Raccoons can be cute little critters with their masked eyes and bold personalities. They are social creatures and like to be around others. Some have even been known to enter homes through a pet door in their search for companionship. Yet, these creatures re not as harmless as they appear. They can harm you or your family pet and some may be rabid. For this reason, it is imperative to find ways to keep these creatures at bay. If not, they could take over your patio, garage or attic. Wooded areas, such as those near water sources, are the natural habitat of raccoons. If you live in such an area, you will need to be on alert.
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Commercial Repellants
Commercial repellants are very helpful in deterring raccoons. Products designed to keep cats and dogs away will work for these creatures. Often these come in granular form. Just sprinkle the granules around the perimeter of the area you wish to keep raccoon free. Repeated applications will be necessary, yet you won’t have a problem with unwelcome visitors. Motion activated repellants, such as those which incorporate light and noise, also help. These often need to be used with other methods though to get the best results.
Yard and Garden Repellents
A high voltage, low amperage fence is another great deterrent for raccoons. It will not hurt the animal or humans so you can use it in areas where raccoons like to frequent. Scarecrows will frighten these animals and flood lights will keep raccoons at bay so you may wish to install these in your yard and garden. Cayenne pepper or ground black pepper sprinkled around the perimeter of your yard is another great repellant. Raccoons have a keen sense of smell and the pepper irritates their nose. Cinnamon will have the same effect. Another popular choice is to boil two quarts of water. Add a chopped yellow onion, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper and a chopped jalapeno pepper and let boil for twenty minutes. Once boiled, cool and strain the mixture through a cheesecloth. Spray this, using a spray bottle or pesticide sprayer, in areas where raccoons may appear. This must be done every three to five days so if this is a recurring problem, you may wish to look for a more permanent solution.
Mechanical Repellants
A mechanical repellent may be the solution to your raccoon problem. The most popular one consists of a motion activated sprinkler. When a raccoon enters the motion detector field, water shoots out and the raccoon will leave. This can be helpful if you have a particular area that raccoons keep returning to even after using other methods and it will not do serious harm to the animal.
Removing Food Sources
If raccoons seem to be attracted to your yard at feeding time, you may need to make some basic changes. Don’t leave pet food outside for the creatures to dine on. Birdseed, if it is located in an area which raccoons can reach, will also lead to unwanted visitors. Purchase trash cans with lids that can be secured and, for added protection, tie the can shut with a bungee cord or rope soaked in Tabasco sauce. This will help to repel these creatures as they do not like the smell of this food product.
Keeping raccoons at bay can be a difficult job. These creature are very adept at getting to food and may outsmart you a time or two. Using one or more of these methods can be helpful in repelling the animals. Just keep trying until you find one that works for you.
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