In article ,
Dan_Musicant wrote:

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:50:14 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

an_Musicant wrote:
:
:Since trap and removal isn't possible here in Berkeley, I'll have to do
:something else.
:
:Poison isn't an option. Even if it were, you have no guarantee that the
:animal(s) will/won't die under the house, maybe even in a place I can't
:access. That would be a REAL problem.
:
:I just decided what will almost surely work:
:
:I'll make a door that has something like a cat-door, but will allow only
:egress, not ingress. I have a lot of wire screen, stiff stuff, about
:3/8" mesh. I'll make a swinging door, mounted from the top so that it
:will swing out easily when pushed. The animal can easily see the light
:of day through the wire mesh one-way door. The animal will surely push
:on it when it gets desperate to go out, which it surely will. Once out,
:any such animal won't be able to get back in because the door can only
:be pushed open by the animal from the inside, not lifted open from the
:outside, such as I can do.
:
:Once a couple of days go by and there are no prints, I can affix my
:permanent door. Or, even affix the screen tightly to the door on there,
:actually. Should any other access become available to an animal in the
:future, I can reseal the other access and then reuse the swinging door
:in the elimination scenario.
:
:Dan
:
:
:If it is a racoon, it will either unscrew the hinges or just grab the
:wire mesh and open it. I have watched them open coolers.

Ah, well, thanks everyone for educating me on the nature of racoons. I
had no idea they are so clever. Obviously, I'll have to do something
more if it is racoon(s), and I figure there's a darn good chance it is.
I could use the plan and see if it works, and if it doesn't go to plan B
or C.

I hear that racoons can be nasty when confronted, so that makes me
nervous about entering the space (from an alternate, my favorite
entrance) with a flashlight with the intention of shooing the animal(s)
out. I don't relish the idea of fending off an attacking racoon!!

Don't know what to do, in that event. Thinking cap back on...
suggestions? Thanks.

Dan

I've been living with raccoons for thirty years. They used to come in
through the open window at night, to eat the cat food in the kitchen.
Many times I'd get up in the middle of the night to usher them out, a
whole family at a time. They're not the least bit afraid of people, but
they won't fight you unless you corner them. Let them know you're
serious, but don't get between them and the exit and you'll be fine.
Skunks are the same, incidentally.