My brother has raccoons at the farm but so far they haven't come to the city. I hadn't realized how much they can do. That is awful!

I hope insurance covers the work you need done. Perhaps you can blame the raccoons for needing a new roof?

Perhaps another estimate or two might bring the price down a little?

Unknown said...

Raccoons in the attic is something else. My son had one get into the attic of an outbuilding. A neighbor reported seeing a huge hole in the roof. And you also have mice! Whatever you do, don't ask what else can go wrong. Wishing you better luck and a speedy resolution.

Peruby said...

I hope that dog had his rabies shot! Scary stuff.

My Mom's old house is overrun with raccoons. I thought the babies were cute at first and I took pictures a few years back.

Now, we have to have the house levelled, at what cost? Expensive. They aren't so cute anymore.

Leann said...

Where there is a kitty, there will be no mice :-) I know you have a dog, not sure how you feel about the felines.

While racoons are certainly pretty creatures they are destructive and dangerous in the right circumstances.

We had them at the hospital and people would try to feed them in the parking lots....while they were hissing at them.... hello!!!!

Josie Two Shoes said...

They are cute when they are as nature intended, out in the wild. Not cute when they invade your home and property and cause all kinds of havoc! I'm sorry you are under siege, hope the exterminators can get rid of them for you. Dollar signs just seem to roll out the doors these days, don't they? Wish they came in just as fast! Take care, it was good to see you out and about!! Come play Two Shoes Tuesday with us!!

Anonymous said...

Cute creatures but I keep my distance since there are so many cases of rabies in wild animals in our county. I haven't seen any raccoons in our area fortunately.
Critters can sure do a lot of damage, that's for sure! So sorry you are having this issue. :(