Yes, you should get rid of raccoons if they are inside your home, nesting in attics/sheds, or causing significant property damage. Raccoons can be aggressive, carry diseases (like rabies and roundworm), and damage siding, insulation, and wiring. Simply passing through the yard is not a reason to remove them.
Once raccoons are on your property, the best step to take is to call a wildlife removal professional. You should not take action on your own against a raccoon infestation.
Raccoons absolutely despise strong, pungent smells (like ammonia and peppermint), spicy tastes like capsaicin, and bright, unexpected sensory disruptions like loud noises or motion-activated lights. Because they are highly motivated by food and shelter, the most effective way to repel them is to eliminate these resources and make your yard an uncomfortable environment.
Yes, raccoons will often come back if you scare them. Because they have a strong homing instinct, are highly intelligent, and are strongly motivated by access to easy food and shelter, scaring them off provides only a temporary fix.
To get rid of raccoons permanently, you must remove the food, water, and shelter that attract them. Use heavy-duty, locking trash cans, secure pet food inside, and seal off dark, enclosed spaces like attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces with durable wire mesh or sheet metal.
To get a raccoon to leave your property, eliminate food sources like unsecured trash or pet food, use motion-activated sprinklers or lights, and apply repellents like cayenne pepper, ammonia-soaked rags, or commercial deterrents. If they are in an attic or under a deck, use bright lights, loud noises, or strong scents to make the area uncomfortable until they leave.
If raccoons are digging up your lawn in search of grubs, place cayenne pepper and ammonia-soaked rags in the area, or spray it with a mixture of 8 ounces of Dawn dish soap, a handful of chewing tobacco and water. Call the University of Illinois Extension office at 630-653-4114 for more advice.
Raccoons are most active during the spring mating season and exhibit increased activity during this time. Raccoons become more active during twilight hours for foraging, especially during the summer. Raccoons may engage in fall migration in search of food and shelter, indicating increased activity during this time.
Never feed, touch, or attempt to approach a raccoon. Always supervise pets when they are outdoors, especially after dark, and remove food and water sources that could attract wildlife.
Raccoons change dens frequently, sometimes moving on to a new den every night. A raccoon may live in a tree one night and relocate to a cozy spot in your attic the next night. During breeding season and harsh winter conditions, however, they will opt to remain hunkered down in their den for more extended stays.
Several common human foods and pet products are highly toxic to raccoons. The most dangerous include:
Irish Spring soap is largely ineffective at keeping raccoons away. While its strong scent might temporarily deter some small mammals or herbivores, raccoons are highly adaptable, food-driven scavengers. In fact, many gardeners report that raccoons, opossums, and other animals are attracted to the soap and will actively eat or carry off the bars.
Here are the main surfaces raccoons are less likely to walk on:
Raccoons typically stay in one specific den for anywhere from 1 to 3 days, moving frequently between a network of 4 to 6 safe resting spots within their territory. However, their duration depends heavily on their nesting habits:
Yes, a raccoon will fight a dog if it feels cornered, is protecting its young, or is provoked. While raccoons are generally secretive and prefer to avoid conflict, they are incredibly fierce fighters equipped with sharp claws and powerful teeth, and can seriously injure or even kill small to medium-sized dogs.
Additionally, raccoons are known for their intelligence and persistence. They quickly adapt to changes in their environment and can remember where they've found food or shelter in the past. This means that even if you manage to scare them away once, they may return if they know there's a reward waiting for them.
Raccoons do not build traditional twig-and-leaf nests. Instead, they seek out sheltered, secluded spaces for their dens. In the wild, they typically inhabit hollow trees, logs, rock crevices, brush piles, or abandoned burrows. In urban areas, they adapt by nesting in attics, chimneys, crawl spaces, and under decks.
One of the most common wild predators of other raccoons is large cats. In North America, this includes mountain lions, pumas, and bobcats. These powerful predators hunt alone and use their stealth and speed to take down their prey.
Deck and patio lights can help keep raccoons away, as they add an extra layer of security to your property. However, relying solely on these lights might not be enough to deter all raccoons. It's essential to use them in conjunction with other pest control methods to maximize their effectiveness.
Yes, raccoons are highly intelligent, habitual creatures that frequently return to places where they have found a reliable source of food, water, or shelter. If you have had a raccoon issue on your property, they will continuously circle back to familiar spots unless you actively remove the attractants and secure the area.
The most effective homemade raccoon repellent combines spicy peppers, onion, and a bonding agent like dish soap in a spray to irritate their highly sensitive paws and noses.
Believe it or not spray can with Windex they hate the smell an won't get in the trash cans. I seen this idea on line last summer an thought to myself noway it works but I tried it out cuz I was desperate not to clean up trash every morning so I gave it a shot an it worked!
A raccoon would win a fight against an average house cat most of the time. Raccoons are heavier, possess incredible physical strength, and are incredibly resilient in a brawl. However, an exceptionally large tomcat or wild feral cat could potentially win if they successfully ambush the raccoon.