Varmint(s) under the house
 

Years ago I sealed up all the entrances to the crawlspace, but last week
I noticed that one had come off. Argh! I wasn't about to just seal it
back up because I figured that with the cold weather coming on
(Berkeley, CA, not freezing, but quite chilly in the winter), some
animal was probably under the house.

I figure before I seal up (this time with a door and latch), I have to
get whatever animals out of there. I started by putting some strained
dirt over the ground just below the ~18x24" opening, smoothing it
carefully to reveal any footprints of an animal going in or out. Next
day, sure enough, footprints, maybe about the size of a small cat (but I
figure it wouldn't be a cat, but who knows?).

I tried a trick I'd heard of and put an open container with some rocks
in it (to keep it from tipping over) with ammonia and a rag, to disperse
noxious and offensive fumes, right in back of the opening, so the
animal(s) would have to pass the concentrated fumes when going in/out. I
figured that after a day or two the animal(s) would find friendlier
accommodations. After two or so days of this, footprints are still in
evidence.

What can I try to expell the varmint(s)? I figure I can maybe work up a
one way door of some kind, but it seems tricky.

Dan

Varmint(s) under the house
 

In article ,
Dan_Musicant wrote:

Years ago I sealed up all the entrances to the crawlspace, but last week
I noticed that one had come off. Argh! I wasn't about to just seal it
back up because I figured that with the cold weather coming on
(Berkeley, CA, not freezing, but quite chilly in the winter), some
animal was probably under the house.

I figure before I seal up (this time with a door and latch), I have to
get whatever animals out of there. I started by putting some strained
dirt over the ground just below the ~18x24" opening, smoothing it
carefully to reveal any footprints of an animal going in or out. Next
day, sure enough, footprints, maybe about the size of a small cat (but I
figure it wouldn't be a cat, but who knows?).

I tried a trick I'd heard of and put an open container with some rocks
in it (to keep it from tipping over) with ammonia and a rag, to disperse
noxious and offensive fumes, right in back of the opening, so the
animal(s) would have to pass the concentrated fumes when going in/out. I
figured that after a day or two the animal(s) would find friendlier
accommodations. After two or so days of this, footprints are still in
evidence.

What can I try to expell the varmint(s)? I figure I can maybe work up a
one way door of some kind, but it seems tricky.

Dan

Give me a rocking chair and a place to sit, and I will move the varmint.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Dan_Musicant wrote:

Years ago I sealed up all the entrances to the crawlspace, but last week
I noticed that one had come off. Argh! I wasn't about to just seal it
back up because I figured that with the cold weather coming on
(Berkeley, CA, not freezing, but quite chilly in the winter), some
animal was probably under the house.

I figure before I seal up (this time with a door and latch), I have to
get whatever animals out of there. I started by putting some strained
dirt over the ground just below the ~18x24" opening, smoothing it
carefully to reveal any footprints of an animal going in or out. Next
day, sure enough, footprints, maybe about the size of a small cat (but I
figure it wouldn't be a cat, but who knows?).

I tried a trick I'd heard of and put an open container with some rocks
in it (to keep it from tipping over) with ammonia and a rag, to disperse
noxious and offensive fumes, right in back of the opening, so the
animal(s) would have to pass the concentrated fumes when going in/out. I
figured that after a day or two the animal(s) would find friendlier
accommodations. After two or so days of this, footprints are still in
evidence.

What can I try to expell the varmint(s)? I figure I can maybe work up a
one way door of some kind, but it seems tricky.

Dan

Give me a rocking chair and a place to sit, and I will move the varmint.

Out here in the wilds, when we have unwelcome visitors like that, we just
change the anti-freeze in the tractor or something and "accidently" leave
the pan of old anti-freeze setting out for a day or so.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

Ammonia probably isn't the most effective smell, after all urine smells of
ammonia when it gets old, so the area will just smell like the animal's
favourite toilet area.

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
Years ago I sealed up all the entrances to the crawlspace, but last week
I noticed that one had come off. Argh! I wasn't about to just seal it
back up because I figured that with the cold weather coming on
(Berkeley, CA, not freezing, but quite chilly in the winter), some
animal was probably under the house.

I figure before I seal up (this time with a door and latch), I have to
get whatever animals out of there. I started by putting some strained
dirt over the ground just below the ~18x24" opening, smoothing it
carefully to reveal any footprints of an animal going in or out. Next
day, sure enough, footprints, maybe about the size of a small cat (but I
figure it wouldn't be a cat, but who knows?).

I tried a trick I'd heard of and put an open container with some rocks
in it (to keep it from tipping over) with ammonia and a rag, to disperse
noxious and offensive fumes, right in back of the opening, so the
animal(s) would have to pass the concentrated fumes when going in/out. I
figured that after a day or two the animal(s) would find friendlier
accommodations. After two or so days of this, footprints are still in
evidence.

What can I try to expell the varmint(s)? I figure I can maybe work up a
one way door of some kind, but it seems tricky.

Dan

Varmint(s) under the house
 

Dan_Musicant wrote:

Years ago I sealed up all the entrances to the crawlspace, but last week
I noticed that one had come off. Argh! I wasn't about to just seal it
back up because I figured that with the cold weather coming on
(Berkeley, CA, not freezing, but quite chilly in the winter), some
animal was probably under the house.

I figure before I seal up (this time with a door and latch), I have to
get whatever animals out of there. I started by putting some strained
dirt over the ground just below the ~18x24" opening, smoothing it
carefully to reveal any footprints of an animal going in or out. Next
day, sure enough, footprints, maybe about the size of a small cat (but I
figure it wouldn't be a cat, but who knows?).

I tried a trick I'd heard of and put an open container with some rocks
in it (to keep it from tipping over) with ammonia and a rag, to disperse
noxious and offensive fumes, right in back of the opening, so the
animal(s) would have to pass the concentrated fumes when going in/out. I
figured that after a day or two the animal(s) would find friendlier
accommodations. After two or so days of this, footprints are still in
evidence.

What can I try to expell the varmint(s)? I figure I can maybe work up a
one way door of some kind, but it seems tricky.

Dan


Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
racoons. You can do it :o)

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:29:30 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:

:Give me a rocking chair and a place to sit, and I will move the varmint.

You mean you'll sit out there and watch until the (a !) varmint quits
the crawlspace and then either exterminate it or seal up the crawlspace?
One caveat is that there's no guarantee there aren't others under there
(presumably, the varmint's relatives).

Dan

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

:Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
:animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
:racoons. You can do it :o)

OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate the
human conscience... sometimes to a fault.

Dan

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

:Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
:animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
:racoons. You can do it :o)

OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate the
human conscience... sometimes to a fault.

Dan


Call your animal control department. They may be able to ID the footprints,
which may enable them to recommend the best bait for the trap. They may also
loan you a trap.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:24:30 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

:Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
:animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
:racoons. You can do it :o)

OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate the
human conscience... sometimes to a fault.

Dan


Call your animal control department. They may be able to ID the
footprints,
which may enable them to recommend the best bait for the trap. They may
also
loan you a trap.


In many places it is illegal to relocate animals without a special
permit. The fines are pretty high.



True. He'll find that out when he speaks to his animal control department.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

In article ,
Dan_Musicant wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:29:30 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:

:Give me a rocking chair and a place to sit, and I will move the varmint.

You mean you'll sit out there and watch until the (a !) varmint quits
the crawlspace and then either exterminate it or seal up the crawlspace?
One caveat is that there's no guarantee there aren't others under there
(presumably, the varmint's relatives).

Dan

With apologies to Archimedes, yes. Get a few gambling friends together,
throw $50 each into the pot, take turns at two hour varmint watches.
Whoever's on duty when the fellow leaves gets the money. As far as pals,
I'd bet on them all leaving together if there's more than one.

Actually, with your dirt tracking system, you might be able to just go
out and check it frequently enough to see whether he's in or out. Smooth
it after you see footprints going in, seal it after you see footprints
going out.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

In article ,
Norminn wrote:



Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
racoons. You can do it :o)

This is not quite as humane as we would like to believe, but it's better
than many alternatives. A few years ago, while DAGS for raccoon control
problems, I found one site that said to keep a raccoon from coming back,
you have to move it *25 miles.* That puts it well into unfamiliar and
already staked-out territory, with minimal chance of long term survival.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:24:30 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

:Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
:animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
:racoons. You can do it :o)

OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate the
human conscience... sometimes to a fault.

Dan


Call your animal control department. They may be able to ID the
footprints,
which may enable them to recommend the best bait for the trap. They may
also
loan you a trap.


In many places it is illegal to relocate animals without a special
permit. The fines are pretty high.



There are no fines where I live. Relocation means moving the live animal
with the blast of a 12 ga. shotgun to wherever it lands. Then out in a
field for varmint dinner. It is 100% effective.

Steve

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Smitty Two" wrote
Norminn wrote:

Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
racoons. You can do it :o)

This is not quite as humane as we would like to believe, but it's better
than many alternatives. A few years ago, while DAGS for raccoon control
problems, I found one site that said to keep a raccoon from coming back,
you have to move it *25 miles.* That puts it well into unfamiliar and
already staked-out territory, with minimal chance of long term survival.

I got curious about this one and called the local society. Here they come
and lay the traps then pick them up and do the relocating. There's a fee
involved but it's nominal and seems to just cover their costs.
Redistributing on your own is not advised due to hazards with rabies and
such.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:24:30 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn

wrote:

:Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with
the
:animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum
and
:racoons. You can do it :o)

OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a
day
passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before,
but I
figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we
celebrate the
human conscience... sometimes to a fault.

Dan


Call your animal control department. They may be able to ID the
footprints,
which may enable them to recommend the best bait for the trap. They
may also
loan you a trap.


In many places it is illegal to relocate animals without a special
permit. The fines are pretty high.

In CA it is illegal, and since he's in Berkeley ( I assume CA) so if
you're going to relocate an animal, make sure you don't tell *anyone*
especially in that town where they practically arrest you for being a
Republican. ;-)

Cheri

Varmint(s) under the house
 

get a stick and a flashlight and go under there and chase it out..

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

Varmint(s) under the house
 

Dan_Musicant wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

:Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
:animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
:racoons. You can do it :o)

OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate the
human conscience... sometimes to a fault.

Dan


You may (or may not) want to talk to:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/animalservices/

Looks like Bezerkeley city council is opposed to trapping:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/animals...0Wildlife.html

You may want to talk to animal control anyways. See what they
suggest.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

:Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
:animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
:racoons. You can do it :o)

OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate the
human conscience... sometimes to a fault.

Dan



Of course, you could just ID the footprint. Maybe it's nothing to be
concerned about.

http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Thu, 6 Dec 2007 14:50:51 -0500, wrote:

get a stick and a flashlight and go under there and chase it out..

Maybe in Berkeley they will let him use a digital game camera to what
he really has.

http://www.mosportsmen.com/hunting/d...camtrakker.jpg

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 6 Dec 2007 14:50:51 -0500, wrote:

get a stick and a flashlight and go under there and chase it out..

Maybe in Berkeley they will let him use a digital game camera to what
he really has.

http://www.mosportsmen.com/hunting/d...camtrakker.jpg


Wouldn't that violate the critter's privacy rights?

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:36:13 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Oren" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 6 Dec 2007 14:50:51 -0500, wrote:

get a stick and a flashlight and go under there and chase it out..

Maybe in Berkeley they will let him use a digital game camera to what
he really has.

http://www.mosportsmen.com/hunting/d...camtrakker.jpg


Wouldn't that violate the critter's privacy rights?

It just might in Berkeley. The new "upskirting" laws and such.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Have you considered that you're creating a possum and raccon problem in
someone else's neighborhood?

--

Christopher A. Young

There'd be such a simple solution if they were tasty ........

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Thu, 6 Dec 2007 11:27:05 -0800, "Cheri" gserviceatinreachdotcom
wrote:

:
wrote in message
...
:On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:24:30 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:
:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
: On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn

: wrote:
:
: :Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with
:the
: :animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum
:and
: :racoons. You can do it :o)
:
: OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a
:day
: passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before,
:but I
: figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we
:celebrate the
: human conscience... sometimes to a fault.
:
: Dan
:
:
:Call your animal control department. They may be able to ID the
:footprints,
:which may enable them to recommend the best bait for the trap. They
:may also
:loan you a trap.
:
:
:In many places it is illegal to relocate animals without a special
:permit. The fines are pretty high.
:
:In CA it is illegal, and since he's in Berkeley ( I assume CA) so if
:you're going to relocate an animal, make sure you don't tell *anyone*
:especially in that town where they practically arrest you for being a
:Republican. ;-)
:
:Cheri

True enough. I scanned the registration roles while waiting in line to
vote one day a couple of years ago and it appeared that Republicans here
are about 1 in 50, if that.

Dan

PS Thanks for the info about animal relocation in CA. I won't call
animal control, then. What would be the point? I'm going to have to do
something clever to get the animal(s) out, make sure they're out, and
then lock them out!

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:21:53 GMT, M Q
wrote:

:Dan_Musicant wrote:
:
: On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
: wrote:
:
: :Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
: :animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
: :racoons. You can do it :o)
:
: OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
: passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
: figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate the
: human conscience... sometimes to a fault.
:
: Dan
:
:
:You may (or may not) want to talk to:
: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/animalservices/
:
:Looks like Bezerkeley city council is opposed to trapping:
: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/animals...0Wildlife.html
:
:You may want to talk to animal control anyways. See what they
:suggest.

Yeah, a friendly conversation on the phone can't hurt, I figure. Thanks.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:48:46 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
: wrote:
:
: :Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
: :animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
: :racoons. You can do it :o)
:
: OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
: passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
: figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate the
: human conscience... sometimes to a fault.
:
: Dan
:
:
:
:Of course, you could just ID the footprint. Maybe it's nothing to be
:concerned about.
:
:http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html
:

Out of all those, I'd have to say Racoon. However, they didn't show
housecat or possum, both of which seem possible hearabouts. It's hard to
tell from what I'm seeing. I did see several racoons in the neighborhood
a couple of months ago early one morning before sunrise. And, of course,
there's loads of cats, including ferral cats around here. I've also seen
possums, including one in my kitchen some years ago. I stared it down
and subsequently eliminated his/her points of entry.

Dan

Varmint(s) under the house
 

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

Varmint(s) under the house
 

clipped


PS Thanks for the info about animal relocation in CA. I won't call
animal control, then. What would be the point? I'm going to have to do
something clever to get the animal(s) out, make sure they're out, and
then lock them out!



I looked at the little bit of the link to CA info. Some reference to
trapping if there is a health or safety issue. Worth checking if the
animal is a threat to residents or pets, IMO.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

Dan_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.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

Dan_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.



Raccoons are far too clever for that to work. They can grab and pull
and lift just like you can.
I once had a cat door that required the cat to wear a magnet on
its collar to get in. The raccoons figured out how to defeat it
and come into the house. The then taught other raccoons.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:48:46 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
: wrote:
:
: :Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
: :animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
: :racoons. You can do it :o)
:
: OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
: passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
: figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate
the
: human conscience... sometimes to a fault.
:
: Dan
:
:
:
:Of course, you could just ID the footprint. Maybe it's nothing to be
:concerned about.
:
:http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html
:

Out of all those, I'd have to say Racoon. However, they didn't show
housecat or possum, both of which seem possible hearabouts. It's hard to
tell from what I'm seeing. I did see several racoons in the neighborhood
a couple of months ago early one morning before sunrise. And, of course,
there's loads of cats, including ferral cats around here. I've also seen
possums, including one in my kitchen some years ago. I stared it down
and subsequently eliminated his/her points of entry.

Dan


When you called your animal control department today, what did you find out
about removing the animal?

Varmint(s) under the house
 

Norminn wrote:
Dan_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.

Chuckle. That's fer sure. I had to raise my bird feeder and suet feeder,
because they were standing on the deck rail, holding onto skinny bird
feeder pole with one hand, and unhooking doors to suet feeder with other
hand. Tried to get a picture next time he came back, but I was laughing
too hard, and it came out blurry. He looked just like a 2 year old kid,
trying to get the cookie jar out of the high cabinet. When he heard me
laughing through the cracked-open sliding door, he waddled over bold as
brass, and assumed the standard puppy begging posture. Obviously totally
unafraid of humans.

I can't find it in me to get too mad at the raccoons- they are what they
are, and they are just so damn cute. (Unlike possums- what was mother
nature thinking with that one?. And I'd cheerfully kill my moles, even
though I have never actually seen them.)

aem sends...

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:15:08 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:48:46 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
: wrote:
:
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: : On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
: : wrote:
: :
: : :Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
: : :animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
: : :racoons. You can do it :o)
: :
: : OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a day
: : passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before, but I
: : figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate
: the
: : human conscience... sometimes to a fault.
: :
: : Dan
: :
: :
: :
: :Of course, you could just ID the footprint. Maybe it's nothing to be
: :concerned about.
: :
: :http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html
: :
:
: Out of all those, I'd have to say Racoon. However, they didn't show
: housecat or possum, both of which seem possible hearabouts. It's hard to
: tell from what I'm seeing. I did see several racoons in the neighborhood
: a couple of months ago early one morning before sunrise. And, of course,
: there's loads of cats, including ferral cats around here. I've also seen
: possums, including one in my kitchen some years ago. I stared it down
: and subsequently eliminated his/her points of entry.
:
: Dan
:
:
:When you called your animal control department today, what did you find out
:about removing the animal?

I did not call them. I figure there's not much point, but I may. Anyway,
I have a plan that (if executed properly) should solve the problem -- a
portal that allows egress but no ingress.

Dan

Varmint(s) under the house
 

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

:Dan_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

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:15:08 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:48:46 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
: wrote:
:
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: : On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
: : wrote:
: :
: : :Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
: : :animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
: : :racoons. You can do it :o)
: :
: : OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a
day
: : passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before,
but I
: : figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate
: the
: : human conscience... sometimes to a fault.
: :
: : Dan
: :
: :
: :
: :Of course, you could just ID the footprint. Maybe it's nothing to be
: :concerned about.
: :
: :http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html
: :
:
: Out of all those, I'd have to say Racoon. However, they didn't show
: housecat or possum, both of which seem possible hearabouts. It's hard
to
: tell from what I'm seeing. I did see several racoons in the
neighborhood
: a couple of months ago early one morning before sunrise. And, of
course,
: there's loads of cats, including ferral cats around here. I've also
seen
: possums, including one in my kitchen some years ago. I stared it down
: and subsequently eliminated his/her points of entry.
:
: Dan
:
:
:When you called your animal control department today, what did you find
out
:about removing the animal?

I did not call them. I figure there's not much point, but I may. Anyway,
I have a plan that (if executed properly) should solve the problem -- a
portal that allows egress but no ingress.

Dan



Not much point? Why? Hopefully, you're not basing that decision on anything
anyone here has said about Berkeley. The animal control department exists
for a reason.

Tell them the raccoon has been wandering around in the middle of the day and
acting strange. They'll dispatch someone very quickly.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

In article ,
Dan_Musicant wrote:

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

:Dan_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.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 17:49:12 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:15:08 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
: wrote:
:
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: : On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:48:46 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
: : wrote:
: :
: : :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: : .. .
: : : On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn
: : : wrote:
: : :
: : : :Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with the
: : : :animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum and
: : : :racoons. You can do it :o)
: : :
: : : OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least a
: day
: : : passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before,
: but I
: : : figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we celebrate
: : the
: : : human conscience... sometimes to a fault.
: : :
: : : Dan
: : :
: : :
: : :
: : :Of course, you could just ID the footprint. Maybe it's nothing to be
: : :concerned about.
: : :
: : :http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html
: : :
: :
: : Out of all those, I'd have to say Racoon. However, they didn't show
: : housecat or possum, both of which seem possible hearabouts. It's hard
: to
: : tell from what I'm seeing. I did see several racoons in the
: neighborhood
: : a couple of months ago early one morning before sunrise. And, of
: course,
: : there's loads of cats, including ferral cats around here. I've also
: seen
: : possums, including one in my kitchen some years ago. I stared it down
: : and subsequently eliminated his/her points of entry.
: :
: : Dan
: :
: :
: :When you called your animal control department today, what did you find
: out
: :about removing the animal?
:
: I did not call them. I figure there's not much point, but I may. Anyway,
: I have a plan that (if executed properly) should solve the problem -- a
: portal that allows egress but no ingress.
:
: Dan
:
:
:
:Not much point? Why? Hopefully, you're not basing that decision on anything
:anyone here has said about Berkeley. The animal control department exists
:for a reason.
:
:Tell them the raccoon has been wandering around in the middle of the day and
:acting strange. They'll dispatch someone very quickly.

You're right. I'm going to call them tomorrow (Monday). They may be
helpful and I have nothing to lose. Besides, my plan looks tougher than
I figured. People say that racoons (chances are fair to good it IS a
racoon) are clever enough to get back in with my hinged door plan.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On 09 Dec 2007 16:06:40 GMT, Bert Byfield
wrote:

: 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!!
:
:I have chased one around the house with a broom. They aren't
:aggressive, but I wouldn't corner one. If you always leave them a
:direction to escape in, you can shoo them.
: One of my raccoons was only a third grown and cute as a kitten.
:Leaving it napping in the laundry room, I looked up raccoons on Google,
:and learned that they domesticate well, but tend to bite random
:visitors and then you can be sued for keeping a wild animal in your
:house, so I chased it outside.

OK, so I guess I can try entering the crawl space from my alternative
entrance (which I keep latched shut, normally), with a flashlight and
try to find the animal(s) and shoo it/them out.

That would be a lot easier than the plan I thought of this morning,
which is definitely plan C but seems likely to work:

Plan C:

Lay down slick, waterproof paper of some kind with some substance on it
that will cause the animal(s) to leave tracks. Have white paper just
beyond this tracking substance, so that I can see the tracks and
determine what direction the animal(s) goes. With this I can figure out
whether it's a racoon, or whatever, presumably. I can also know whether
the animal has just entered or exited. If just exited, close the door.
This works if it's just one animal. If there's more than one, it seems
problematical.

Dan

Varmint(s) under the house
 

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 17:49:12 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:15:08 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
: wrote:
:
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: : On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:48:46 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
: : wrote:
: :
: : :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: : .. .
: : : On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:17:59 -0500, Norminn

: : : wrote:
: : :
: : : :Get a humane trap from animal control. Decide what to do with
the
: : : :animal after it is in the trap. My mom used to relocate possum
and
: : : :racoons. You can do it :o)
: : :
: : : OK, I may go this route. Again, I'd have to do it until at least
a
: day
: : : passes with no footprints. I've never relocated a varmint before,
: but I
: : : figure I can locate a free trap here in Berkeley, where we
celebrate
: : the
: : : human conscience... sometimes to a fault.
: : :
: : : Dan
: : :
: : :
: : :
: : :Of course, you could just ID the footprint. Maybe it's nothing to
be
: : :concerned about.
: : :
: : :http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html
: : :
: :
: : Out of all those, I'd have to say Racoon. However, they didn't show
: : housecat or possum, both of which seem possible hearabouts. It's
hard
: to
: : tell from what I'm seeing. I did see several racoons in the
: neighborhood
: : a couple of months ago early one morning before sunrise. And, of
: course,
: : there's loads of cats, including ferral cats around here. I've also
: seen
: : possums, including one in my kitchen some years ago. I stared it
down
: : and subsequently eliminated his/her points of entry.
: :
: : Dan
: :
: :
: :When you called your animal control department today, what did you
find
: out
: :about removing the animal?
:
: I did not call them. I figure there's not much point, but I may.
Anyway,
: I have a plan that (if executed properly) should solve the problem -- a
: portal that allows egress but no ingress.
:
: Dan
:
:
:
:Not much point? Why? Hopefully, you're not basing that decision on
anything
:anyone here has said about Berkeley. The animal control department exists
:for a reason.
:
:Tell them the raccoon has been wandering around in the middle of the day
and
:acting strange. They'll dispatch someone very quickly.

You're right. I'm going to call them tomorrow (Monday). They may be
helpful and I have nothing to lose. Besides, my plan looks tougher than
I figured. People say that racoons (chances are fair to good it IS a
racoon) are clever enough to get back in with my hinged door plan.



I didn't read the door plan, but maybe you should design it to keep people
out. That'll take care of raccoons.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:09:40 -0800, Dan_Musicant
wrote:

On 09 Dec 2007 16:06:40 GMT, Bert Byfield
wrote:

: 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!!
:
:I have chased one around the house with a broom. They aren't
:aggressive, but I wouldn't corner one. If you always leave them a
:direction to escape in, you can shoo them.
: One of my raccoons was only a third grown and cute as a kitten.
:Leaving it napping in the laundry room, I looked up raccoons on Google,
:and learned that they domesticate well, but tend to bite random
:visitors and then you can be sued for keeping a wild animal in your
:house, so I chased it outside.

OK, so I guess I can try entering the crawl space from my alternative
entrance (which I keep latched shut, normally), with a flashlight and
try to find the animal(s) and shoo it/them out.

That would be a lot easier than the plan I thought of this morning,
which is definitely plan C but seems likely to work:

Give an avenue of escape and the animal will likely take it as an
exit. Have pistol ready. The same principle is used a in police and
prison work during riots. Never pin a racoon in a corner!

Plan C:

Lay down slick, waterproof paper of some kind with some substance on it
that will cause the animal(s) to leave tracks. Have white paper just
beyond this tracking substance, so that I can see the tracks and
determine what direction the animal(s) goes. With this I can figure out
whether it's a racoon, or whatever, presumably. I can also know whether
the animal has just entered or exited. If just exited, close the door.
This works if it's just one animal. If there's more than one, it seems
problematical.

Dan

Plan C might include a fluorescent powder or such that shows under a
black light. This has been used to identify culprits; shine a "black
light" and the powder will light up. Follow the tracks.

Varmint(s) under the house
 

Racoons are very smart. My FIL has an ongoing battle with them. He uses
a baited small animal live trap, and keeps needing to re-engineer the
trap because the racoons figure out how to release the catch and escape
from it.

Una

Varmint(s) under the house
 

You've already spent wayyyyy too much time worrying about it. Get a
pellet gun, flashlight, and a six pack, and skip your favorite TV
shows one night. Then, wall off your ingress/egress point, and be
done with it.