With their black masks and striped tails, raccoons are easy to spot in many places. Even though these animals might look cute and not dangerous, they can cause a lot of trouble if they decide to live with you. Animals that look like raccoons can be very annoying. They might knock over trash cans, damage your yard, or even get into your home. The best way to handle raccoons is to keep them from getting into trouble in the first place. Here are some things you can do to keep rats away for good.
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Keep your trash safe
Raccoons are known to eat trash. To get food, they can easily tear through trash bags or tip over trash cans. Raccoon-proof trash cans or bins will keep them away. To keep rats out, these are made with lids that lock or bungee cords. It’s also best to wait to put out your trash until the morning of pickup so that raccoons don’t have access to it.
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Get rid of sources of food
Raccoons are drawn to places where they might find food. Raccoons will happily eat your pet food if you leave it outside, especially overnight. Also, pick up any fruit that has dropped from trees in your yard and lock up your compost bins so that they don’t become food sources.
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Lock up any entry points
Raccoons are very good at climbing, and they can get into your home through roof vents that are broken, chimneys that aren’t capped, or holes in your deck. Check your property often for possible entry points and block them off with things like welded steel mesh or hardware cloth. Remember that raccoons are smart and strong, so make sure that these entry places are completely blocked off.
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Make sure your yard has enough light.
Raccoons are nocturnal, which means they like to hunt at night. Put up lights in your yard that turn on when someone walks by to keep them from getting too close. Rattling lights can bother raccoons and make them look for food somewhere else.
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Put out raccoon repellents
Raccoon repellents, like sprays and powders, are sold in stores and give off smells that raccoons don’t like. When used in places like your garden where rats are a problem, these can work.
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Put up walls
You might want to put up barriers around certain places, like gardens or fish ponds. Racoons can’t get in with chicken wire, fences, or even electric fencing. Raccoons are known to dig under things, so make sure that any barriers are strong and hidden in the ground.
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Trim Trees That Hang Over
Raccoons are very good at climbing, and they can get to your roof or attic through branches that hang over the edge. Raccoons will have a harder time getting into your home if you cut back tree branches that are within ten feet of it.
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Teach your neighbours
A raccoon problem in your neighbor’s yard could quickly become a problem in yours because they are very good at moving from one place to another. To make your neighbourhood raccoon-free, ask your neighbours to take the same safety steps you are.
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Talk to a professional
If you have a rat problem that won’t go away or are worried about them getting into your home, you should talk to a professional wildlife removal service. They can look at the problem and come up with solutions that are both kind and work.
The best way to deal with raccoons is to keep them from becoming a problem. By taking these precautions, you can keep raccoons out of your home and yard, protecting your property and living in harmony with these interesting but sometimes annoying city animals.
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.