You may think of raccoons as cute, furry little animals but they’re actually quite the nuisance! Before they get in – deter raccoons to save you grief (and cost) later! They will enter your yard and home seeking food, shelter and water and if they find any, they are quite hard to get rid of. These creatures are aggressive and destructive and love nothing more than to destroy your vegetable gardens or get into your trash cans.
Finding a raccoon on your property is going to lead you seek out ways to deter and get rid of them. Read on to find out some great solutions!
How to deter raccoons
Make them feel unwelcome
Use light and sound
Raccoons are usually entering your yard to find a safe, warm and quiet place to nest. Making your yard the opposite of that can work to discourage them from sticking around. Use bright lights, music and foot traffic to ‘scare’ the raccoons into leaving. This method is debatable though, so give it a try but be aware that it may not work.
Remove the Vegetation
Raccoons will forage for food anywhere they can, so having a garden makes their job easy! Not planting a garden will help prevent them from getting comfortable in your yard, but if you have to be sure it’s well protected.
Also, be sure to remove any branches that might help them climb their way to your attic or provide leaves for padding for a den under your deck or shed.
If you have a raccoon that you’re not sure how to get rid of, call a professional to help. Raccoons are aggressive so you have to be careful how you approach them!
Install deterrents
Plant cucumber
Plant cucumber along your fence and in your garden because raccoons hate the smell of them and will stay far away!
Use ammonia or vinegar to steer them away
Soak a few tennis balls in ammonia and place them where you think they live to send them packing. Or use vinegar on anything they may try to eat.
Use garlic or cayenne pepper to make a repellant
Raccoons don’t like the smell of either, so you can make a solution to spray around their known entrances to your home or sprinkle the powder around your garden.
Use predator urine
Use the urine of wolves, coyotes or bobcats- purchased from some outdoor stores or online- to deter raccoons. This makes them think a predator is nearby so they need to escape as soon as possible.
Make it difficult for them to get what they want
Close any access points
Use wooden boards, wired mesh, netting or newspaper to seal any access points to your home, under your deck or under & in your shed. Monitor these points to make sure the raccoons aren’t finding a way to break through.
Cover water Sources
Raccoons are always on the hunt for water sources, so make sure you aren’t leaving them any. Cover any ponds and pools, dump any bins that can collect rain water and don’t leave water dishes out for them.
Protect your garbage
The main goal of a raccoon entering your property is to find food. And their main source is going to be your garbage can. Discourage them by making your garbage can inaccessible. Lock it up or take it inside at night, and keep it sealed when it has to be out. Use a cinder block to weigh down the lid.
Don’t leave pet food out
Pet food is the easiest way to invite raccoons to stick around. Having a steady food source gives them reason to call your yard home.
Install bird feeders on thin poles
You bird feeder provides the perfect food source for a raccoon! Installing it on top of a thin pole rather than a thick one prevents the raccoon from being able to climb it.
Raccoons are a pest you want to deter and get rid of
When you find a raccoon on your property or in your home you can bet that they have found something they need. From food and water to a place to have babies, they rarely stick around if they don’t find things that serve a purpose. Removing these helpful items will help encourage them to leave your property. There are also many things you can do to try to deter them from getting comfortable – so get to it!
