Footballjoe Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I could use some help here. Something has decided to make a home under my house. I cannot figure out how it is getting under there since all my access doors are closed and my vents are in. There is a small tear in one of the screens but there is a grate on the vent so only a mouse could get in. But what I am dealing with appears to be a large animal. About 2 months ago my family kept telling me that they hear chewing around the bathtub area. Well, I heard it the other night. It sounds like a very large animal. It is chewing on the wood, for sure. I went under the house and could see where it made a nest of leaves and pine straw under my tub. I also saw where its been pooping. The poop is large, like that of a cat. I am confused on what I am dealing with here. A nesting type animal that chews wood and has large poop. A cat? A racoon? A possum? A squirrel? I will fix the vent screen and get a trap but I should would like to know what to expect. I just cannot figure out how its getting in and out. By the way, we only hear the chewing now and then. Maybe 2 days in a row, then not for a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowboutthemCowboys Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I could use some help here. Something has decided to make a home under my house. I cannot figure out how it is getting under there since all my access doors are closed and my vents are in. There is a small tear in one of the screens but there is a grate on the vent so only a mouse could get in. But what I am dealing with appears to be a large animal. About 2 months ago my family kept telling me that they hear chewing around the bathtub area. Well, I heard it the other night. It sounds like a very large animal. It is chewing on the wood, for sure. I went under the house and could see where it made a nest of leaves and pine straw under my tub. I also saw where its been pooping. The poop is large, like that of a cat. I am confused on what I am dealing with here. A nesting type animal that chews wood and has large poop. A cat? A racoon? A possum? A squirrel? I will fix the vent screen and get a trap but I should would like to know what to expect. I just cannot figure out how its getting in and out. By the way, we only hear the chewing now and then. Maybe 2 days in a row, then not for a couple of weeks. Â the only thing I can think of that would chew on the wood like that would be a porcupine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 the only thing I can think of that would chew on the wood like that would be a porcupine. Â Â Never seen them in my area. Squirrels chew but do not have large poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aqualung Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Is the poop pellets? Similar to rabbit but much larger. Â If they are about 5/8 pellets my guess it is a porcupine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 Is the poop pellets? Similar to rabbit but much larger. Â If they are about 5/8 pellets my guess it is a porcupine. Â Â No. Its large poop. It reminds me of cat poop. I put sand under my house a few years ago. the poop is all in one area. its not pellets though. Its the real deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 It's a raccooon (they have poop like dogs) though I dunno why it would be gnawing on your wood. Maybe it's rabid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 (edited) Might be a skunk too. Â Call your local animal control center, they'll come out and take a look at it and even set traps for you to catch it. Edited February 5, 2007 by Hugh 0ne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 I cannot figure for the life of me how its getting under there but its either been under for a long time or its coming in and out because there's a lot of poop. But if its been under a long time, whats it eating? Wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 (edited) Almost definitely a raccoon with the poo you describe. Had one take up residence in the parent's barn one year. Left one heck of a mess. Â Edit: If you do trap a raccoon, be very careful. Those things are mean. They'll try to claw and bite you through a cage. Edited February 5, 2007 by The Irish Doggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Almost definitely a raccoon with the poo you describe. Had one take up residence in the parent's barn one year. Left one heck of a mess. Â Â They're mean mofo's too, so be careful. It'll take a big, angry dog to take down a raccoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Definitely a raccoon. My parent's house had one make babies in their attic over the summer. They had to hire a guy. You can't catch these and he had to set a trap and kill them all. They're nasty animals...call in a pro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 (edited) I just called animal control. They will not come out. They suggested the yellow pages or buy my own trap. I think I will buy a trap tonight and give it a try myself. if I do not get anything within a few days I will call in the pros. Â Edit: They also said light the area up and play music under there. Edited February 5, 2007 by Footballjoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Yeah, animal control doesn't do raccoons. I think my parents paid like $200-300 to kill 'em. The guy had to come out several times though and install some screen thing on the inside so they couldn't get back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I'd say raccoon for sure. The people over the back fence from me had a whole family living under their place for years. One of the raccoons was bright orange instead of the usual color and they were enormous. My wife mistook one in the dark for a small bear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliaz Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I personally think Puddy is living under your house. He has a habit of doing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 whats it eating? Wood? Â Â Â Hmmmm, maybe its a gay raccoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliaz Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Hmmmm, maybe its a gay raccoon. Â Â Â Duh, I said puddy is living under his house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoMan Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 What did the poop smell like? :cliaz: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I personally think Puddy is living under your house. He has a habit of doing this. Â Are you really sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 If one of you guys is living under there I demand back rent. I understand that by collecting rent will have to abide by the Virginia/Tenant Landlord Act but I am willing to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 This is useful for a situation like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Â Careful, it might be one of these critters... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 (edited) There are bigger traps than that. Â If you catch one, try to take it somewhere deep into the woods. At least 5 miles from your house. Set it free there or it might find it's way back. Your other option is to fill a trash barrell with water and...well...you know, but you would need to stones to kill the thing. Edited February 5, 2007 by Caveman_Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 This is useful for a situation like that   Thanks, thats the kind of cage that was recommended. I will pick one up at the hardware store today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Here's some general info on trapping a raccoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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