Raccoon Removal in The Woodlands, Texas

A raccoon in an attic in The Woodlands usually got there by tree. Tall pines and oaks put limbs within reach of the roof, and a raccoon walks out on one and pulls open a soft spot at the roof edge or a soffit corner. Michael Gerbino of Cypress Critters & Pests catches it alive in a cage trap or lets it out through a one-way door, checks for young, seals the opening and repairs what it tore up. Call Michael at 713-775-8799.

What do raccoons do in Woodlands neighborhoods?

Raccoons treat the greenbelts as their highway. They sleep through the day in a hollow tree, a storm drain or somebody’s attic, then come out after dark and work the backyards along the wooded edge: trash cans, pet bowls, bird feeders, fish in a backyard pond. A house with a limb over the roof and a weak soffit is an easy step up from there. In late winter and spring the mothers go looking for a warm, dry place to raise young, and an attic or an uncapped chimney fits that need exactly.

Signs the raccoon is in the house, not just passing through the yard:

• Heavy footsteps over a bedroom ceiling after dark, quiet through the afternoon
• A soffit corner pushed in or a gable vent screen torn out from behind
• Chirping or chattering from the fireplace flue in spring
• Shingles lifted along a roof edge right under an overhanging limb
• Muddy prints on a downspout, or insulation dragged into a trail across the attic

The Texas Department of State Health Services advises people not to handle any wildlife, whether it looks healthy or sick. Leave the attic to Michael and keep pets and children away from any droppings until it is cleaned.

Why is trapping one raccoon not the end of it?

The woods behind a Woodlands house hold more than one raccoon. Catch the one in your attic, leave the torn soffit open, and another finds the old den by smell, often within the same season. The answer is to close the house so no raccoon can use it, which is what Michael’s animal exclusion and live trapping work does. On a Woodlands house he fits that sealing so it stays neat under covenant rules, as described on the animal exclusion in The Woodlands page.

How Michael handles a Woodlands raccoon

1. Inspect. He checks the roof edge, the soffits, the vents and the chimney, goes into the attic, and notes which trees give the raccoon its way up.
2. Catch it alive. A cage trap goes where the raccoon travels, or a one-way door goes over the entry so it can leave and not return. No poison, ever.
3. Get the young out too. In spring he finds the litter before anything is sealed, so the family leaves together. Raccoons are removed alive and handled following Texas rules.
4. Seal and repair. Galvanized mesh behind the vents, flashing at the roof edge, a cap on the chimney, and torn soffit panels rebuilt.
5. Clean up. The latrine area and soiled insulation come out.

The full picture of how raccoons get into Gulf Coast houses is on the main raccoon removal page. Think there is one up there now? Call 713-775-8799.

Nearby

Michael also handles raccoon removal in Spring and raccoon removal in Tomball. In The Woodlands, the same roof edges that let raccoons in also draw squirrels and roof rats. See all of his work in town on The Woodlands page, or reach him through the contact page. Phone: 713-775-8799.