Something moved into my attic

JoeBlack23 wrote: ↑ Some animal ripped open the siding under the roof (i.e. the corner where the second story roof meets the first story). My guess is a raccoon. I've heard it through the ceiling, I'm sure it's bigger than a squirrel.

Can somebody recommend a company that ideally would handle both the pest removal and fixing the roof - I figure it's got to be done at the same time. I'm in the Guelph area.

When I bought the house 8 years ago there was clear evidence of this happening before as the attic insulation was all torn up (I had replacement insulation blown in). There were metal plates nailed in the same areas that are ripped open now, so that was not a permanent solution. Looking for someone who can do a better and permanent job.

I figure if it's a raccoon they need traps?

Katedontbreak wrote: ↑ Cant help you on recommendations but show us a picture of the entrance area so we could recommend a more solid solution.

JoeBlack23 wrote: ↑ I added some pictures (sorry, a couple are upside down). You can see in some the "fix" the previous owner made, which was basically to nail down some metal sheets. I'm looking for a fool-proof solution.

Anikiri wrote: ↑ El Chupacabra

Oni-kun wrote: ↑ Racoon will sound like a person walking in the floor above you.

Katedontbreak wrote: ↑ If you're moderately handy, you can plug up the roof yourself, if not ask the pest control company if they can repair the soffit using a strong plywood (not OSB in our weather) after trapping the raccoon. Make sure to get the raccoon(s) out first if you want to attempt the repair yourself. It would be worth paying somebody to trap the raccoon even if you can do the repair yourself because if you trap somebody in, not only would that be inhumane, the raccoons will keep returning trying to help the trapped raccoon and keep tearing at your soffits or it may die in your roof causing a strong smell.

Use screws, not nails and avoid fastening into the side of the fascia trim like this man does (your fascia does not appear bent like the one in the video) but otherwise this is the basic method to repair that breach to keep them out.


I see a lot of pest companies install a one way door or wire mesh over the soffit but that will look a bit unsightly. They should offer this sort of repair as well after evicting the raccoon(s) if it's just easier to pay somebody else to do it.

Fantastical wrote: ↑ if there's no tree around your house and exterior siding = hardie plank combined with roof with overhang.....can racoon or other rodents still climb up to your roof and possibly enter your attic?

Katedontbreak wrote: ↑ With siding in general, under the starting course



and the corner are vulnerable rodent entry points.



Any junction points between two different materials that can move apart or flex



They don't always get into the roof from the roof. They also get into the gap between your exterior wall and inner foundation wall from a lower entrance point and climb up to the roof through that gap.

Katedontbreak wrote: ↑

Fantastical wrote: ↑ Thanks. Very detail and makes perfect sense.

But, back to the question, if there's no tree around and the exterior siding wall is relatively smooth (e.g. Hardie plank siding) combined with roof with overhang, can rodents (e.g. racoon or mice) climb up to the roof through the exterior siding wall?

Wonivek wrote: ↑ yes. I’ve seen raccoons climb the downspout to get to the roof. Depending on the brick they might also be able to climb on brick as well.

Katedontbreak wrote: ↑ Both raccoons and mice easily climb up bricks and concrete or stone. Porus materials are very easy for them to climb. With slippery surfaces like siding, raccoons scale by grabbing the sides of the corner capping or wrapping their legs around downspouts. Mice will typically enter these from underneath and use the jagged edges to scale from the inside.