What are your experience doing raccoon exclusions using the Coontroller? Are raccoons ripping their way back inside?

Yes. Especially if there is young inside.

What about if you let the young grow up to a point where they can exit themselves?

If you do not remove the coon or squirrel living there, they will find a way to get back in. That has been my experence.

Good topic Dave,

Folks that are saying they usually come back and reoffend, are these homes that can be properly and fully sealed, or are these where the repair spot is still obvious to the local raccoon who was evicted?

I do know that raccoons can rip open siding and everything under the sun, but if we sell any exclusion with any warranty, do we only base this on a novel raccoon or skunk or other?

In other words, if we trap and remove no exclusion, of course the hole is still open, but if we upsell exclusion as most do, what is the exclusion and warranty based on for future incursion?

I think this is a good post for some good open sharing about how, why, what happens, etc...

Since we know there is more business in exclusion along with the other services, how do we back exclusion if the local raccoon could re-enter, can't another one do it to, or do we assume that the other raccoon doesn't have that affinity to the home site?

Justin

I hav never used the controller. Seems pricey. A funnel set seems better
and you can remove that problem animal. I bet you can scavenge parts Tom an old trap and make one of those controllers.

HD - good thoughts. Perhaps, it is all in how the warrenty is worded. I just fear having a coon do further damage.

Around here you don't even have to worry about the same raccoon coming back and ripping the house apart. They follow each other. Ask Rob Erickson some time how many raccoon he caught going through a single second story window!

I can't even imagine excluding raccoon. What would be the purpose?

Paul,

I think we are all talking but aren't acknowledging some phrasing clarification.

Exclusion as allowing the animal to pass thru and exit, followed by closing the entry point.

Versus trap, remove/relocate then fix entry.

Either way most sell the fixing of the entry so for me the operative question would be does exclusion (sealing entry)
work on raccoons or not?

If it only works on chimney caps or openings of solid structure, does this mean you shouldn't seal the entry?

Or do you tell the client, this one I'm removing but any that come along later will likely rip thru my repair?

Just asking, because I think we gloss over some of these points about what we sell and why and how we stand behind it.

Justin

If we exclude a raccoon (without a litter)...and secure the hole...will it rip a new hole in the roof/house in a different location? Or, will it be lazy and choose a different home with easier entry?

Once the original however many raccoons are removed, we have not had any ripped through repairs that I am aware of. I do remember a customer excluding a female with her babies still inside. There is no use explaining the damage because I didn't take pictures and no one would believe what that raccoon did, without the photos.

Let me start by saying , Exclusion should never be done during baby season (for any animal). Exclusion is a very important part of my business. It allows me to solve customer problems without having to return to the property numerous times. It is the least impact to the animal and it makes it easier to give the customer a flat rate bid. Now that I've given some of the benefits of exclusion I'll say that there is a time and place for it. I will only choose to use a One Way Door when the customer has approved all of the vulnerable places on their roof. For example, if there is a one inch gap around the entire roof line, I will suggest flashing the entire area. All attic vents, all soffits flashed and any other place that might be vulnerable. There are other examples of when exclusion is not the best choice, like a shake shingle roof or from underneath a mobile home. I put a lifetime warranty on all of my repair work and in some cases on the entire roof. There are always going to be people that say it can't be done and I say, these people just haven't really given exclusion a shot. We don't have Grey Squirrels here so I can't speak on behalf of them. But when it comes to Coons, IT CAN BE DONE!

Thanks, Jake. Can you venture a guess on how many you have done?

I've done a few dozen or so. The only time I've had a coon cause damage to a different spot on a roof was during an eviction fluid treatment. I covered the hole with a towel with Robbs brand of eviction fluid and she tore a different hole to get out

I chase coons out of attics and crawl spaces quite often,,,,,,, never had one get back it.....



If there is a litter you just move them outside also,,,, if you put the coon litter in a bucket, 99 out of 100 times she will come get them

The most damage I have ever seen was when a mother squirrel was locked out by a home owner

Vinke and Jake,

What type of home exterior do you do the one way or eviction type on?

Folks talk most often about siding being ripped apart, I have stucco more than any other siding so the only vulnerable
places are soffit or vents as the stucco is usually "bomber."

Do you market eviction, over trapping, or play it depending on situation and client?

I'm glad to see this discussion going on, because though I live in the sandbox and our raccoons are localized to waterways in greatest
pops, I'd like to be doing exclusions with one ways, but if everyone who tries that sees them rip the house apart (I'm not talking when
litters are left behind, as this seems obvious to everyone as the root of many of these failures), then I'd rather not sell that service.

Thoughts?

Vinke and Jake, also what are your state G&F regs in your states of WA and CO for raccoon work?

In mine, raccoons are a protected furbearer and must be relocated to mandated release sites currently, all under permit only.

Justin

I don't mean to be a wet blanket but I have enough customers telling me that "YOUR RACCOON CAME BACK" now. ( Even after I euthanized it ) I can't even imagine what would happen if I ever evicted one! I guess what it all boils down to is that while you guys have 4 raccoons per square mile, we have 4 raccoons per square inch!

Most are "siding",,,,,, generic for "all" products



A raccoon can not pull it apart until he can get the first piece loose,,,,,, ,,,,,everything runs down hill,,,


A Raccoon can only reach so high,,,,,,,

All improperly applied material must be removed and replaced.........



For me it is Demographics,,,,, It can be done on "most" jobs within a hour,,,..... No long distance trap checks,,..
It is also business smart with the no w crowd and?/?????????
It is also Continues income??



released within the property boundaries or E.......

Regardless of what a coon might or might not do. My customers want them removed and gone. Either dead or far away. So thats what I do.

bluebill, while your answer may not apply to everyone and every job, it certainly fits the vast majority of mine.