I think I might have raccoons

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

My house was built in 1934, and it’s had a few modifications in its day. A previous owner had sons who lived in a 10’ x 40’ caravan next to the house. The front, back, and house-side of the caravan have a structure built around them, and there is a flat roof. There is a passageway built between the house proper and the caravan. From outside, it looks like part of the house (which, technically, I guess it is).

I’d noticed a panel in the passageway’s overhead was sagging so that its edges were showing on one side. Well, it’s an old place. I’d like to get rid of the caravan, passageway, and outside storage cabinets and put up a garage. I ‘never’ go back there anyway. I’ve been here a year and a half, and it was only a couple of weeks ago that I went into the back of the caravan when some friends came over and wanted a look. (Dude! You have a whole 'nother house!)

Yesterday I heard a commotion and some chattering coming from the passageway. Uh-oh. Sounds like baby raccoons. If that panel should fail, then they’ll be in the caravan. Don’t want that!

Now, I’m a non-violent person. Really, I am; in spite of the impression that may be given by my firearms collection. I shoot paper, not animals. But raccoons can be viscious – especially when they have cubs. I loaded my .22 Ruger Mk.II pistol. (None of my collection are kept loaded.) If I’m suddenly confronted by a viscious, startled, angry raccoon falling out of the overhead, it’s me or her/him!

I found a piece of plywood in the caravan, and I put a screw bit in my drill. I pounded the failing piece of the overhead back into place and secured it with the plywood and eight screws. The cubs, if that’s what I heard, continues chattering, but they quieted after a bit. I haven’t heard them since. Maybe the mother thought I was creating too much of a commotion and moved them away. Maybe they’re still up there somewhere. I don’t mind if they’re still around, but I don’t want them in my space.

Anyway, I’m going to see if I can find out how much it will cost to put up a garage; then there will be no place for them to nest.

2

I think I might have raccoons

They have pills you can take for that now, you know.

3

When we lived in North Berkeley, we had a family or raccoons living beneath the bathtub of our master bathroom. They really made a racket.

In Berkeley, it is illegal to trap wild animals because it upsets the fragile urban ecosystem.

Meh.

So we hired a specialist to evict the raccoons. He crawled under the house and hurled firecrackers until the poor harassed mother raccoon left the building. Then he gathered up the five babies (rats with hands) and put them in a box near the opening she had used. He then sealed all of the openings so she couldn’t get back under the house.

That evening at dusk, the mother showed up. Over about an hour, she carried away all of the babies to their new abode - which I assume was under one of our neighbors’ houses.

We also had a skunk spray under the house one year.

But that is another story.

We live in Oakland now - which seems to value people a bit above skunks and raccoons.

4

I almost thought that the OP had something like crabs, only much, much bigger.

5

I have crabs* in the summer. I catch them in a trap, kill them, clean them, and boil them in their own seawater. :wink:

[sub]*Cancer magister. :wink: [/sub]

6

But what about possums or ferrets or badgers?

7

Not only is it like a crab, it is a crab.

Poor Johnny LA

8

How about the Crab Eating Raccoon?

9

Badgers? We don’t need no sticking badgers!

10

That…or they were impaled by the business ends of the screws!

11

Choose your Intimate Partners more carefully, then.
:wink: :stuck_out_tongue: :smiley:

12

They were stuck by the fasteners.
See my post above.
:slight_smile:

13

Mushroom, mushroom.