Knowledge Aids Efficient Trapping

At some jobs we like to use a cellular game camera to keep an eye on entrances and traps.

The motion-activated camera sends pictures and alerts when animals are present.  This helps understand what animals are present, how they are relating to the trap, and when they are moving through.

The knowledge of their movements helps us determine what traps are best used so the job can be completed as efficiently as possible.

Just setting traps out works…but, using a camera makes it less of a guessing game.

Knowledge through Pictures

At a recent raccoon job, a camera was used.  Here are some of the pictures we acquired and the take-aways those pictures gave us.

The very first picture showed a raccoon coming out of the house for the night.  This simply let us know for certain there was at least one raccoon present in the house and that it was using this entrance.

This raccoon first popped out for a look-see about a half hour before sunset.  They often do this before they venture out for the night.

The wary raccoon was captured on film a lot for about 20 minutes before the marshmallow at the trap entrance was too much temptation.

It took over a minute, but you can see the marshmallow is gone and the raccoon is retreating to the house to eat it in safety.

This sequence of events let’s us know the raccoon is nervous about the trap but interested in the treats.

Sometimes, the most wary of raccoons will walk right by the baited trap.  Photo evidence like this let’s us know we’ll need to change tactics sooner rather than later.

In this picture, you see that 8 minutes later the raccoon is back and interested in the bait that is hanging in the back of the trap.  Though the raccoon could reach it from the front if it were to go in the trap, the raccoon isn’t ready to do that just yet.  This trap right outside its front door has the raccoon on edge.

An hour later, you can see the door is still up and the raccoon has not committed to the back of the trap where the good stuff is.  But, the free meal is still on its mind.

Then, about 10 minutes after this, a raccoon finally gets the hanging bait in the back of the trap and is captured.

This sequence of events is effective in displaying the suspicious nature of many urban/suburban raccoons.  Even though food is present, raccoons are wary of changes in their environments and don’t rush into well-baited traps.

Knowledge Through Lack of Pictures

There were no squirrels caught on camera from the time the trap was placed in the morning until the raccoon came out.  This is important knowledge because we know there aren’t two types of animals causing problems at the same time.  Though rare, a two animal problem has occurred.  We know this isn’t the case here.

Also notable, is that we didn’t get any pictures of raccoons going back into this house later that night/early morning.  This lack of a re-entry picture lets us know that when Ryan returned the next day to pick up the raccoon there was a low probability there were any raccoons in the house.

Because of the lack of pictures there didn’t seem to be any raccoons inside the next morning & Ryan was able to switch the style of trap.

He went from a baited trap that has to lure the raccoon to a non-baited, positive set trap: a trap that guards an entrance and forces a raccoon to go through the trap if it wants in or out of a particular entrance.

He didn’t do this originally because he wasn’t sure how many raccoons were inside.  It isn’t the end of the world, but having a couple spend the night inside while trapped one blocks the entrance is not the best scenario.  They might try to find other exits and cause more damage or noise.

But, maintaining a trap at that entrance will catch others that know about this entrance and could try to force their way in even if the soffit is put back.

It turns out that another one knew about this hole and tried to get in a couple of night later.

Here is the new entry-guarding trap and a raccoon checking it out two nights later.

The wire and trap block this entrance/exit.  Any raccoon that wants to get out from this spot will have to pass through the double-door trap.  Any raccoon that wants to get inside at this spot (like this raccoon) can only get in by going through the double door trap.  No bait is required.

13 minutes (and a lot of pictures) later you can see this raccoon is still wary but still very interested in going inside.

Those wires inside are the trigger for the trap.  When the raccoon brushes the wires, the doors at either end shut.

And within an hour, the raccoon has decided to try go inside only to be captured.

This guarding of the entrance has been effective at removing another raccoon with knowledge of this entry.  We can almost guarantee this raccoon has stayed in this spot before and used it on a regular basis.

Removing this raccoon and others coming to this exact spot from the outside assures us that when we go to make the repair here the chance of a raccoon damaging the repair is lessened significantly.

There were no other raccoons pictured or captured for the next few nights.  The trap was removed and the soffit was repaired and reinforced.  No more raccoons should be getting in here.

For a little more on the game camera, check out this video:

Utilizing Technology | Wildlife Removal Akron, Canton, Kent

Efficient & professional nuisance wild animal removal and repair is what we seek to offer our clients in the greater Canton, Akron, Kent area.

When we combine good equipment with our years of experience, we feel our services are second to none.  Our consistent goal is to offer an efficient and complete solution for your nuisance wildlife problem.  We do that by combining time-honored trade skills with the latest technology.

If you are looking for a nuisance animal removal company that can get the job done, give us a call.

We’ll address your squirrel, raccoon, bat, groundhog, skunk, bird, mole, etc. problem in a results-driven manner.