How to catch a car hnugry critter

[mishpat]

Returning in Vistana(see, there has to be a t/s angle to this,right?), we were shocked to find our sons Buick Century sounding like it too needed a vacation. Long story short. A critter(possum or raccoon) had set up house in the engine and eaten three meals a day in the wires and cables, $600 later, the car was fine again UNTIL YESTERDAY when the check engine light came back on and $150 more of wires were destroyed. Bought a $44 raccoon trap at Home Depot and a can of cat food. Any other ideas? No, I do not have a gun license

 

[JudyH]

Skip the license. Once you trap the critter, put some peanut butter on the tip of the .22 rifle you need to buy at Dick's, and blast him in the nose.

 

[stmartinfan]

Just be careful if you decide to take the critter anywhere to dispose of. My neighbor caught raccoons that were pulling up his new sod to get at the bugs under it. He caught them, loaded the traps into his van, and started down the highway to release them out in the country. Imagine his shock when they managed to get out and started bouncing off the van walls! Luckily, he was able to pull off the road before there was any major damage and get the door open.

 

[sfwilshire]

I wouldn't be happy if someone released a raccoon on our country property. We have enough of our own to battle.

If you ask around, you might be able to find someone who wants them. We have a friend that uses them to train dogs (the raccoons are not injured) so any we trap go to his farm.

Another possible issue in this area is how many skunks you may catch before a raccoon gets trapped. Not a good thing.

We have tried everything to keep them out of the corn we try to grow and they are definitely outwitting the humans. My husband has all but given up on growing my second favorite summer food.

Sheila

 

[Timeshare Von]

I would call the local animal control and let them know of the problem. They should be able to set up traps to catch and take care of the critter.

 

[sfwilshire]

Here they would just tell you where to buy a trap, but I'm sure it varies by government entity. Never hurts to ask.

Sheila

 

[DaveNV]

I feel your pain. I'm a fan of live traps and releasing the critter far, far away from wherever it started. I just (two weeks ago) finished clearing out squirrels from my attic for the third time in four years. I hope it's the end of it. Squirrels are cute in City Parks, but not when they're invading my warm, cosy attic.

My house had some trees that overhung the garage roof, and the buggers were running out on the branches, jumping onto the roof, then getting into my attic by breaking through vent screening under the gable eaves. I replaced the weak screening the builder used with serious wire mesh (didn't do this previously), after I'd captured the squirrels in the humane trap I own, and I'd released them in an undeveloped woodsy area miles from my home. I also cut off the overhanging branches this year. I hope this is the last time I have to deal with any of this. BTW, I used Fritos corn chips as bait. Oily, smelly corn chips work really well.

Raccoons are another story altogether. I have no idea what to do about them. Good luck!

Dave

 

[vacationhopeful]

I have been told animal control can NOT REMOVE A WILD ANIMAL FROM YOUR PROPERTY. Something about having a federal permit to transport wild critters.

My neighborhood now has more foxes.

I would call the local animal control and let them know of the problem. They should be able to set up traps to catch and take care of the critter.

 

[Fern Modena]

Did you actually SEE the critter? Cause you would be surprised what could do that. A friend of mine, who lives about three miles from me has a property which backs up to an arroyo and then a hill. Her sister has to park her car on their driveway. Twice in about two years or so this has happened to her. The culprit? Rats, believe it or not.

Most of us have learned that if you don't want rats coming through your attic, you cannot have trees too close to your house. Specially Palm Trees. Those suckers jump right from the Palms to the attic vents...

Oh, and if that isn't enough, we have coyotes, too. They just mosey along. mainly from back yard to back yard, but sometimes out in the streets, too. I haven't seen many in my neighborhood, but the ones that back up to vacant land see enough.

The city won't do anything, because they are a protected species. And they were here before we were, anyway. Such is life.

Fern

 

[DaveNV]

Just watched a TV news article on Seattle television talking about the damage squirrels do, and they showed pictures of a car engine, where they CHEWED THE WIRES. Made me think about the OP's situation. I wonder if the car culprit might actually be squirrels, and the raccoon is a semi-innocent victim? The news story said squirrels eat wiring insulation to use it to line their nests.

Hmm. My not-so-love of squirrels just went down another notch.

Dave

 

[Timeshare Von]

Just watched a TV news article on Seattle television talking about the damage squirrels do, and they showed pictures of a car engine, where they CHEWED THE WIRES. Made me think about the OP's situation. I wonder if the car culprit might actually be squirrels, and the raccoon is a semi-innocent victim? The news story said squirrels eat wiring insulation to use it to line their nests.

Hmm. My not-so-love of squirrels just went down another notch.

Dave

Just saw the same news story here on the 9p news. The story was out of Oregon, near Portland.