Pests of any sort in your home or yard are an issue. If you think you have a pest problem the best idea is to deal with it as quickly as possible. The longer you leave it the more damage they can cause and the bigger the issue when you do attempt to resolve it.
Racoons are a common sight in many areas and are particularly concerning as they are known to carry rabies, along with a variety of other diseases. The good news is that it is rare for a racoon to be aggressive to a person.
But, as you can catch disease from them via infected urine and contaminated surfaces, you should call the local exterminators and have them eliminated as soon as possible. It’s worth taking the time to check them out today.
Naturally, there are ways to repel racoons, making it less likely that they’ll make it into your home.
Sprinklers
Racoons are not a fan of water. That means a sprinkler is an effective way to get them to run away. Of course, you don’t want to stand there turning a sprinkler on and off or leave it running constantly. But, if you add a motion sensor to the sprinkler system, the racoon will trip the sensor and the sprinklers will come on by themselves.
Keep It Tidy
Racoons, like most pests, are looking for food and water. That means, eliminating the food and the racoon will go elsewhere. This starts with keeping your yard tidy as this prevents it from attracting other pests that may interest the racoon.
It also means bagging your rubbish properly and ideally putting it in a sealed bin outside. That stops racoons from being able to get to it.
Fencing
Racoons don’t generally burrow underground. That means a decent height fence is surprisingly effective at keeping the racoon where it belongs, outside your garden. You can fence your entire garden, just the area where the racoons come from, or specific sections to prevent access to plants or the house.
Get Rid Of the Pet Food
As mentioned, racoons are looking for food. That means, f you leave bird food out or the food for your pets down all day, the racoons will smell it and head toward it.
It’s easy to eliminate the issue, stop putting bird food out, they don’t need it during the summer. In addition, pick your pet food bowl up as soon as they’ve finished eating. Only put it down at set times of the day.
Ammonia
Ammonia is an effective repellent to racoons. All you have to do is soak a rag in the liquid and then place it where you know the racoons are active. The smell is similar to urine and will repel the racoons, there are much easier targets for them to chase.
Naturally, while racoons appear cute, you don’t want to voluntarily feed them as this will encourage them to become bolder and perhaps invite more racoons to your property.
