To keep raccoons away effectively, focus on removing their three main attractants: food, water, and shelter. Here are the best strategies:
Food Prevention
- Secure trash cans with locking lids or store them in a garage or shed overnight to prevent raccoons from scavenging
- Avoid leaving pet food outside; feed pets indoors or remove food bowls after meals, especially by dusk
- Use sealed compost bins and keep them away from the house
- Mount bird feeders on tall poles with baffles to prevent raccoon access and clean up spilled seeds regularly
Shelter Prevention
- Block access to dark, enclosed spaces like crawl spaces, decks, or under porches by installing wire mesh or sheet metal barriers
- Seal all possible entry points to your home, including vents, chimneys (with caps), pet doors, and gaps larger than a cat could fit through
- Trim tree limbs that touch your house to prevent raccoons from climbing onto the roof
Water Sources
- Eliminate standing water or other water sources that might attract raccoons
Deterrents
- Install motion-activated lights or sprinklers near entry points, trash cans, or under decks to startle raccoons
- Use sonic pest repellers that emit high-pitched sounds to disorient raccoons, but be cautious as they may affect pets
- Apply natural repellents such as ammonia-soaked rags, cayenne pepper sprays, vinegar solutions, peppermint or eucalyptus oils around the yard and potential entry points
- Consider hanging wind chimes or using devices that produce sudden loud noises to scare raccoons away
Yard Maintenance
- Keep bushes trimmed and remove brush piles or debris that could provide cover or nesting spots
- Treat your lawn for grubs and insects, which raccoons dig for, to reduce their food source in your yard
By combining these methods—securing food and water, blocking shelter access, and using deterrents—you can make your property unattractive to raccoons and keep them away effectively
