How To Keep Raccoons Away From House

If you know what kind of damage raccoons can cause, information technology'southward no surprise you don't desire them hanging around. It's not limited to a tipped over trash can from time to time. Female raccoons in search of a nesting site may rip off shingles, fascia boards or rooftop ventilators to become into your attic. Once they are within, they will tear up insulation, go to the bathroom and bring with them a host of parasites. Then once again, they might avoid the attic all together and make themselves at home in your chimney, crawl space or under your deck or porch. And of course, they'll want a snack which is easy to admission from a nearby garden, decorative fish swimming, pet food bowl or trash can.

Like I said, the trash can should be the least of your worries if y'all have a raccoon trouble. They cause a lot more problems than going through the trash.

How to determine the size of your problem

Raccoons are nocturnal, and so they can be hard to detect. It's particularly of import to pay attention to the clues they leave behind and to the frequency and amount in which they are left backside. Hither are some things to look for:

• Evidence of feeding — tipped over trash cans, damage to your garden or fish swimming, a spilled or emptied pet food bowl, knocked over bird feeders, a disturbed compost pile.
• Tracks
• Droppings

In addition to the testify they leave behind, you may also able to hear them visiting before you e'er meet them. No matter what alerts you lot, once you're enlightened you have raccoons hanging around your house, it'due south best to try to get rid of them every bit soon as possible.

How to become rid of raccoons

The availability of food sources in close proximity to potential den sites attracts female raccoons to nest. The presence of food sources is ane reason raccoon populations can grow speedily and get very large in urban and suburban areas. Eliminating nutrient sources is the first footstep to deter raccoons.

If you live in a densely populated area with a known raccoon problem, it may be beyond the individual homeowner's control to get rid of the problem. In these, instances a community effort is needed to resolve the problem. This is why early on detection is then important.

If the above scenario, isn't your reality, a few changes tin help y'all manage the raccoon population around your home.

Secure the trash tin. Leaving trash out that's easily accessible is a cracking manner to concenter raccoons. When you take your garbage out or if you leave it exterior, make sure information technology'due south in a heavy trash can with a secure lid. Y'all might besides consider placing cans in a rack or tying them to a secure mail service and using a bungee string or piece of wire to keep the lids in place.

Bring in pet food. Pet food that'southward put outdoors should be brought in before nightfall to keep raccoons from finding and eating out of your pet's dish.

Keep an eye on your bird feeders. Whether y'all apply a special feeder, a shepherd'due south claw or simply bring your feeders in at night, it's a good thought to use at to the lowest degree one method to deter raccoons. The birds will appreciate it too!

Pick upwardly fallen fruits and nuts. Yes, raccoons will venture into your yard even for the natural food that falls off the trees. Keeping it cleaned up volition make your yard less attractive.

Put a fence around your garden, fish pond, compost pile or newly installed turf. Raccoons will look for food in gardens, fish ponds and compost piles. The best fashion to keep raccoons out of these areas is past installing an electric contend. Ordinary fences don't hold up well enough equally raccoons will dig nether, climb over or find a way through them. However, an ordinary fence can become raccoon-proof by calculation a unmarried electrified strand of wire 8 inches above the ground and about 8 inches out from the base of the fence. A pulsating high-voltage, low-amperage fence charger is used to electrify the debate. You lot might as well consider installing a depression, two-wire electric fence to exclude raccoons from sweet corn, melons and other garden crops. Fasten two wires on evenly spaced wooden posts — one wire is 6 inches above the ground and the other is 12 inches above the ground. Then activate the argue charger from dusk to dawn. This type of low electric fence can also be installed around a newly laid sod backyard to forestall raccoons from rolling it back in search of insects or grubs. And so information technology can exist removed in one case the turf has taken root. These fences are also used around decorative ponds to protect koi and goldfish from raccoons.

Never intentionally provide nutrient for raccoons. Yous shouldn't try to feed raccoons and you should discourage your neighbors from feeding raccoons. A readily bachelor food source will just attract more raccoons and create and fifty-fifty bigger problem.

Reduce potential nesting sites

Once you lot've gotten rid of readily available food sources, you'll want to reduce access to potential den sites. Without a place to nest, raccoons won't exist interested in sticking around for very long.

1000 work. You lot can start eliminating den sites by simply cleaning up your g. Remove wood piles, thin out overgrown shrubbery, trim tree branches to reduce access to your roof. If you tin, try to cutting overhanging branches so that there is a 5-foot gap betwixt your roof and the tree. Yous might also consider getting rid of trellises and arbors that offering easier access to your roof.

Seal off your chimney. Chimneys are a favorite nesting spot of raccoons, which is why information technology's a good thought to cover yours with a spark arrester or chimney cap. Brand certain the cap is tightly secured upon installation to prevent raccoons from pulling it loose. Y'all also want to make sure there are no animals inside the chimney earlier covering the opening. If a family of raccoons has already taken upwards residence, you lot'll probably need to hire a professional to remove them.

Seal off other entry points. While chimneys are a favorite, raccoons will detect other places to nest in and around your firm. Sealing of potential entry points, before they've been discovered, is the best way to keep raccoons away. Close off open spaces below structures, such as porches, decks and garden and tool sheds, with 10-approximate i/4- or 1/3-inch galvanized hardware mesh. Then install information technology so the bottom edge of the wire is buried at least 6 inches deep, extended outward for 12 inches, and then dorsum-covered with soil.

Other methods

Other methods to deter raccoons include using products to repel, scare or trap raccoons. All of these methods take their downfalls. Products intended to scare raccoons will only work until the raccoons realize in that location'due south no threat associated with these devices. While commercial repellents and home remedies take been successful at repelling other forms of wildlife, none accept been successful at getting rid of raccoons. Lastly, trapping raccoons can exist very unsafe for someone who'south inexperienced. Raccoons are known to carry a broad range of diseases, not only do you risk exposing yourself just if by some phenomenon y'all manage to trap a raccoon and release it somewhere else without beingness exposed, y'all take chances exposing a whole new environment to whatever potential diseases it may exist carrying. It'southward probably best to exit trapping to the professionals unless y'all are prepared to euthanize it yourself.

Related Content

• How to go rid of raccoons in an flat

Resource

• University of California Agronomics and Natural Resources
• Wildlifehelp.org

STAY INFORMED. SIGN UP!

Upward-to-engagement agriculture news in your inbox!

Source: https://www.farmanddairy.com/top-stories/how-to-keep-raccoons-away-from-your-home/493659.html

Share this post