Raccoons can be pesky creatures creating a mess in the house and damaging property. Hence, you must take various measures to keep them away from your property for protecting it. You could keep these vexing creatures at bay by removing the potential ‘food sources’ and sealing off ‘small access’ points they could use as shelters.
Here are the ways by which you can keep raccoons away from your house:
- Removing the Food Source: The best way to protect your house from raccoons is by removing all kinds of food source lying in your yard. You must even be careful about the pet food you serve outside in bowls. Raccoons consume almost anything from bird seeds to food given to the squirrels. Thus, it is essential to keep all edibles out of reach of raccoons to protect your property.
- Getting Rid of Trash Cans: Apart from the food, you must even make an effort to remove all trash cans from your yard and keep it in a secluded location, out of reach of animals, such as closed garages. In case you have to keep the trash cans outside, make sure they are equipped with locking lids or you could place a couple of bricks on the trash can lid from preventing the raccoons from opening them.
- Seal All Entryways: To prevent raccoons from entering into any part of your houses, such as crawlspace, attic or garage, ensure to seal all your entry points with newspaper. A raccoon can squeeze into your house through tiny spaces, as small as 4 inches in diameter. You must cover large holes with hardware cloth so that even if the raccoon pries up the corner it should not get to the ‘actual hole’. Make sure to install the hardware cloth both outside and inside the access points for better coverage.
- Make Sure the Raccoons are Not Comfortable: Just like the human beings, the raccoons even prefer a peaceful and secluded place to stay. You can discourage the raccoons inhabiting your property by installing ‘motion-sensing’ bright lights outside. You could even install bright lights in any of the ‘indoor areas’ the raccoon’s visit. You could even leave a radio outside as human voices could frighten them away. Vinegar in bowls can even work wonders. You could leave vinegar bowls in enclosed small areas that the raccoons use. The unpleasant and harmless odor of the vinegar would make the raccoons take shelter somewhere else.
- Fencing the Garden Helps: An effective way to keep the raccoons away is with an electric fence. The fence helps in protecting the crops but at the same time, you must remember that the raccoons are excellent climbers. The ideal fence to use is the electric fence. You can use the 2-wire ‘electric fence’ and place the 6” and 12” inches wires above the ground. Set the electric fence on a timer that runs only after the dark.
If you these steps don’t help solve your problem, it’s best to get in touch with professional. Call or email the experts at Glen Environmental.
