Sleepless nights? Strange sounds? Disgusting smells? Knowing how to eliminate raccoons is certainly an urban challenge! Trying to eradicate these destructive rodents, homeowners often make many mistakes. When they can’t resolve the problem with standard control approaches, they start using methods of killing raccoons.
The question is how to choose the right way of killing? Is it legal to kill the raccoons? Get relief with our tips. We’ll suggest different methods of killing raccoons. Find out how to kill raccoons and learn how to solve the problem of raccoon eradication with expert companies.
How to kill a raccoon: Popular methods of raccoon eradication
Even though most of us are aware of how cute raccoons are, when they become pests in our area, the first reaction of most of us will be to eradicate these animals.
When it comes to killing raccoons, it is important to choose the right way of killing the animal.
There are 3 Methods of Killing Raccoons:
Shooting
This is one of the most convenient methods of killing raccoons. However, if you are not a very good marksman you may have problems, as an injured raccoon wandering near your property can often be a much greater threat than a healthy one. Before shooting the animal, consider the legal issues related to the use of guns for killing raccoons in your area.
DrowningThis method is being used by many people. The animal is caught with the help of a trap. Then the trap is kept submerged in water – lake, pool, etc. – until the raccoon dies. However, this method is inhumane and must be avoided as much as possible.
Lethal trapping of raccoons may be illegal in certain areas.- Kill Traps
Using kill traps, you will not have to worry about handling the raccoon once it is caught.
Body Grip Trap
There are many types of traps for killing raccoons. But the most effective is the Body Grip. The trap is quite strong and excellent. It is available in several sizes.
You can choose between the following:
- BG 220,
- BG 280,
- BG 330.
Body Grip Trap is a square, heavy steel trap that has 2 springs – in the shape of a “V” – designed to hold strong animals. Once both “V”s of the trap are compressed, you need to set the key into the groove of the trigger. The trap should be placed where you want to make the set. Once it is placed, the safety latches are released and the Bodygrip Trap is ready for the animal.
It is very important to check traps daily to avoid having a carcass rot under your roof. To avoid catching or spreading diseases, always handle dead raccoons with gloves.
Where to use BodyGrip: The key to a good set is placing the trap in the path of a raccoon. Such locations include deck trellis, holes in fences, crawl spaces, or sheds.
Recommendations: The more traps employed, the quicker you catch raccoons. You can start with one trap. If you have 10 or more raccoons being targeted, use 2 or 3 traps.
How to eliminate raccoons? There is no need to kill or poison them, as you can remove these animals with traps. Here’s how to do it.
Rabies is not a problem of the past. Are you afraid of rabid raccoons? Read this to learn how to protect yourself and your family from infected raccoons.
Want to make the process of raccoon extermination much easier? You can solve your raccoon problem using working deterrents and repellents. Here is how to do it.
What kills raccoons?
When people can’t resolve the problem with standard control approaches, they start using poison for raccoons.
Here are the following options:
- Bromethalin
This rat poison attacks the nervous system of the animal and causes extensor rigidity, limb ataxia, lateral recumbence, seizures, and finally death after 36 hours.
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- Poison antifreeze
Antifreeze can kill a raccoon if the animal will eat it. The liquid causes severe kidney damage. Frankly speaking, this way of killing raccoons is not a humane one. While the poison itself is tasty and appealing to raccoons, the damage caused by toxins creates the suffering the raccoon experiences. The poison causes extreme pain, lethargy, vomiting, seizures, and even brain damage. It’s a horrible way to die.
- Cholecalciferol
This type of rat poison is often used to remove raccoons and leads to death in 24-36 hours, producing hypocalcemia. - Strychnine
The poison causes muscular convulsions and death through sheer exhaustion or asphyxia.
Most USA states permit killing raccoons with a license.
Using poisons for raccoons is not an easy solution. You have to find and buy the poison, you have to make sure the animal eats the poison and that this is an effective dose. The poison causes prolonged and painful suffering and is a very inhumane way of killing raccoons.
Raccoon poison recipe
Poisoning – popular, and illegal this method of raccoon control often demonstrates its dark side. Many people try to resolve the raccoon problem by setting out a bowl of mixed cola and methomyl fly-bait granules.
The poison consists of:
- Methomyl – a restricted-to-use, dangerous pesticide that is only sold to certified pesticide applicators.
- Available over-the-counter the fly-bait form.
- Cola.
Those who have serious problems with raccoons and can’t resolve them with standard approaches often try to find a quick, easy way out. However, they are not thinking about the implications.
Remember, all sort of wildlife that drinks that poison mix is going to die – like your pets, neighbors’ pets, etc. Of course, raccoons can be extremely frustrating to deal with, but that is not the reason to use poison recipes on every animal in the area – especially if you are not an expert.
Professional Raccoon Exterminator Companies
Being extremely frustrating, raccoons can stress people out. If you are not an expert and don’t know how to solve the problem on your own, hire professionals. Addressing expert companies is the optimal way of raccoon extermination.
Remember, every infestation is unique and the solution of experts will be custom fit to your situation.
Use our smart tips and keep raccoons in check. Raccoon’s extermination with poison cannot completely resolve the problem. Remember, raccoon elimination should be legal and safe.
Hi I live in Brampton,Ontario and I have a raccoon problem, could I get someone to help me please.
Anti freeze mixed with dry cat food
Does it really work? Raccoons are destroying my garden beds
How much antifreeze do you mix with how much cat food?
you are one sick mother fucker . i hope you rot in hell
My boyfriend think that their is a raccoon under the bath tub what is a way for us to get it out of it is a raccoon under our tub
This is cruel. I would never do anything to let an animal suffer. Buy traps and release them in the wild. Or call animal control!
Mary. When you move a wild animal to a new habitat the majority of them die. The animals do not have a food source, a place to sleep, and water when you move them. If you find an area with all of the nexessary things it is probably inhabitated by other animals and the new one will have to fight for a spot. In California it is illegal to move an animal because it is cruel. Larry
I agree with Larry. I have two friends who will eat the ones I catch. Seriously. I caught 17 last year, along with 18 possums, 4 feral cats, 2 squirrels , 2 birds and a partridge in a pear tree.
Really? I’m pretty sure death by poison is much crueler than live releasing. Raccoons are extremely intelligent, in an area already occupied by other raccoons/wildlife, they will pass through and find a suitable habitat.
Mary. Larry is 100% correct, unfortunately. It is extremely inhumane, with a much slower death and much more suffering. One other thing to note. Fur is no longer a four letter word to the entire for activists that have disappeared. Please research your state trapping and hunting regulations but mainly note that prices are high and that trapping is being done as much as ever in the wild by fur-trappers. Just left at your state totals for the number of raccoons being killed by trapping. The fur-trapping industry uses only inhumane methods although death is quicker than poison if the Trappers check the traps often as required by law.
And I apologize for my syntax. Can’t use my fingers and my phone text to speech is junk. It is an LG K7 and I am spreading the word lol.
Wow when did animals get dominion over people. We eat animals. Are we really having a conversion about saving an animal?
Do you not realize that for eons, animals fight for territory AND food. So, take lions for example, they tear their prey apart causing suffering and awful demise. I have a raccoon problem now as a matter of fact. I leave my truck windows cracked no more than an inch and the suckers still end up getting into my vehicle which sits so high that I can’t even touch the bed surface with the tailgate up. They are smart suckers but not only that, they are gluttons, and they have opossible thumbs so they can literally open things up, tear stuff open, they can even and WILL open coolers. They destroy your home in the winter which we are also dealing with now. They eat all the deer feed that hunters use to hunt deer in the woods. Watch some game cameras and see the crappy pests getting into stuff. We have to put cinder blocks on our metals trash cans outside because they dig through those when there is just aluminum cans in them that have been washed out. They are a huge nuisance. IF you are not able to kill humanely, that sucks, but sometimes extreme measures have to be taken. I had a couple of those dipping containers that has sauce in them that you would get from somewhere like a restaurant or fast food place that was sealed completely and it tore off the cover and ate all the sauce. They are disgusting, messy, and pests. I will use methods that don’t cause suffering. Most of these poisons seem like they cause suffering, but like I said, something you have to do what needs to be done. I know that they will no longer be getting into my vehicle.
Thank you Mary!!! This article is unnecessarily CRUEL.
“Have-a-Heart” cage traps generally work OK but oftentimes the raccoon will just reach through the grid and grab the bait instead of entering the cage and tripping the door closed to lock it in. You can block the sides with heavy rocks or secure plywood or whatever against trap to force ‘coon into cage. Leave enough sight area to be sure you didn’t get a SKUNK!! Tie a long cord to release handle so you can open cage to release a skunk. Best baits are mini marshmallows or pieces of bird suet cake, leading up to and into cage. Nice thing about raccoons is you get a tasty (yet ‘gamy’) stew and a neato Davy Crockett cap…
Leave it to California to outlaw moving pesky rodents. Cali…taking snowflakes to new heights!
my parents have raccoons in their attic. The little buggers have managed to knock over everything up there, it’s a wreck. Would the body gripper traps be a good idea in this case, or cage traps? they’ve been up there for a while and my parents can’t afford a professional to go up there and try to remove them. I balk at the idea of poison but options are running slim as is money…
The best way to stop raccoons is live trapping and release. The people saying that they starve to death or often die when relocated are badly mistaken. Not sure where they heard such nonsense, but please don’t believe it. One easy way to tell that they survive is to mark them with dye, then release them in the woods near a friends house. We have seen the same relocated raccoons and opossums for over a year! We have been trapping and relocating raccoons, opossums and red foxes for many years now. Have a heart and do the right thing. Never kill wildlife, relocating works for everyone.
It is illegal to move and release raccoons
Yes relocation of a trapped raccoon leads to another homeowner dealing with a raccoon destroying their property. Recently a raccoon has been relocated in a field across from my home. Where he has taken up shelter in my attic causing thousands of dollars of damages!! Biologist said he’s never going to be caught in a trap again!!!!!
I appreciate your post. I personally don’t relocate them just because no one else seems to want my racoons either. If there’s a place for them though, go for it.
A shot gun works well if you can tree them. Otherwise poison if you live in a rural area.
If you got them in your attic,mix one container of cayenne pepper, a vile of capsaicin, and a bottle of ammonia in a chemical sprayer, set to stream, shoot into Windows, cracks,voids, etc. They will come flying out of there
thanks Dave. The little fockers have destroyed my soffits, facia, and eaves. THEY MUST GO!!!
Do not however go up in attic and spray this mixture you will poison yourself.
Can you spray this outside around the soffits and eaves to make it come out?
How would you poison yourself? It appears to be more of an irritant.
I used to love raccoons, but no more. I have lost a lot of my chickens, ducks, geese, Turkey’s and guineas because of them. I will not trap them so they can kill someone else’s animals. We put them in pens off the ground in good pens and the jerks have gotten them. U have killed numerous raccoons, skunks, snakes and other predators. People told me they also eat baby kittens and puppies, I don’t want to hear about inhumane practice s of getting rid of them. I will do what it takes to keep them from using mine as a buffet meal.
Hallie is right on.
Absolutely!! We had 2 different females and babies in our homes. We trapped them and finally got them out and moved them to woods away from our home . YESTERDAY mid day after feeding my bantams that morning , Coons got in and killed every one of my bantams. I’m NOT playing nice anymore. I shot and killed ( 6) coons this morning that came back looking for leftovers. Across the road this evening there was 4 more huge raccoons and 2 small ones and 1 was in the yard. Ya’ll animal activist saying oh please just move them to a different woods I truly wish I could share with you a picture I took yesterday of the massacre of my bantam chickens that these RACCOONS did. Then see what you think. Because chickens provide food for humans raccoons spread diseases.
The only good coon is a dead coon.
I agree w/ Hallie!!
I want to kill them but am not wanting to harm neighbors cat
Hallie is 1,000% Right!!!
All you ‘humane animal activist’ need to stop all your fake empathy and sympathy for these evil and feral ‘trash pandas’ about ‘don’t kill the wildlife nonsense, not every animal is a source of food or nice to co-exist with.
Would you want a poisonous snake, aligátor, hyena in your backyard or property destroying and terrorizing both wildlife/people and propert …I think not!!!
Im sorry but im about to get kicked out of my h.o.a all bc of these little rats. Soo. Any and all idea at this point is needed. We have tried everything even the head of committee. And bc my can lids can come off it is now my fault. They lock down and still those little brats can take them off, I dont care how they can leave this place. Ill get them out of here one way or another. And yes they do eat other animals. I found the neighbors poor kitten dead in my yard. All the more reason I want them gone. It didn’t do a thing to anyone. Stupid animals. I wasnt a fan before. Sure am not now.
A good raccoon is a dead one. I don’t give a damn if it is legal or not in my area. After the damage they did to my soffit, I am glad I beat them to death with a bat.
I totally agree with Hallie and Pauline, the fxxxkers needs to go somewhere else. I’ve been cleaned 3 xs by them I’ve shot like 4 already before but they keep on coming back in packs this last time they kill all my kids chickens my poor babies where looking for their chicken and they did a massacre in the coop, I am done been compassionate about them, ask I am writing this they were 4 of them outside of steps looking for food smh
The raccoons had taken up residency in my yard in early autumn and started digging large holes in my lawn at night for 2 weeks. They were so destructive and I wanted to brutalize them with an object but I decided that was too dangerous, so I got a peanut jar, filled it with antifreeze and put some nuts on the top and placed it where they were destroying my grass. Now there is no more damage to my lawn and I see no more evidence of those nasty creatures. I don’t care if it’s illegal or inhumane. They deserved to die for destroying my lawn and all of my hard labor and money invested in my lawn over the years. I’m so relieved they are dead and I can plant grass once again without their interference.
I got sick of the coons all last year, so I baited them through this spring buried 50 pounds of Tannerite and put all kinds of free stuff and in the dead of night when they were just going town I blew those fuckers up.
I usually just trap them, put them in 3 plastic trash bags & then throw it on the burn pile.
The plastic melts over them, restricting their running. The extreme heat does the rest.
A pack of raccoons killed my poor little cat..there was no food near her, and they were all well fed..they killed her maliciously. She wasn’t aggressive at all..in fact she was running away and had almost escaped. I saw it on video. 4 of the six that killed her are now dead. 2 to go. Live trapping, to make sure you aren’t unintentionally killing anything else, is by far the best solution. Then a pellet to the brain will do the trick. It’s not illegal to shoot most pellet guns in town. Raccoons kill. They don’t belong in urban environments. They are basically very dangerous, large rats. Then feed them to the vultures. Or risk your pets to this deadly threat.
Raccoons killed my cat, who was not aggressive and not near food. They kill maliciously. Live traps are the best solution, so you aren’t killing unintentionally. Then a pellet gun between the eyes, which is perfectly legal in most areas. They will kill your pets. 4 of the six that killed my cat are dead. 2 to go.
I bought a Hav-A-Heart trap caught 2 raccoons in it and within 20 minutes they chewed through the wire…piece of junk
Coons don’t belong in urban areas. They kill and are disease filth- kill them by saying means possible is the only way to go.