If you are experiencing nuisance raccoon activity in your neighborhood, it is wise to start thinking about taking some preventative measures. Otherwise, your home and property, as well as your sanity, may be at risk! Although proper raccoon control and removal is quite complex and requires years of professional experience, there are some simple “do-it-yourself” projects that can be done without professional raccoon control service. If everyone adopts these tips and strategies, it can help thwart raccoon invasion in your neighborhood for good. Continue reading to learn more about getting rid of raccoons, safely and humanely.

Tips for Putting a Stop to Nuisance Raccoons

If you have a known raccoon colony in or around your home, then be sure to never leave your garbage cans outside on the night before trash day. Raccoons are nocturnal, which means they are active in the evenings and sleep during daylight hours. At night, they search for food, and your garbage cans are prime targets. As clever mammals with excellent memories, they will remember that trash cans are sources for food, and will continue to rummage through them night after night until they are no longer viable sources of snacking. If taking your garbage outside on the morning of trash day is not an option, there are alternative solutions you can use to deter raccoons from entering your property.

Send Them a Message They Can Smell

Ammonia is a chemical agent that gives the illusion of urine, for a raccoon. Although we might perceive raccoons to be filthy and unsanitary, in their world, they are the tidy ones. They like to keep their areas and nests very clean, so they wander far from their nests if they need to relieve themselves. If they smell ammonia, they will assume the area has been marked by a predator, and will find other grounds to mark as their territory. You can even purchase coyote urine and other types of urine from common raccoon predators, and use it in place of ammonia.

Spraying or squirting the ammonia around your garbage cans can prevent raccoons from trespassing onto your property. The ammonia solution is also good for indoor use, if you find a raccoon colony in your home. Raccoons also hate peppery spices, menthol, and peppermint. Using these extracts around the perimeter of your home can help keep them away too. Moth balls in a bowl are also effective.

Use Scare Tactics and Other Non-Lethal Strategies

If predator urine is not your thing, you can purchase sound machines that imitate common raccoon predators. This will scare them from coming too close. Similarly, you can install motion lighting that turns on when it senses motion. The sudden jolt of light scares raccoons and makes them very uncomfortable. One or two times of being caught in this bright light will remain in their memory and they will make sure to not come back.

Get Rid of Raccoons in the House

Finding raccoons inside your house is startling. They can be quite messy and the amount of damage can develop quickly. They use insulation as nesting material, chew through electrical wiring, claw at drywall, soil floorboards and drywall with their droppings, and make a huge mess with their food. Furthermore, this damage can generate foul stenches and odors that can carry into the living quarters of your home. Urine and droppings can leak through ceiling panels and down wall seams, resulting in yellow and brown stains.

These are all tedious projects in themselves, but removing the raccoons is the first priority. Calling a professional raccoon removal company is the only way to remove the raccoons safely, without causing more harm to your home or the animals. If you find a raccoon nest in your garage or outdoor shed, then use the ammonia to force them to move out. Using this solution in high traffic areas of a home is not recommended. This includes the attic, garages, driveways, sheds, outdoor storage units, and similar areas are all acceptable.

Louisville Raccoon Removal and Control

Call 502-553-7622 for professional raccoon removal service in Louisville, Kentucky and its surrounding areas. We offer a wide range of residential and commercial raccoon control services at the most affordable prices in town. Our DNR licensed and insured wildlife contractors are happy to answer your questions about raccoon removal and control, anytime. We offer emergency services, free estimates, and more.