Foscam's in the Attic

dalepa

dalepa

Moderator
Mar 9, 2014
841
245
Houston, Texas
This morning I decided to put and old Foscam 8905w back to work in the 2nd story Attic to try and figure out what's been making all that noise up there...

WTH I'm guessing coon pups now.

(forgot to turn off the show motion setting)
 
If it looks like a raccoon and walks like a raccoon it most likely is a raccoon... Ha hahhahahha
Now you know what's making all the noise!
 
Busted!

Great use of the camera.

Looks like you have your work ahead of you closing off some entrance, when you know the critter is outside (unless it just walked in through the open garage door) or set a trap in the attic. The unfortunate thing with trapping them is that they can really hurt their front paws, wrists and forearms while trying to escape from a trap. Trying to reach something, unlock something, dig out, ... I felt terrible for one little guy, while trying to get whatever was tearing up the lawn or digging under the deck, chewing on wiring and plumbing etc. For that reason I've thought about lining my critter trap on the outside with small square rabbit wire, so they can't stick their paws through anywhere and scrape themselves; and put a bit of a wooden bottom in, so they can't try to dig out. Plus they go a little wild when you go to move trap with them in it. Dark thick cloth helps.

Anyway, we also get a lot of critters walking through and doing some expensive damage sometimes. Too much too mention but a couple notable ones were one hungry raccoon coming inside the house - and leaving fortunately - through a cat flap. A family of porcupines under the deck. A skunk taking up residence in the garage for a few weeks, under a shelf, tearing up a bunch of stuff left & right at night, destroying garage door seals, etc. Took a while to figure it out and what fun it is to try to chase a skunk out of a garage! They don't run for an open space or open door in daylight!

Since then I have a critter (hunting) cam and a couple foscams, which would help. Certainly will put a cam to use the next time something is up!
 
Get a dog that won't put up with unwanted critters taking up residence.

Of course it might be worse than the skunk in terms of making messes.
 
Took several days to track the movement in the attic with the cam, but he finally lead me to the entrance...

Had to go buy a new 28ft ladder just to get to the dang hole, but it's a great excuse to get a MANly 300lbs Ladder :livid:



My new Samsung S5 takes awesome night shots BTW...

2014-05-13 20.56.52.jpg
 
Wow ... that's a pretty bad hole in the roof!

I'd thought maybe a little gap somewhere or a vent pushed in/out. That's pretty major looking.

Saw a documentary once regarding raccoons surviving in urban areas and being able to effortlessly climb fences and make their way over to squeeze between a gap at the top of a garage door (two doors that open forward, closed, but a bit of a gap).
 
Wow, just when I thought I had a camera in every possible location, you find a new clever place for one. You need one of those pan/tilt Foscams so you can look around or if budget allows, the cheapie Flir thermal, so you can see the bugger hiding behind the insulation.
 
icerabbit said:
Wow ... that's a pretty bad hole in the roof!

I'd thought maybe a little gap somewhere or a vent pushed in/out. That's pretty major looking.

Saw a documentary once regarding raccoons surviving in urban areas and being able to effortlessly climb fences and make their way over to squeeze between a gap at the top of a garage door (two doors that open forward, closed, but a bit of a gap).
Click to expand...

And you don't have water damage from a hole like this? Sheesh!
 
It looks wet in the photo, but maybe it is in the very back of the house or garage, over/near a storage space, and water intrusion is still limited to the overhang.

Definitely looks like something that needs an urgent fix though.
 
I used to think squirrels were cute until
  • One got into the attic and started chewing the insulation off of all of the romex
  • One took up residence in the engine compartment of my truck and did >$1000 worth of damage by chewing the wiring harness
  • Similar to dalepa's coon, one chewed a 6" hole through the edge of my roof and took up residence in the soffit

I decided to put Darwin's theory to the test, and now the only squirrels left in the neighborhood do not come onto my property.
 
digger11 said:
I used to think squirrels were cute until
  • One got into the attic and started chewing the insulation off of all of the romex
  • One took up residence in the engine compartment of my truck and did >$1000 worth of damage by chewing the wiring harness
  • Similar to dalepa's coon, one chewed a 6" hole through the edge of my roof and took up residence in the soffit

I decided to put Darwin's theory to the test, and now the only squirrels left in the neighborhood do not come onto my property.
Click to expand...


So what you're saying is, put cheap cams in the attic to cover every area with motion detection.
 
No, PTZ cams with target tracking and little laser rifles!

I used to think that squirrels and some other critters were cute too. But, unfortunately I have too much first hand experience and knowledge of critter damage to vehicles and properties; including stripped wiring, chewed through plumbing, shredded HVAC stuff, etc located in attics, basements, crawl spaces, walls, pool sheds, garages, barns, under decks ... Even nests inside electrical panels where no breaker filler or knockout filler were used; when a circuit breaker and/or wire was taken out.
 
icerabbit said:
No, PTZ cams with target tracking and little laser rifles!

I used to think that squirrels and some other critters were cute too. But, unfortunately I have too much first hand experience and knowledge of critter damage to vehicles and properties; including stripped wiring, chewed through plumbing, shredded HVAC stuff, etc located in attics, basements, crawl spaces, walls, pool sheds, garages, barns, under decks ... Even nests inside electrical panels where no breaker filler or knockout filler were used; when a circuit breaker and/or wire was taken out.
Click to expand...


You laugh, but the thought of mounting a camera to something, maybe a paintball gun depending on the legality of using a real gun, has crossed my mind. I personally don't see how it's any different than being in the house when someone breaks in, it's legal to shoot em if I am there, why not if I am remote and controlling the thing? :)
 
Off topic, but legally I think that would hinge on self defense and without somebody present in the house, you can't claim imminent danger to yourself or family. Of course things vary by state, etc. but I could see this being a serious issue if an intruder got shot / injured by an automated or remotely operated system. You hear about these cases where perpetrators or their family go after property owners after getting harmed while trespassing, breaking in, ...
 
icerabbit said:
Off topic, but legally I think that would hinge on self defense and without somebody present in the house, you can't claim imminent danger to yourself or family. Of course things vary by state, etc. but I could see this being a serious issue if an intruder got shot / injured by an automated or remotely operated system. You hear about these cases where perpetrators or their family go after property owners after getting harmed while trespassing, breaking in, ...
Click to expand...

Would be interesting to talk to a lawyer about, in Florida, if you're in the house and someone breaks in, you are instantly considered to be in eminent danger because of the castle doctrine and you are legally allowed to kill them right then and there. You are not required to run, this extends to pretty much anywhere in public, in defense of other innocent people, and permanent or temporary residences like a tent. The only part that would be fuzzy is whether or not the castle doctrine applies to remotely controlled defense mechanisms.
 
Same in So Cal, you can shoot an intruder in your home. We don't have the "stand your ground" as Florida has, but it's close when it comes to your home. We use a 12 gauge with a flashlight attached, the beam pattern matches the shot pattern pretty close, LOL.

We found the most effective thing for the attic is poison pellet packets. Maybe once a year I go up there, find where the half eaten ones are, put more there. Shooting them would mean having to up there and fetch them, not fun.
 
networkcameracritic said:
Same in So Cal, you can shoot an intruder in your home. We don't have the "stand your ground" as Florida has, but it's close when it comes to your home. We use a 12 gauge with a flashlight attached, the beam pattern matches the shot pattern pretty close, LOL.

We found the most effective thing for the attic is poison pellet packets. Maybe once a year I go up there, find where the half eaten ones are, put more there. Shooting them would mean having to up there and fetch them, not fun.
Click to expand...


Yeaahh that doesn't sound good, I haven't had the joy of home ownership but I hope to soon I guess I have that to look forward to. :D
 
I apply the same bait/poison strategy whenever I come across critter damage & intrusions.

Usually one can figure it out based on tracks and/or a hole pretty quick, but there's one property where I've been unable to figure out how/where critters get into the attic about once a year. Not a single hole visible on the outside. Even with the common issue of the AC condenser raceway plugged with chicken/rabbit/... wire, somehow some a big rodent will get in. Knowing the damage rats & squirrels do, and danger they cause, I get up into that attic a couple times a year and put out some rat poison trays or bait blocks, as needed, if they've been emptied.

Keeping tree branches and tall shrubs / bushes away from a structure really seems to help with squirrels. Of course if you have a tall fence butting up to the house, then they just follow the fence ... or absent that just follow the power line inter-property highway. For one family member it really doesn't help to have a neighbor who feeds the squirrels peanuts every day. Talk about a squirrel infestation.
 
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