Animals in the attic.

I do work for a land management company that sends me to a lot of condo associations. At one , an 83 unit complex , I trapped 5 raccoons out of the attic of one of the units last fall. Last week she sent me out for three units . Two of them could hear something going up the roof around 6:00 am and down the roof at around 9:00 pm. The other said she could hear things moving around at night especially around 10 to 11 o'clock pm. Lots of scratching. Said it sounded like kids were living upstairs. The attic area where the noise is coming from is in a pretty inaccessible area. All three units are next to a creek that borders the complex , and they are not far from each other. I caught three sow raccoons and a possum outside at the first two. The sows were not lactating. The last few days the traps and bait have been untouched and they have not heard anything. At the third place , I caught a large boar coon the first day. She heard noises the first night after I got it , then nothing the next few days. The traps and bait have been untouched. Last night she said they were very active and it sounded like small stones being dropped. I was thinking squirrels , but , at night? Plus , two of the traps at her place were baited with WCS Corndog bait , which is a squirrel magnet , but I haven't seen a squirrel. I'm going back up into the attic tomorrow to try to get a better look. I did sell the association a long term raccoon reduction package for this year. Any advice would be appreciated.

Have you found the entry point?

Flyers or deer mouse.

Any droppings?

"very active and it sounded like small stones being dropped"

Flyers is what I would say, but wrong time of the year in my area.

I have caught raccoons, gray squirrels, flyers and mice all from the same small attic at the same time.

Find the raccoon entry points, if you think they are gone put a soft plug over the entry. Something a coon can move easy. Best way I have found is work from largest to smallest animal on these jobs. Get the raccoons out of the way first.

We went to finish a bat job today and while inspecting the attic I noticed a flyer run across my flashlight beam. I called the guy who did the seal job over, and pointed out what shouldn't be there.

It turns out that the flyer chewed its way back in right above his 1 way door. The foam was replaced with copper and silicone. He's going to have a tougher time getting back in.

I agree with getting the bigger stuff out first. I've seen flyers work their way down a line of mouse traps until they hit the rat trap. That ends the buffet line.

Today I tried to access the area where she is hearing the noises. These units have multiple roofs and they are all sealed off separately. I could not get to the area through either of the attic openings. The animal's access point is at the top of a very steeply pitched roof that is above and behind another steeply pitched roof. Looks like I would need two ladders. I don't own an extension ladder. In other work I have done here , I trap the coons and they have a roofing company that does the repairs. I guess I will have to borrow ladders and try to get up there. The last two days , she has heard nothing.

Check the ones you catch to see if they are nursing. You are probably leaving kits in the attic

Since my first post the first two places have been sealed and there are no more noises. I have taken two more coons , both pregnant females , in the creek that runs behind them. At the third place she is hearing noises about every third night. I took another huge boar there a couple of days ago , and she says that the noises are different now , more of a "light scampering" noise. Her words. I have not caught a lactating female in this entire complex , so I know I didn't leave any babies. I really don't want to go up on that roof , but I may have to. I was sent to one of her neighbors today for "nuts rolling around in the attic since last fall". Found a perfectly round 2 inch hole chewed in the siding. I haven't done a lot of squirrel trapping , but I'm thinking reds or flyers. I will soon find out.

I have heard stories about red squirrels and flyers competing against in other in bowling tournaments. If you also find mice up

there, those are the pin setters. ( Squirrels haven't got automatic pin setters yet ) A customer told me that is exactly what it

sounds like.

If they chewed a new hole I'd guess reds.