They live all over the United States and are typically just searching for food. However, frequent sightings might indicate that there's something in your home or on your property that is giving raccoons the “green light” to build dens and find food there.
The best thing to do is nothing. Leave it alone. It is a wild animal and it is well equipped to survive without your help. Your interference will promote dependence and make it less able to survive on its own. Furthermore raccoons carry rabies, and other diseases. It can transmit these to you or any pets you have.
They come into your yard to search for food and shelter and not to cause deliberate harm to you or your pets. A wild raccoon is not always dangerous and is not always rabid. That said, raccoons are still wild animals. They will attack if cornered and could spread disease or rabies.
Coming down to it, two things will attract raccoons the most: food and dark spaces. If the above methods to deter raccoons fail, try combining methods to see what works! If you suspect raccoons on the property or in the home, chimney or attic, you should get professional help immediately.
Like humans and most other animals, raccoons have three basic needs for survival: food, water and shelter. Your home provides ample opportunities for each. Raccoons are excellent climbers that have no problem scaling fences or finding ways into attics and crawlspaces that provide them entry points.
They live all over the United States and are typically just searching for food. However, frequent sightings might indicate that there's something in your home or on your property that is giving raccoons the “green light” to build dens and find food there.
Since raccoons have a strong sense of smell, which they use to find convenient food sources, one can take advantage of this feature by using scents they hate. Hot pepper, garlic, peppermint oil, onion, and Epsom salt are a few scents used to repel raccoons.
Motion Activated Noise Systems. Much like motion activated sprinklers or lights help to keep raccoons away, activated noise systems startle raccoons from the property. Since raccoons feel safe in predictable environments, this tactic may help deter them from returning in the future.
But what does a raccoon like to eat? The preferred raccoon diet consists of food found in or near water, such as crayfish, frogs, fish, snails, and clams. They also enjoy insects, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even dead animals.
The scent of used coffee grounds is also great for repelling raccoons. Using it is as simple as spreading the coffee grounds around areas frequented by raccoons. In case the smell wears off, keep replacing the repellent with newly used coffee grounds until the raccoons are fully gone.
Raccoons can't bear the smell of ammonia and would leave the place immediately. Dip 5-‐6 tennis balls (as they will soak up ammonia well) and throw them at the place where you suspect them to live. You can also put a small dish of ammonia near garbage container to avert raccoons.
Since urine can smell similar to ammonia, it is thought by some to have a similar repellent effect for some raccoons. Furthermore, the smell of ammonia may indicate to the raccoon that the area and/or food source has been compromised.
Your yard provides plenty of food sources. Raccoons are attracted to vegetables gardens (especially sweet corn), fallen fruit, birdseed, compost, outdoor pet food dishes, or, most famously, unsecured trash cans.
Raccoons are often considered violent, aggressive, and dangerous. They forage for food in our trash cans and sneak around our yards at night, creating an unsettling environment for the fearful. They have also been proven to carry rabies in some cases.
Often, it indicates curiosity or caution, as the raccoon assesses its environment and the presence of humans. However, that stare may also suggest that the animal feels threatened or cornered, prompting a defensive stance.
Raccoon droppings are long and thin with rounded ends. They are about 2-3 inches long and half an inch wide. They are dark because raccoons eat a lot of plants. You can see food bits like berries and seeds in them.
Raccoons stay away from animals that are their natural predators. These natural predators include; bobcats, coyotes, the great horned owl. You may have picked up a pattern here- raccoon predators are typically large.
Dog food, cat food, bird feeder, garbage cans, compost bins, if it has any potential organic food in it including refuse, it attracts raccoons.
Do Deck and Patio Lights Keep Raccoons Away? Deck and patio lights can help keep raccoons away, as they add an extra layer of security to your property.
Raccoons aren't fussy about where they find food. If there are easy-to-reach places for them to get food in your attic, they will keep coming back. Make sure trash cans are locked, and pet food is stored so they can't get to it.
No, raccoons generally dislike the strong smell of vinegar. The pungent odor can irritate their sensitive noses, encouraging them to avoid treated areas. While vinegar is not harmful to raccoons, its scent is enough to discourage them from lingering.
Install motion-activated lights and sprinklers. Set up a battery-operated radio tuned to an all-night talk show and turn it on for a few nights to drive raccoons away. Remove any wood that was used for a den and burn it outside to destroy roundworm eggs. Keep ponds at least 3 feet deep.
Raccoons use their superb sense of smell to forage for food, and some scents are really effective at keeping them away. The ingredients in Irish Spring soap are generally effective in keeping raccoons and other small mammals out of your yard.
Continuing in the vein of undesirable scents, Epsom salt is another ingredient that keeps raccoons away. For the most effective protection, sprinkle Epsom salt both inside and surrounding your vegetable garden. Racoons will generally keep a safe distance from that smell, avoiding your garden and coops.