Any rotten fruit produces a more pungent smell that can attract a hungry raccoon. Hungry raccoons will do anything to find food. Terms and conditions. Our approach to dealing with raccoons in Texas is unmatched and complies with local and state laws. Best of luck next time you encounter a raccoon! Its late, and youre about to yell at everyone to get ready for bed. When they start to rely on people for their meals, they lose their natural instincts and may become more aggressive. These critters may look adorable, but they can be quite aggressive and destructive. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Also, be sure to cut trees back to six or eight feet from your home so raccoons cant get to your roof and make their way into the attic to form their den. The young must be old enough and mobile enough to exit through the one-way door with their mother, and this can be very hard to assess. Raccoons are creative, intelligent creatures, 5 Animals That Burrow Under Concrete (& How to Stop Them), Do Ground Squirrels Hibernate in the Winter? Raccoons can be hard to notice since they only come out at night but they do leave pretty distinct signs when they are around. Purchase and use receptacles with lids that close tightly and lock into place. November 3, 2022 at 9:47 am . There are only two reasons why a raccoon is taking up residence in your home: its hospitable for them, and its the safest place for them to look for food. When raccoons spend time on your roof, they can damage your shingles or roofing material, enter chimneys and vents (causing dangerous fire hazards), and more. Raccoons and many other animals can fit through much smaller spaces than you would think. Required fields are marked *. Feeding raccoons may seem like a fun way to interact with them, but its a bad idea for a number of reasons. So before it starts to become the weak link in all of your efforts to deter raccoons, make sure that you get rid of it and keep it stored in a sealed container. A raccoon in the chimney can be a serious fire risk, as bedding and nesting materials are often highly flammable. Raccoons, while they might seem easy to handle from how they are portrayed in the media, can be quite a problem. This is because they have a short range in the open air, and a raccoon will simply avoid them. The spacing should be small with openings not greater than 24 inches. They are marking their territory! They aerate the soil, create important habitats for other creatures, and control, Winter has arrived, which means most pests should be taking a break, right? Check out our nationwide pest control finder to get connected with an exterminator near you in seconds. How do you make sure that raccoons get out and actually stay out? As, Read More Will Lights Keep Coyotes Away?Continue, Coyotes can become a huge nuisance if left to roam free around your property. The way they eat chicken is a sure sign youre dealing with a raccoon. Here are some more detailed tips we put together to help keep raccoons out of your attic! Once the animals have left, they're unable to get back inside. What harbors all of these things? This site is owned and operated by Pest Pointers LLC | pestpointers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, consider double-bagging any trash that's going to spend at least one night outdoors before your next. Give your house a thorough inspection to find areas where raccoons could get in by viewing your house from the perspective of an animal looking for a den. Closing any entry point in your house ensures that even if you stop using scents they hate, they wont be able to find their way back inside. Contributions to the HSUS are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. I believe in fate! After youve calmed down, the next step is to make yourself big. A note about raccoon waste: In places where raccoons have lived for a long time, feces may have accumulated. This Strong Strap Universal Garbage Can Lid Lock Utility Strap is a great choice for closing your garbage can and ensuring that raccoons cant get in, with a fair price and great reviews, you cant go wrong with this one. To eliminate a raccoon problem, therefore, its important to keep discarded food waste out of sight and to the greatest extent possible, contain or mask its odor. To get rid of raccoons in your yard or garden, we recommend the following: Raccoons are excellent climbers, and, while it can be alarming to find them on your roof, its a common experience for many homeowners. If you are at home and you find yourself face to face with a raccoon, you need to be very careful how you approach the situation. Text STOP to 77879 to opt out, HELP for info. Mother raccoons clean their babies meticulously to avoid attracting predators. Is the raccoon acting normal? Stick around to learn more about how you can keep these masked bandits out of your property, and make sure that theyre out for good! Flies are a very common household pest that you likely want to, Read More Lavender: Why It Works to Repel Flies And How to Use ItContinue, Bats are fascinating, often misunderstood creatures that are essential characters in our shared environment. Heres our detailed piece on using onions to repel raccoons for some more information on this one. Below, well go over some of the scents that raccoons strongly dislike, and the best ways to use them to your advantage. If you have a raccoon problem, here are a few steps you can use to manage the raccoon population on your property: If you have a raccoon in the attic, its likely a female with babies. Once youve located the access point, the next step is to make your home inhospitable. Raccoons can look cute, and they can be convincing beggars, but you should never place food out for raccoons. Another automatic dispenser pet feeder that some use to prevent raccoons from getting into the kibble. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife strongly suggests that you make sure you are not feeding raccoons and you are not feeding your pets outdoors either. Once they establish a nesting site, they might travel up to 20 miles away to find food. However, that doesnt mean they are friendly! Landscape Pro Turned Gopher Pro: Owner, Zach Smith, graduate of Cal Polys Horticulture program worked nine years as a landscape professional- dealing with gophers, moles, and ground squirrels and was quickly recruited by other local gardeners. Raccoons can easily scale wood or metal fences. They love eggs from chickens. Finally, raccoons hate the smell of ammonia, so leave a saucer full of the stuff (or an ammonia-dipped rag) near the creatures entry point. ECHNICALN, H. (2001). From a raccoon's point of view, humans make excellent neighbors. Raccoons can carry a roundworm parasite that is potentially dangerous to humans and care should be taken in dealing with feces left by raccoons. Never close an entryway until youre absolutely certain all the raccoons have left. Remember, these scents need to be close to the raccoons, and you need to use it in multiple locations around your house. American Ornithologists Union. Aside from this, you also need to fix the broken windows and vents on your walls that they can squeeze through to get inside. To discourage them, inspect the yard and eliminate all access to food while using ammonia soaked rags, bright lights and loud sounds can help deter them too. Rabies is a major health concern when dealing with raccoons. You must determine the animals entry point. You can also put vinegar in a place they have previously denned to keep them from coming back to the den again. Your email address will not be published. So, its most likely that youre experiencing an issue related to these reasons. Any foodeven pet foodleft outside can attract raccoons. The sprinkler will sense the raccoons creeping around and douse them with a blast of cold water. From a raccoons point of view, humans make excellent neighbors. Remember, they are wild animals and need to be treated with respect. Raccoons dig through your trash, destroy your lawn and garden, damage your homes building materials, consume bird seed and pet food, and eventransmit diseasesthat can be dangerous for you and your domestic pets. By providing your mobile number, you agree to receive autodialed, recurring text messages from the HSUS with updates and ways you can help animals. Here are some of the places where you should use these deterrents: So, heres a little bonus that you can work with no scent. Raccoons like all sorts of food from clams in the river to apple cores out of your garbage can to eggs right from out of your chicken coop. Or, if possible, put it in a place like a dog house or pen where it is more secured than just out in the open. West, V., Hunter, A., & Minter, B. Its easy to apply and doesnt require mixtures to be effective. Alexa is an experienced lifestyle and news writer, currently working with Reader's Digest, Shape Magazine and various other publications. Just to recap A raccoons sense of smell is its most efficient way to find food, but you can also use it to your advantage when youre trying to keep them out of your house. Raccoons love chickens. If so, allow the babies to grow a few weeks, otherwise they will die without their mother. However, if you leave them unchecked, youll encounter worse problems in your property, including: There are more problems associated with raccoons, but these are the most common that youll experience. Out in the woods, digging animals are an essential part of the ecosystem. For application, sprinkle the pepper onto areas where you dont want the raccoons visiting. Its no secret that raccoons are a nuisance. We service over 500 USA locations! Bright lights, loud music and wire mesh are the way to go. Aside from scents that irritate them, another deterrent that you can use against raccoons is predator urine. In general, some helpful tips in avoiding raccoons include excluding them from things they want. Raccoons have gray, fluffy fur, and depending on where they live, they can be pretty chunky. But unless you seal off entries into the house, theres nothing to stop another animal from moving in. Before evicting raccoons from your house, you need to figure out how they're entering (that is, if you don't want them coming right back in). Raccoons will eat almost anything, especially open garbage cans, fruits, grubs, garden vegetables, pet food and much more. When Raccoons Fall Through Your Ceiling: The Handbook for Coexisting with Wildlife(No. Aside from that, raccoons are agile, strong, and their nimble hands make them harder to keep in check than any critter you may encounter. By providing your mobile number, you agree to receive autodialed, recurring text messages from the HSUS with updates and ways you can help animals. This may be because they require frequent reapplication.