The roof was a little more pitched than I like and the tiles were beginning to get soft. After greeting the client and checking out the fireplace, I accessed the roof and installed the chimney trap. Already the sweat was pouring out of my body and it was not at all comfortable. We didn’t start there till after 3:00 pm. The last job of the day was two floor house in a nearby town. I felt good about the money I was making but I was beginning to feel rather tired. The sun was shinning and the temperature was beginning to rise. The first two jobs went okay despite being rather long. Chimney Trap System 1 hanging by bungee cords. I never felt confident enough with that method, so I would just drive the female up the chimney and catch her the same day. You are supposed to set the trap and come back the next day. This is the trap system without the chimney brushes. My chimney raccoon removal method at the time was Rich Daniotti’s Chimney Trap System 1. Some of my colleagues talk about handling these jobs in an hour, I can only wish to be that fast. I am not very good on roofs and chimneys, let alone handling so many fireplaces in one day. I had lined up three chimney raccoon jobs and thankfully I was able to get my wife to come along and help. It was a beautiful Saturday Summer day in Western Massachusetts. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included.
Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to Īll postings are the property of Stephen M. He is a sought after speaker and trainer. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications available at He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. You should also know that squirrels liked the deep-fried cornmeal too. This is believed to have been caused by a suspected distemper outbreak, which is known to kill 50% of the racoon population. Note that in one year, the visits by raccoons was very low. Interestingly, fatty acid scent, eggs, and the Hawbaker bait did not elicit a biting response by raccoons. The best bait to initiate visits and bites to the bait stick was deep-fried cornmeal. Carmen’s lure and Hawbaker’s lure were used in different years. Three milliliters of attractant was used at a station. They also evaluated whether the bait stick was disturbed or not. They tested chicken eggs (beaten and uncooked), fatty acid scent, Hawbaker’s Raccoon Bait, cornmeal deep fried in corn oil, Carmen’s Coon Lure #1, and water. They established a visit to the station to be if more than one track of an animal occurred in the circle. Each station consisted of a 3-foot diameter circle with sifted soil (to see tracks) and a bait dispenser placed in the middle. They established scent stations 875 to 1750 yards apart. The weather conditions during those periods was a temperature range of 48 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit with rainfall of 1.3 and 1.75 inches. The research occurred April to May 19 and in the latter half of August in 1991. The research took place in Fort Collins, Colorado, a city at an elevation of 1,470 meters.
This blog post will focus on their findings as they pertain to raccoons. Wooley, published in an article entitled “Responses of urban mammals to odor attractants and a bait-dispensing device.” in the Wildlife Society Bulletin 1996, 24(1):111-118.
Have you ever wondered what is the best raccoon bait? Raccoons ( Procyon lotor) have such diverse diets and in urban areas, are exposed to such a diversity of foods, what exactly is the best bait to lure them into a trap? Research by William F.