A roof trap set next to an eave gap opening


Click the buttons to the left or right for more examples of how the pros set traps in different situations.


In the above photos, it's a standard rooof set. Nothing too special here. I didn't know if the animal was in or out, so I didn't do a forced set. But I did make a mistake. I didn't line the bottom of the trap and surrounding area with fine grade steem mesh, and thus the raccoon was able to reach out and tear the edges of some roof shingles, as you can see.

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Raccoon inside roof - It is possible to have a raccoon inside a roof where you can’t get to them easily. Most of the time, the raccoon winds up in the attic, but there are some homes that don’t have traditional attic spaces. The best way to get rid of a raccoon in the roof is to employ the use of a cage trap. This device can be bolted to the roof next to the raccoon opening and baited with marshmallows or bread. As long as the cage is sturdy and doesn’t wobble or make a scary noise, the raccoon will eventually feel inclined to investigate it, especially since it is right outside of the den. If you’re sure the raccoon is still inside of the roof, you can attach the cage to the opening and hope the raccoon will spook and try to bolt out. This isn’t as practical as it would be if you could get near the critter, as in an attic setting, and scare it out yourself. Your third choice is to wait until the mother leaves and then fish out the babies, using them as a lure to drawn the mother into a cage.

Click below photos for more examples of trap sets by professionals:

This is a series of photos of trap sets in the field. These examples are meant to show how professional trap setting looks. The reality is that every case of raccoon trapping is different: number of raccoons, location, type of architecture of the roof or attic they are in, etc. I've done over 1000 raccoon trapping jobs, and every set has been different. There are so many little variables that mean the difference between success and big problems! Trapping is not for amateurs.