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When it comes to raccoon removal, one of the most important parts of the job is figuring out exactly where the animal is getting into the house. Once that entry point is identified, the trapping strategy can become much more precise.
This week Ryan from Frontline Animal Removal is on the roof of a home in the Canton, Akron, and Kent, Ohio area setting a double-door raccoon trap directly at a known entry point. The setup is a good example of what we call a positive set trap—a trap that is placed directly in the animal’s established travel path rather than somewhere nearby where we simply hope the raccoon finds it.
The situation on this particular house is especially interesting because the raccoon is using a weak point where an addition roof meets the original house.
A Weak Roof Transition Becomes a Raccoon Entry Point
As you’ll see when you watch the video below, Ryan begins the video by explaining what he is seeing on the roof.
The homeowner’s addition meets the side of the house, and the transition between the two structures is not adequately enclosed. Flashing is being used to cover the area, but the raccoons have figured out that they can peel the flashing back and create an opening into the structure.
This is an important lesson in wildlife removal: a material can be present without actually providing effective wildlife exclusion.
Flashing may help protect a roof transition from weather, but if a raccoon can easily manipulate it and create an opening, it is not doing the job of keeping wildlife out.
Once a raccoon discovers a weakness like this, the problem can continue until the animal is removed and the opening is properly repaired.
The Evidence Is Right on the Roof
Ryan also points out several signs that show the raccoon has been using this area for some time.
There is animal material on the roof that the raccoon has apparently dragged up to the entry point. Based on the remains, Ryan believes it is part of a rabbit. There are also piles of raccoon droppings on the roof.
Those signs help tell the story.
The raccoon is not randomly visiting this part of the roof. It is using the area as part of its regular travel route between the outside and the structure.
There is also visible damage in several locations around the roof. The animals have found weaknesses and are taking advantage of them.
For a wildlife removal technician, these details matter because they help establish where the animal is traveling and how the trap should be positioned.
What Is a Positive Set Raccoon Trap?
A positive set is a trapping method that takes advantage of an animal’s existing travel route.
Instead of putting a trap somewhere on the ground and waiting for a raccoon to discover it, the trap is positioned directly at the opening the raccoon is already using.
That concept is especially useful when a raccoon is entering a house through a specific hole in the roof, soffit, fascia, chimney area, or another part of the structure.
We explain this trapping method in more detail in our previous post, A Proven Raccoon Trapping Method: Positive Set Double-Door Traps at the Point of Entry.
The basic idea is simple: don’t make the raccoon find the trap. Put the trap where the raccoon already wants to go.
Why Ryan Uses a Double-Door Trap
In this video, Ryan uses a double-door trap.
A double-door trap is particularly useful for a positive set because the raccoon can enter the trap from either direction. That matters in a situation where the animal may already be inside the house.
The raccoon could leave the structure through the familiar opening and encounter the trap on its way out. If the raccoon is already outside, it may return to the same opening and enter the trap from the opposite direction.
Either way, the trap is positioned in the animal’s established travel path.
This is one of the advantages of setting a trap at the actual entry point instead of relying on a baited trap somewhere away from the problem area.
Creating a Barrier to Funnel the Raccoon Into the Trap
Simply placing a trap near a hole is not always enough.
Raccoons are capable climbers, and if there is an easy way around the trap, they may take it.
That’s why Ryan uses wire to create a barrier around the setup. The wire helps direct the raccoon toward the trap and blocks alternative routes around it.
In other words, Ryan is not just putting a trap next to the hole. He is controlling the travel path.
The setup creates a situation where the raccoon coming from the house encounters the trap on its way out. Likewise, an animal outside that wants to return through the familiar opening encounters the trap on its way in.
This type of funneling is an important part of making a positive set work.
Finding the Entry Point Comes First
One of the most useful parts of Ryan’s explanation comes near the end of the video.
He points out that the setup looks simple once it is finished—but figuring out the problem required investigating the house first.
Ryan walks around the house and determines how the animals are getting onto the roof. In this case, they are climbing the downspouts in multiple locations, and those routes lead toward the roof area where the raccoon is getting into the house.
That investigation is a critical part of professional raccoon removal.
The trap is only as good as the information used to place it.
If the actual entry point has not been identified, a trap may be placed in an area the raccoon rarely visits. A professional wildlife removal job begins with understanding the animal’s movements, identifying the access point, and then selecting a trapping method that takes advantage of those movements.
The Goal Is More Than Catching the Raccoon
Catching the raccoon is an important part of the job, but it is not the entire solution.
Once the animal is removed, the opening still needs to be addressed.
In this case, the flashing has already been peeled back by the animals, and there is visible damage around the roof. Simply catching the raccoon and leaving the opening untouched would leave the house vulnerable to another animal.
At Frontline Animal Removal, we approach wildlife problems as both a removal and repair issue.
First, the animal needs to be removed. Then the opening needs to be properly repaired and secured so another raccoon cannot simply use the same access point.
That is particularly important with roof transitions and additions because these areas can contain hidden gaps that are easy for wildlife to exploit.
Watch Ryan Set the Trap
It is a good example of how professional raccoon trapping often comes down to a few basic principles:
- Find the actual entry point.
- Understand how the raccoon is traveling to that opening.
- Place the trap directly in that travel path.
- Use a double-door trap when appropriate.
- Block or funnel alternate routes around the trap.
- Remove the animal before permanently repairing the opening.
The finished setup may look simple, but the effectiveness comes from understanding why the trap is being placed there.
Once you know where the raccoon is going, you can put the trap where the raccoon has to go.
Raccoon Removal in Stark, Summit, and Portage Counties
Raccoons can enter homes through surprisingly small or vulnerable areas, including roof transitions, soffits, fascia, vents, chimneys, attic openings, and damaged areas around additions.
At Frontline Animal Removal, we provide raccoon removal and wildlife damage repair for homeowners throughout Stark, Summit, and Portage Counties, including the Canton, Akron, and Kent, Ohio areas.
Every raccoon problem is different. The first step is determining where the animal is entering and how it is using the structure. From there, the appropriate trapping method can be selected.
This video demonstrates one example of a positive set using a double-door trap directly at the point of entry. Once the raccoon is removed, the next step is addressing the damage and securing the opening so the same problem does not happen again.