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How to Get Rid of Raccoons

how to get rid of raccoons

So, you’ve got noisy and destructive raccoons. Your yard has been destroyed, your bird feeders are empty, and your trash cans are being knocked over with trash. Tired of raccoons’ mess and damage? Then, you’ve come to the right place.

We know how to make your property raccoon-free. Check out our smart tips and working methods that will transform the safe-for-raccoons environment into the area they avoid.

In this article, we’ll provide you with effective methods of raccoon removal. The following info is going to become your helping hand in finding the best methods to get rid of raccoons.

 

3 Steps Guide on How to Get Rid of Raccoons in Your Yard and Backyard

How to keep raccoons out of your yard? As for today, there are 3 effective steps for getting rid of nasty raccoons in your yard or backyard.

Step 1. Keep the yard food-and-trash-free

Step 1: Step 1. Keep the yard food-and-trash-freeRaccoons are attracted to your yard by food that may be left behind. Cover all garbage cans and don’t leave pet food outside.

Remember, if the raccoons can’t find food sources in your yard, they will move out to a place in which they can.

Want to know how to repel raccoons with best-working repellents? Get an answer here.

Step 2. Kill off their food

Step 2: Step 2. Kill off their foodRaccoons adore eating insects which they can easily find in your yard. Do you know that one of their favorite foods is grubs? You should treat the yard for grubs annually. If you don’t do it, you are sure to get insects nesting and reproducing in soil and plants. Raccoons will smell any population of breeding-in-your-yard insects. Once these animals smell insect activity, they’ll start to pull back sod, dig up turf and overturn mulch. The best method to prevent raccoons from digging the yard is to kill their food.

Here is how to do it:

If raccoons are NOT VERY active in their digging

Apply some bad-tasting products used for armadillos, gophers, or moles. If raccoons attempt to dig, they’ll get this taste on their paws and in their mouth.

What to buy:

  • 100% Castor Oil Concentrate is Non-Toxic and Biodegradable.
  • 1 Gallon covers and protect up to 20,000 ft².
  • Safe around kids and pets.
  • Where to use: in the yard, mulch islands, flowerbeds, turf, etc.

It's a concentrated bad tasting agent which should be sprayed on yard areas, where raccoons or other nuisance animals are digging. The product is not a poison and will not hurt any pet that will come in contact with it. The main goal of using this solution is to chase away raccoons and make them find food elsewhere.

If raccoons are VERY active in their digging

Apply products that will kill off the grubs and other insects the animals are eating over the area where they are active.

What to buy:

  • Can be applied to home lawns for perimeter pests and general lawn surface feeding insect pests.
  • Active Ingredient: 0.1% Deltamethrin.
  • 20 lb covers up to 10,000 ft².
  • Where to use: in the areas around the home and yard.

Want to stop raccoons’ digging within a couple of weeks? You can effectively do it with liquid or granules treatment.
Raccoons will quickly learn – there is no food to eat.
  • Controls both soil and surface insects. The product provides both repellent and residual action for a wide range of insects.
  • Active Ingredients: 0.72% Imidacloprid, 0.36% B-Cyfluthrin
  • Covers up to 6,667 ft².
  • Where to use: in the areas around the home and yard.

Recommendations: Delta Gard Granules and Complete Insect Killer will release over several months to kill off insects of all types, including grubs. Use any of these products to start, and if you have used one of them in the past, start using another now. To get good coverage over any type of location, apply granules with a granule spreader.

  • The multi-use insecticide used for effective insect control. Provides a quick kill and lasts up to 4 weeks per treatment.
  • Active Ingredient: 11.8% ß-Cyfluthrin
  • Covers up to 30,000 ft².
  • Where to use: in the areas around the home and yard.

Recommendations: Tempo SC Ultra over the top of granules to provide a quick kill of insects. When the liquid loses its effectiveness, granules will start working, providing longer control. To get good coverage, apply the solution with Hose-End Sprayer.

Step 3. Don’t let them use your yard as a toilet

Step 3: Step 3. Don’t let them use your yard as a toiletRaccoon poop in the yard is not only smelly, and it often contains germs. These nasty animals prefer to poop in the yard/on flat surfaces like decks.

70% of raccoon feces are infected with the Baylisascaris roundworm.

To prevent raccoons from making your yard a toilet, use effective deterrents like coyotes or fox urine.

What to buy: 100% Pure Coyote Urine.

Why Raccoons can be Dangerous

Geography: Raccoons are natively found throughout most of North America. Recently, raccoons have emerged in parts of Japan and Europe.

Habitat: Usually, raccoons prefer heavily wooded areas with access to water, abundant vegetation, and trees. However, they are extremely adaptable and can be found in urban and suburban areas making their homes on your property – in attics, barns, sheds, and sewers.

Raccoons use over 200 sounds to communicate with each other.

Raccoon on roofSkills: Raccoons are great climbers, which allows them to easily access shelter and food. What’s more, they can open doors, bottles, and jars.

Problems: Raccoons are curious and highly-intelligent creatures. However, they can also be a nuisance to any homeowner. Raccoons can destroy yards/gardens, cause structural damage in search of food, and make a mess by tipping over garbage cans. Not only raccoons can cause severe damage to your property, but they can also carry potentially dangerous parasitic diseases and illnesses including salmonella, rabies, giardiasis, and many others.

Effective Removal: How to Remove Raccoons from Your Property

When it comes to effective raccoon removal, the first thing you are to do is to identify where your raccoons are frequenting. Only after that, you will be able to choose the best method for effective removal of them.

The more control methods you will use, the better your chances are at keeping raccoons off your property.

Getting Rid of Raccoons From Attic

Raccoon in atticWhen raccoons are already inside your attic, it doesn’t matter how they got in there.

The main problem is what methods of their removal can be used. The attic provides a warm and safe location for raccoons to build their den.

The very first signs of raccoon’s infestation are the sounds of scratching, chattering, and jumping.

Problem: These pesky creatures can cause considerable damage to walls, roofs, and wiring while trying to make a suitable den. Raccoons living in your attic are a hazard due to the destruction they do to the house and the chewing which can occur on your electric wiring. What’s more, raccoons have a bad odor and are a disease hazard.

Raccoons do chew on electrical wires

Solution: The best option to get rid of raccoons in the attic is trapping and relocating the animal.

Getting your property raccoon-free is possible with working raccoon trapping tips and traps. Here is the latest info on raccoon traps.

Pay attention to the following methods of raccoon removal in attics:

  • Seal entry points.
    Repair holes in your eaves and other weak areas which allow access to your attic. Seal any existing openings into attic spaces. Pay special attention to the roof itself.

  • Trapping.
    Place the traps near entry points. If you are unsure where this entry point is, set the trap in an open spot in your attic.

  • Use lights and sounds.
    Use lights or radio near the entry points. Don’t let raccoons find dark hiding places in your attic. Placing spotlights throughout the attic is a good solution.

Don’t seal off the hole until you are sure you have trapped out all raccoons using that space. If you trap a raccoon’s young inside, it would make a very aggressive adult.

Raccoons Removal Form Your House, Garage, Roof, Deck

As it was mentioned raccoons carry diseases and can be dangerous for humans and pets. Moreover, they can be destructive to your property – digging in your trash cans, destroying whatever they need to get food.

To get rid of these nasty animals from under a deck:

  • Place a radio on/near the deck.

  • Set the volume to scare raccoons.

  • Leave the radio for a couple of days to scare the animals.

If you want to humanely keep raccoons out of your yard, garage, etc. without traps or poisons, you are to use ultrasonic control devices.

Here is what to buy:

  • Humane and silent control for unwanted animals like raccoons. This effective solution safely repels raccoons and helps to prevent the spread of ticks.
  • How it works: High-frequency sound waves – which are silent to most humans – annoy and irritate raccoons and other yard pests making them to seek calmer, untreated areas.
  • Effectiveness: Yard Guard effectively repels raccoons and protects gardens, lawns and trees from pest damage.
  • Ideal for use at: Porches, patios and courtyards.
To keep raccoons off your deck, apply control raccoon repellent on/around your deck.
The odor of the solution will help to keep them away from your deck.
  • How it works: This effective repeller blasts a range of powerful audible sounds and ultrasonic sounds to irritate and scare away raccoons. Covers up to 5,500 ft².
  • Effectiveness: Yard Guard effectively repels raccoons and protects gardens, lawns and trees from pest damage.
  • Perfect for: patios, yards, garages, porches, attics, farms and gardens.

Are you ready to start successful raccoon removal? Read this to learn how to kill raccoons and what poisons to use to eliminate them.

What is the Best Way to Get Rid of Raccoons?

Raccoons infestationOnce there is a raccoon infestation in your home it becomes difficult to get rid of these uninviting guests. These pesky animals are persistent, and scare tactics usually don’t work on them.

Prevention helps to get rid of raccoons. Restrict raccoons’ access to food and water in your home. Secure garbage bins and remove the trash. Identify areas of damage. By knowing where raccoons are spending most of their time on your property will help to target the best control method.

Remember, the best way to get rid of raccoons is to apply several raccoon control methods at once. Using multiple control products will provide the best defense.

You see, there are multiple solutions. Use our smart tips and don’t let little ‘masked bandits’ take control of your property.

Questions & Answers

What do raccoons hate the most?

There are a few things that raccoons seem to really dislike - strong smells. Hot pepper, peppermint, and garlic come to mind. Some people also say that they don't like Epsom salt, but I haven't been able to find any good evidence to support that claim.

If you're looking for a way to keep raccoons away from your property, try sprinkling some of these things around your yard or garden. They may not work 100% of the time, but they're definitely worth a try!

Do mothballs deter raccoons?

Mothballs are the most common item recommended as a safe way to deter raccoons. Raccoons are smart animals and will eventually get used to the smell of mothballs, so it's important to change up the placement of the mothballs every once in a while.

Other items that have been known to work include ammonia, hot pepper, and Coyote Urine.

Why do I have raccoons in my yard?

You have raccoons in your yard because the natural habitat is being overtaken by humans. In addition, raccoons generally scavenge for food and nesting materials.

  • Raccoons will scavenge for shelter and might happen across a partially open basement window and decide it provides what they need.
  • Lack of natural predators could be an issue if raccoons are nesting near your home. They'll nest anywhere, but you'll usually find them in trees or upon crow's nests on roofs to keep their babies safe.
  • A pet food bowl left outside may attract other animals, such as dogs, who can start this whole big cycle with the introduction of new scents or diseases. Keep any pet food inside at all times!

The best practice for living respectfully with wildlife in proximity is to make sure your property can't be exploited by animals by making sure there is no easy.

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