Because raccoons are smart and flexible, they often pose a threat to people who live in their homes when they break in to find food and protection. These hidden thieves can do a lot of damage, like kicking over trash cans and moving into attics. You’ll have to beat these smart animals if you want to get your peace back and keep your property safe from raccoon damage. Here are some ways to keep your home free of pests:
Keep your trash safe.
People know that raccoons will dig through trash cans to find easy food. Raccoon-proof trash cans will keep them away. The latches and locks on these bins are hard for rats to open and close. Raccoons will also have a hard time getting to your trash cans if you lock the lids with bungee cords or heavy weights.
Cut down on food sources
Raccoons will eat anything, so getting rid of any food sources they might find on your property is very important. Raccoons may come to your yard if you leave food out for your pets. Pick up the fruit that has dropped from your trees and put the lids on your compost bins so they don’t open easily. Racoons will stay away from your vegetable yard if you put up fences or wire mesh.\
Light up your property
Raccoons are active at night, so keeping your property well-lit can keep them away. Lights that turn on when they sense movement can scare them and make them look for easy targets. These lights are also a useful way to let you know when rats are nearby, since they will flash when they get close.
Seal Points of Entry
To keep raccoons from getting into your home, check your property carefully for places they could get in. Raccoons are very good at climbing and can get into homes through holes in roofs, walls, and chimneys. In order to keep raccoons out of your attic or crawl spaces, you should fill in any holes or cracks with rusted steel mesh or wood siding.
Use natural ways to keep people away.
They can smell things very well. Natural pest deterrents include rags soaked in ammonia, cayenne pepper, or the pee of predators placed around possible entry points or trouble spots. Raccoons might not want to explore your land if it smells like these things.
Make a noise
Raccoons like to go on adventures at night when it’s quiet. They might not stay if there are loud sounds. Play music or set off motion-activated alarms near the places they think people are getting in.
Professional Removal of Raccoons
If rats have already moved in, it’s best to let a professional take care of it. It can be dangerous and often doesn’t work to try to get rid of raccoons on your own. Professionals in pest control have the tools and knowledge to safely and kindly deal with raccoons.
Fixing things regularly
Once you’ve successfully got rid of the raccoons, it’s important to keep your defences up. Check your property often for new entry points and make the security steps stronger. Being alert all the time is the best way to keep rats away.
Legal Things to Think About
In many places, raccoons are protected animals, and hurting them can get you in trouble with the law. Before you do anything about rats, check your local wildlife laws. Most of the time, hiring a skilled raccoon removal service is the safest and legal thing to do.
Work in the Community
Raccoons are flexible and stubborn, so it usually takes a group effort to keep them out. Get your neighbours and the rest of the community to take the same safety steps to make sure that raccoons don’t have as many easy targets in your area.
By using these tips and tricks, you can keep your home free of pests and reduce the chances of raccoons moving in. Always keep in mind that raccoons are very smart animals. To live peacefully with these urban wildlife neighbours, it is often best to stay one step ahead by preventing problems.
At Raccoon Control Barrie, we love helping out the communities we are a part of. We are local technicians who want to make a difference in people’s lives by doing what we do and know best. Our line of work is risky, yet rewarding after seeing clear results and seeing smiles return on people’s faces. We believe in the safe and ethical treatment of all raccoons and make sure that their well-being is never compromised during or after the raccoon removal process. Raccoons are very unpredictable animals that can act very friendly or very aggressive.