10 Signs to Look For to Know if You Have Raccoons Living in Your Attic

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“Raccoon in the attic” is one of our most common calls. Raccoons are excellent climbers and have little problems reaching rooftops where they can then enter attics. They may even enter crawl spaces if left open. Having these guys in your home can wreak havoc on your home. We had one customer who had raccoons tear about 30 holes in a flat vinyl roof while they were away on vacation. (It also rained while they were gone.)

We thought that it might be helpful if people knew a few of the signs to look for if they think they have this problem. Simply seeing a Raccoon in the back yard does not mean that you have them in the attic.  Here are a few things to look for:
1. Latrines – Raccoons will make latrines in attics of homes where they live. Latrines are accumulated piles of feces. Feces looks similar to a small to midsized dog droppings.

A raccoon latrine in an attic

2. Latrines on Roof – Raccoon will create latrines on the roof of homes. If raccoons can make it to the roof they are likely to test for “soft spots” and attempt to gain entry. Make sure that possible entry points are solid if you see this happening.

Accumulated raccoon feces and pine needles on a roof.

3. Attic Noises – Raccoons make a great deal of noise in attics. Noises include footsteps, Snarls, kitten like mews, thumps, etc. Raccoons can make more noise than smaller rodents (rats, mice, squirrels) who tend to make more scratching, gnawing, and scurrying noises.

4. Out of Place Soffit Panels – Soffits are the number one entry point for Raccoons. Vinyl panels are easily pushed aside especially if they are poorly installed. However, Raccoons sometimes enter and soffit panels spring back into place. This depends, to a great extent on how the soffit was installed.

Vinyl soffit pushed up out of place by raccoons entering an attic

5. Scratch Marks on Woodwork- Scratches on 4×4 post and other wood work can be indicators of Raccoon activity. Often woodwork is used to gain access to upper portions of homes. Toenail scratches will often be left behind, especially if a post is used consistently. (see picture)

6. Roof Sightings – Sightings on roofs are cause for suspicion especially if they are regular. Once they gain access to roof areas, Raccoons will attempt to gain entry to attics.  Make sure that all possible entry points are solid.

7. Foot Prints in Dust – Small footprints in the shape of a hand on the top of air conditioning ductwork are a good sign of raccoon intrusion. Often Raccoons will use ductwork as a pathway to get from one part of attic to another

Raccoon scratch marks on a support post at a home in Johnson City Tn.

8. Open Holes in Foundations – Large open holes in foundations are invitations to all types of wildlife including raccoons. Look for hand like prints on plastic sheeting, in mud, etc.

9. Unexplained Dirty Smears – Unexplained dirty smears on the exterior of your home is a good indicator of activity. Smears occur where animals climb or rub against the side of homes. Smears may be seen along downspouts if Raccoons are climbing them for access to the roof.

10. Insulation Trails – Raccoons will follow regular pathways through insulation once they gain access to the attic. Noticeable compression of the insulation will be evident. Trails will be evident. Raccoon trails are much wider than those of other species. Raccoon trails will be 10-12” wide or more.

Short Tailed Shrew: The Smelly Rodent

This critter is the Short Tailed shrew.   It’s fur is gray with a texture like velvet.  The eyes are very small, and are almost unnoticeable.   It’s incisors are dark brown (look closely in the pictures below).   Presumably,  the iron deposits that darken the teeth also help harden them.  This is helpful considering that their teeth are not continually growing like those in mice.   Their bite is toxic and can subdue an animal larger than the shrew itself.  In fact, they are the only venomous mammal

They are primarily insectivorous, but occasionally feeds on grain.  They can consume up to three times their weight in one day.

If you ever catch a Short Tailed Shrew one of the first things that you may notice is their aroma.  They have a very definite pungent smell.   It smells somewhat like urine but more acidic.   Some families that have these critters in their homes say that they notice a smell.   I would suspect that the longer the shrews have been in a home the more noticeable a smell might become.

So, if you see a small rodent run through your kitchen, how do you know if it is a shrew or a mouse?  First the color.  Shrews are gray while White Footed Mice are more of a brown color(see post on White Footed (deer) Mice in this blog).  House Mice also tend to be more brown than the Short Tailed Shrew.

Second, the eye of the shrew is so small it is almost imperceptible.   Mice have large bulging eyes.

Third, and for me probably the most telling, travel pattern.   When mice appear, they  hug the wall and dart quickly from one hiding place to another.  Shrews don’t dart as quickly as mice.  Though they do tend to travel near the wall and try to stay hidden, they are not as quick as mice.  Also, generally speaking, they are more likely to wander out of the normal mouse travel path as though they were looking for something (probably a meal).

Save a Beaver and Save our Streams!

Beavers: Prominent Players in American History

Prior to the appearance of Europeans,  beavers in North America are estimated to have numbered between 60 and 400 million.  Then, beavers were an important to local Indians who found them to be an important source of food, tools, medicine, and clothing.  Examinations of primitive camp sites show that only the remains of White Tail Deer outnumber those of Beaver.    By the early 1800’s the beaver top hat was all the rage and pelts were in high demand in Europe.  This demand helped drive the development and colonization of early America and sealed the fate for beavers in many parts of what is now the eastern United States.  By the mid 1800’s beavers no longer existed in most of the northeastern United States and by the 1900’s  beavers in North America only numbered around 100,000.   As this happened, beavers in Bristol were also wiped out.    This is a sad tale; but if you understand the ecology of this situation, you will realize how truly terrible this was.

Beavers: Keystone Species

Beavers are what ecologist consider a “Keystone Species”.  Basically, this means that as beavers modify stream habitat with their dams, they create habitat for other species.   When beavers locate in forested areas (as was often the case in early America)  they begin a successional cycle.  As the cycle progresses new assemblages of species arrive and make use of the habitat created by the beaver.  Initial flooding and gnawing kills trees that once lived near the stream.  This may sound bad, but it creates habitat for numerous species.   Once decay softens the wood, various species of wood peckers use the flooded timber for feeding and nesting.  Abandoned woodpeckers nest cavities offer Wood Ducks nesting habitat where they can raise their young.     Other secondary cavity nesters also use these snags (dead trees).   Screech Owls, Tree Swallows, Black Capped Chickadees, Nuthatches, and other non aquatic species nest in the cavities left by the wood peckers.   Standing dead timber is also a great place for Great Blue Herons to establish a rookery (group nesting site).   Exfoliating bark provides homes for bats who then feed on the insects that grow in and around the wetland.

As time passes, the beaver pond fills with silt.   As a result, aquatic vegetation begins to appear and a new class of wildlife species appears.   Woodcock show up to probe the soft soils for worms.  Black Ducks and Mallards can dabble in the shallows.  Mink quietly stalk the banks looking for prey.   River Otter come to stalk fish and amphibians.  Amphibians use the calm water as a place to lay eggs.

Reading that I have been doing lately has also brought to light the benefits for aquatic species.   While the warming of water in the pond can be detrimental for species like trout, it benefits warmwater species like trout and sunfish.   The trapping of silt in the ponds improves habitat for many species downstream.  Without the beaver pond this silt would pass on and suffocate the eggs of countless organisms downstream.   My reading seems to suggest that species that now migrate to headwaters to find spawning substrate were once able  to do so downstream of beaver dams.  Unfortunately, many see the current “Free Flowing” river system that we have today as the norm and beavers as troublesome invaders.  This is not the case.  The flora and fauna of our region evolved in harmony with beavers and are adapted to coexist.

Even local plant species have adapted to life with beavers.  Willows, Silky Dogwood, and Buttonbush are all wet site shrub species that probably evolved with beavers.  All these species can root when cut and pushed into the mud.  Often the beaver does just that, during it’s feeding and construction activities.

Saving People from Flooding

In addition to their benefits to wildlife beavers have a surprising benefit to man.   Their dams create excellent flood control structures.  Wetlands are wonderful for stormwater retention.  Excess storm runoff can pond in wetlands and reduce peak flows in streams.  Unfortunately they are expensive to create.   The cost to artificially create flood control wetlands can run between 10 and 100 thousand dollars per acre, and involves an extensive permit and study process.  Beavers can successfully build and maintain quality wetlands without a permit.

Current Situation

That brings us to some good and some bad news.  Beavers are now present in most drainages in this area.  I believe that they are still expanding their ranges due to the fact that they have been showing up in new waters in our region for some time now.   We recently have seen them showing up in Steeles Creek Park, near the race track,  and the exit 7 area.  I am sure that they have shown up in many other spots that I am not aware of.   If they find suitable habitat and are allowed to establish themselves it could great for local flooding issues and the ecology of our region. That is the good news.  The bad news is that there will undoubtedly be human/beaver conflicts as a result of these expansions.

Save a Beaver

Many times, when a professional is called, the beavers are simply euthanized.   Often there just aren’t other good options.  There just isn’t any single place where you can take an endless supply of beavers and release them and have a happy ending for both beaver and local landowners.   But, since we see this problem coming, we would like to save these incredible creatures by working with willing landowners who would like to improve their streams and recreate lost wetland habitat.  I hope that local landowners and environmental enthusiast 

Bristol beaver dam and pond

What species is this?

This is a White Footed Mouse or Deer Mouse.   It is one of several rodent species that can show up inside peoples homes, raid pantries, and startle homeowners.   But, there is much more to this species than that.

Years ago, I remember a professor asking the class “what is a weed?”  There were lots of replies from the class.  When we ran out of “answers” he told us “a weed is the wrong plant at the wrong place at the wrong time”.  That is certainly the situation in this case.  Inside a home, this is a pest species.  No one wants mice raiding the pantry or popping up unexpectedly.  Like many wildlife species, they can spread disease and cause problems if they decide to chew on the wrong thing.   Food wrappers, woodwork, even wiring can be subject to chewing by persistently growing incisors.

But, outside the home, this might be a valued species.   Deer Mice are an important prey species for may other species higher up the food chain.  Owls, hawks, foxes, skunks, and many others feed on mice.   Even larger species like Grey Wolves feed on mice.  They provide a critical link in the food chain.  So, it is possible for one client to call  in the morning, panicked, because they have had a close encounter with a mouse then visit another in the  afternoon, who enjoys watching wildlife, and give an entirely different set of recommendations.   In fact it could possibly be the same client.   It is entirely possible to successfully manage for both objectives on the same property.

Successfully promoting or managing a species almost always incudes consideration of that species food source.   After all, how can you manage for hawks or owls without considering rodent populations. This can mean that a wildlife manager may actually try to improve habitat for prey species like Deer Mice that do not have good P.R.  in other situations.

They say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.   That is certainly true in this case.  My daughter saw this picture and said “aww how cute”.  But, if this little guy had dashed across her toes she might not have felt the same.

Who Left These Tracks

These tracks were left by raccoons.  Raccoon prints are very hand like and have very distinct “fingers”.   Raccoons can use their “fingers” to grasp like humans.

When I took these pictures there were many prints to be photographed.  A small group of raccoons were responsible for several groups of prints.  There were several raccoons in this group; and these guys were very destructive!   It looked as though there had been a “raucous raccoon party”.

Raccoon populations have been on the rise and more homeowners are having problems with this species.  Other problems are also associated with the rise in raccoon populations.   A local animal control officer mentioned that the incidence of Rabies is on the rise.  Last year there were over 80 confirmed cases in our county.   Long ago, years would pass without a recorded case.

Note:

Keeping pet food and garbage secure often helps prevent wildlife problems around the house.

Getting Bats Out of the Attic but Keeping Them Around

The beginning of August signals the start of “bat season”.   The pups that were born earlier this Spring were 3-4% their mothers weight when they first appeared.  Each night they stayed behind inside the roosting structure (attic, dead tree, etc.) while mom went out to feed.   Now they are mature enough to follow mom out at night and feed on their own.

This is good and bad for home owners who have bats roosting in their homes.  First, juvenile bats, just like our own children, tend to do things that you wouldn’t want them to do.  As a result, they tend to end up in places where they should not be.  (Can’t you just imagine momma bat telling junior “don’t do that” right before he slips down a crack in the ceiling or wall?)   This means that you can unexpectedly find a bat inside your living space.  Also, it means that there are more bats living inside your hove than there were earlier in the year.  And, the bats tend to be a little noisier.   The end of July and beginning of August is when most bat calls come in.

The up side to all this is that once the pups are on the wing, the problem can finally be dealt with.  Bat removal is not done by trapping and relocating bats.  Bats have excellent “road maps” in their heads.  Some species migrate from cave to cave and move from roosting tree to roosting tree. After all, they find their way back to their roosting locations each year.  Why wouldn’t they be able to find their way back.  Hauling them away would be foolish anyway.   You want them out of the house not out of the neighborhood.

So, the first part of the “getting them out but keeping them around” process is to establish a roosting structure outside the house.   This is, of course, optional.   Putting up a bat house is not a mandatory part of excluding bats from your home.  But, many people want to continue to enjoy the insect control benefits that the bats have been providing.

The bat house that you see in the pictures is built according to plans put out by Bat Conservation International.  It has a “single sided design” so that it can be hung on the side of a building.  This design can also be hung back to back as a pair like you see here.   These are going up at a client’s house where an exclusion project is going to take place.  We want to get these up several weeks in advance of the exclusion (eviction) of the bats from the client’s home.  This gives the bats time to look it over and to get used to the new roosting structure.

Bats can be finicky about picking living quarters.  There needs to be sufficient sunlight to warm the bat house.  This one is oriented to maximize solar input and to keep it nice and toasty for the new colony that will hopefully take up residence there.