Racoon Removal 
35 images in this album
 Gallery: Kim Letkeman's Snap Shots navigate UP   Album: Family and Friends navigate UP   Album: Home navigate UP 
       

Racoons took over the attic over the summer, destroying the attic and soffits in the process. This album is dedicated to the removal of these beasts.

Humane Wildlife Control removed the animal (chased it out) and sealed up the attic completely. They also removed three large bags of soiled insulation and topped up the whole attic, including parts that had never had any insulation, to R50. Also replaced my roof vents and screened everything off up there. Looking forward to lower heating and cooling bills.

The crew were great to work with. Very professional and worked all day until done. Tough job well done in my opinion. My advice to anyone who gets an infestation like this ... call them early. The damage adds up ...


One day in late May, it became very obvious that these two thought of our house as home. I happened to have my camera outside when they came out onto the street from a neighbour's yard.
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One day in late May, it became very obvious that these two thought of our house as home. I happened to have my camera outside when they came out onto the street from a neighbour's yard.
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I think this is the other one. They were about the same size at the time.
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I think this is the other one. They were about the same size at the time.
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Skip to the third hour of the removal of the racoons, and they mention that they found one in the soffits and were chasing it out of the attic. The outside fellow who was repairing the soffits had to get off the ladders for safety's sake.
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Skip to the third hour of the removal of the racoons, and they mention that they found one in the soffits and were chasing it out of the attic. The outside fellow who was repairing the soffits had to get off the ladders for safety's sake.
Viewed: 1262 times.
You can see the replacements for the channels that allow the air to circulate in the roof. The raccoons had shredded quite a few of them in their living area.
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You can see the replacements for the channels that allow the air to circulate in the roof. The raccoons had shredded quite a few of them in their living area.
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This is the third entry point, the only one on the west side of the house. Nice job of putting the soffits back together and sealing it up.
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This is the third entry point, the only one on the west side of the house. Nice job of putting the soffits back together and sealing it up.
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Ah ... here he (or she) comes.
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Ah ... here he (or she) comes.
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They are right behind the animal, giving him (or her) no choice.
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They are right behind the animal, giving him (or her) no choice.
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He (or she) got a little sideways and ended up falling a few feet to the ground. These animals regularly fall through the soffits to the ground two storeys below. They cannot easily be harmed in a fall.
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He (or she) got a little sideways and ended up falling a few feet to the ground. These animals regularly fall through the soffits to the ground two storeys below. They cannot easily be harmed in a fall.
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Climbing down onto the eaves troughs ... we had seen it do this on several evenings.
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Climbing down onto the eaves troughs ... we had seen it do this on several evenings.
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Onward to the back yard.
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Onward to the back yard.
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And gone.
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And gone.
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My new roof vents. The roof had been open to the sky for quite a while. This is apparently the weakness they usually exploit to get into the attic in the first place. Note that I had asked about the active vents (the ones that spin) and been told that they leak. These are some of the better ones out there ... impervious to animals. They cost a bit more, but are well worth using instead of the small vents that hug the roof.
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My new roof vents. The roof had been open to the sky for quite a while. This is apparently the weakness they usually exploit to get into the attic in the first place. Note that I had asked about the active vents (the ones that spin) and been told that they leak. These are some of the better ones out there ... impervious to animals. They cost a bit more, but are well worth using instead of the small vents that hug the roof.
Viewed: 1147 times.
These were the first two entry points in the soffits. They are obviously created when the animals walk around the outside of the attic and fall through at weak points. Several of the pieces went missing over the summer. Animals, kids, who knows?
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These were the first two entry points in the soffits. They are obviously created when the animals walk around the outside of the attic and fall through at weak points. Several of the pieces went missing over the summer. Animals, kids, who knows?
Viewed: 1236 times.
Tall ladders. Working at these angles has to be awkward. Note the hose going up through the bedroom window and into the attic. Blowing fresh insulation to R50.
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Tall ladders. Working at these angles has to be awkward. Note the hose going up through the bedroom window and into the attic. Blowing fresh insulation to R50.
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I made a quick run to home depot to get replacement soffits. They were the wrong width and they were pure white, but I also obtained a close color match in Tremclad paint. The crew cut pieces to fit and sprayed them, giving them an hour or two to dry. Very nice job and you cannot tell from the street.
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I made a quick run to home depot to get replacement soffits. They were the wrong width and they were pure white, but I also obtained a close color match in Tremclad paint. The crew cut pieces to fit and sprayed them, giving them an hour or two to dry. Very nice job and you cannot tell from the street.
Viewed: 1153 times.
This is the crew chief, Scott. Very impressive guy, as were the whole crew. A fellow Winnipeg native as well.
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This is the crew chief, Scott. Very impressive guy, as were the whole crew. A fellow Winnipeg native as well.
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This is the cellulose they used to top up the insulation after removing the soiled stuff.
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This is the cellulose they used to top up the insulation after removing the soiled stuff.
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The blower machine that pushes the insulation up two storeys.
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The blower machine that pushes the insulation up two storeys.
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The tines at the bottom break it up and send it downward to enter the pipe.
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The tines at the bottom break it up and send it downward to enter the pipe.
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This was the second entrance/exit they made by falling through. Pretty good repair, considering how twisted the channel was that held the soffit panels.
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This was the second entrance/exit they made by falling through. Pretty good repair, considering how twisted the channel was that held the soffit panels.
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Working on the original entrance/exit point. This is where they preferred to leave for the night, right after sunset.
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Working on the original entrance/exit point. This is where they preferred to leave for the night, right after sunset.
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Screening it off once all the panels, including the new ones, were back in place.
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Screening it off once all the panels, including the new ones, were back in place.
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Humane Wildlife Control. They've been in business in Ontario for over 20 years. Seem to be very good at what they do. I really liked this crew, and the VP I spoke with to arrange it all.
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Humane Wildlife Control. They've been in business in Ontario for over 20 years. Seem to be very good at what they do. I really liked this crew, and the VP I spoke with to arrange it all.
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Their equipment was well organized. Three trucks, one for each crew member.
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Their equipment was well organized. Three trucks, one for each crew member.
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The third crew member goes to work on the kitchen vent. Birds have been nesting here for years.
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The third crew member goes to work on the kitchen vent. Birds have been nesting here for years.
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Last soffit repair almost completed.
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Last soffit repair almost completed.
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Pulling out bird nests with long wires and poles.
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Pulling out bird nests with long wires and poles.
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Time to clean up. They pull all the loose insulation down off the roof and vacuum the work area, including the plants. Very thorough!
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Time to clean up. They pull all the loose insulation down off the roof and vacuum the work area, including the plants. Very thorough!
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Removing the bits of mesh trimmed away from the repairs.
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Removing the bits of mesh trimmed away from the repairs.
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All done. What a difference from the street! Those new panels, the white ones with the Tremclad paint, are quite invisible now.
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All done. What a difference from the street! Those new panels, the white ones with the Tremclad paint, are quite invisible now.
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The west repair from the ground.
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The west repair from the ground.
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The new first-floor bathroom vent on the west side.
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The new first-floor bathroom vent on the west side.
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Very neat work. I could spray the mesh to be the same color as the soffits, but the work looks good enough that I feel no need.
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Very neat work. I could spray the mesh to be the same color as the soffits, but the work looks good enough that I feel no need.
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Preparing to leave. Just packing the last bits.
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Preparing to leave. Just packing the last bits.
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The crew. The lead is Scott, on the right. I have managed to forget the names of the other guys, but the one in the middle looks a bit like Brendan Fraser and the one on the left a bit like Matthew Broderick. Great job, in and out in about 6.5 hours.
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The crew. The lead is Scott, on the right. I have managed to forget the names of the other guys, but the one in the middle looks a bit like Brendan Fraser and the one on the left a bit like Matthew Broderick. Great job, in and out in about 6.5 hours.
Viewed: 1154 times.
       
 Gallery: Kim Letkeman's Snap Shots navigate UP   Album: Family and Friends navigate UP   Album: Home navigate UP 
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