While they may look adorable enough to seem like they would make perfect pets, raccoons are wild animals that can be dangerous to people and other animals. These mammals are intelligent and quite adaptable. They can thrive in prairies, marshes, forests, highly urbanized areas, and even your home.
If you find these omnivores sneaking around your property and making a mess, they may have found something that keeps them coming back for more. Because of their tenacious attitudes, it can be difficult to get rid of raccoons.
However, you can dissuade them from wreaking havoc in your home by making it as unattractive as possible. Take note of the following items and make the necessary changes to prevent these masked bandits from throwing their party in your garden or backyard.
Bird Feeders
Bird feeders, while primarily meant for our winged friends, can attract other creatures, like squirrels and, of course, raccoons. Raccoons are omnivores. To them, bird food is a particularly delicious treat. With the help of their dexterous paws and long nimble fingers, they can easily climb up your tree and access the food you leave out for the birds.
Fortunately, you don’t have to completely remove bird feeders to deter them from coming into your property. However, you have to be extra cautious with where you place them. Keep these feeders away from trees. Place them on poles instead. Make sure that they’re climb-resistant and tall enough to thwart them.
Chicken Coops
Some families like to raise chickens in their backyard. If you have your own chicken coop, you should be vigilant in checking them. As omnivores, raccoons are not averse to eating livestock. They can prey on your chickens and feed on their eggs.
If raccoons are conducting nightly raids on your coop, it’s time for you to place reinforcements. What helps to deter raccoons is a fencing barrier with a complex lock or latch. For extra precaution, the barrier should be installed with at least 2 feet of it underground. This prevents them from reaching in or uprooting it and causing damage.
Do not use chicken wire; these aren’t strong enough to stop raccoons in their tracks. They can scratch, pull, and twist their way into your coop.
Dog House
An outdoor dog house can also cause a raccoon problem in your home. While raccoons are not much interested in the real estate, they are after the dog food you might have left in it. If you habitually leave pet food outside, you may be unwittingly feeding a family of raccoons.
Having a raccoon raiding the dog house is not just a nuisance, but a danger to your dog as well. When raccoons encounter your pet, they may respond by running away. However, it’s also just as likely for them to defend themselves using their sharp claws and teeth, which can severely injure your pet.
Fish Pond
A fish pond in your backyard may be an eye-catching addition to your home. However, it can also become an all-you-can-eat buffet for raccoons.
Raccoons can turn your living ornamental display into their food resource. In no time, they can clear your fish pond out, leaving no survivors. So, how do you get rid of any raccoons fishing in your backyard? You can simply install a sprinkler to scare them away.
Food
Because they have such voracious appetites, it’s not surprising how easily you can attract raccoons with food. Avoid laying food around in your garden — even if it’s only a few leftovers. If you plan to have a nice picnic in your garden or dinner outside on your patio, clean up after you’re done to prevent attracting uninvited dinner guests.
Another valuable raccoon removal tip is to take note of any and all possible food sources. This includes trees that bear fresh fruit and nuts. If you happen to have these in your home, install barriers to keep them from treating your trees as a personal pantry.
Garbage
One man’s garbage is a raccoon’s treasure. They are nicknamed “trash pandas” for a reason — they love garbage. Garbage bins are easy pickings. Whether you’ve disposed of scraps or expired food items, it doesn’t matter to them; they’ll eat them all.
Knowing how to deal with raccoons is crucial to ensure that they won’t come back looking into your garbage. Place your garbage bags inside heavy garbage bins with secure lids. After disposing of your trash, have the lids in place by tying them to a secure post with the use of a bungee cord (or two!) to make them inaccessible.
Garden Beds
Gardening can be a rewarding and productive activity. Growing your own food can save you a substantial amount of grocery money. Unfortunately, you might not fully enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your labour if the raccoons get to them first.
Here are some tips to remove raccoons from your garden:
- When you’re about to plant your seeds, mix up the soil with some spice. This mixture won’t harm your plants, but it’ll counter any raccoons.
- Grind up some garlic and mix it with an equal portion of chilli or cayenne powder. Sprinkle this around to keep them away.
- When they’re ready, promptly harvest your vegetables to reduce the chances of raccoons taking them.
Garage or Shed
If you use the garage or shed to store what might not be suitable to place in other areas of your home. If you have a large number of items stored in these areas and do not clean it regularly, it’s likely you may have left some garbage in there. Additionally, if this is where you stash your woodpiles and pet food, you may need to rethink your storage methods or security.
While it makes sense to deposit all of this one area, remember they emit strong odours. Raccoons have a great sense of smell and may be drawn by the smells coming out of your garage. Secure your entrance and seal any entryways to keep raccoons and other pests at bay.
Raccoons are intelligent animals that will do anything they need to survive. Since they need to feed themselves and their young, they’re always in search of food, which they can easily find in your home.
If you’re looking to remove raccoons from your home, seek professional pest and wildlife control services in Barrie and Midland by contacting our team at Mr. Pest Control. For more inquiries, please don’t hesitate to call us at (705) 739-7378. You can also email us at peteb@mrpest.ca.
