No more additional housemate??

Ok so apparently Mr. Raccoon's days were not numbered. After almost 2 weeks of no activity on the traps either he is too smart for the traps or he is off to find female companionship. The traps were baited with marshmallows which is supposed to be irresistible to them (probably akin to leaving a new blackberry in a trap for me!).

I stapled up some hardware cloth (i think that is what is was called) from the local blue hardware store (not the orange one). To put the pictures below in perspective, the hole is approximately 22 inches x 10 feet. I never realized how huge the hole was . . . no wonder the cat sits and stares at the basement door for hours!

Once this expertly attached screen proves to me the raccoon is gone I can proceed to rig up a more permanent solution.

I also found an old penthouse in this hole when clearing it out - sorry no picture supplied. I guess you do find the strangest things in the walls of old houses!