How To Get Rid of Raccoons [Infographic]

Wondering how to get rid of raccoons? Raccoons may look cute and even pitiful at times, but they do pose a threat. By being potential rabies virus-carriers, they are a danger to you, your family, and your pets. These raccoon deterrents will help keep these pesky critters away from your home perimeter for good!

How To Get Rid of Raccoons Naturally

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We can never stress enough the dangers and troubles these critters pose, so check out these tried-and-tested natural raccoon deterrents we’ve collected for you.

These homemade raccoon repellent ideas offer choices suited to your needs and budget. In searching, we came across 8 ways to naturally deter these pesky critters.

Also, I will share tips on steps you can take to help keep them away for good!

1. Cayenne Pepper Spray to Protect Your Garden

Raccoons are chicken predators and they wreak havoc in vegetable gardens. Dealing with a raccoon infestation can be a very frustrating situation!

Cayenne pepper is one of the natural raccoon deterrents and a great way to repel critters and pests. These pesky rodents hate the smell of this homemade raccoon repellent. It makes it an effective ingredient then, in homemade animal repellent sprays.

What you’ll need:

A small canister of cayenne pepper
1 bottle of hot sauce
1 gallon of water

Instructions:

Add 1 small canister of cayenne pepper and 1 bottle of hot sauce to 1 gallon of water
Spray the solution all over your garden plants, bushes, and shrubs
Reapply after rainfall.

2. Ammonia

Raccoons cause trouble both in rural and urban areas where they can be a problem all year round. They may also carry distemper, roundworm, and fleas.

They wreak havoc on trash cans, creating a huge mess and attracting other animals and insects. Ammonia is another effective raccoon control solution.

How to get rid of raccoons using ammonia:

Position several ammonia-soaked rags near/around the entrances of the raccoon’s nest
Spray ammonia around the places where raccoons have been spotted
Sprinkle one cup of ammonia solution around the inside of each trash can
Spray ammonia on the ground in the places to where raccoons are drawn

3. Mothballs

Raccoons hate the odor of mothballs. So, it’s used by homeowners to get rid of raccoons in attics and crawlspaces.

CAUTION: If mothballs are left in places for a long time, the chemicals can seep into the rest of your house, exposing people to it. It can also be ingested by pets or even small children.

Use this raccoon repellent moth balls method with extreme caution.

4. Predator Urine

This deterrent method will trick raccoons into thinking predators are nearby. It will likely scare them away.

This raccoon deterrent is available in sporting goods stores and many online retailers. Look for urine from wolves, coyotes, bobcats, or mountain lions.

Use it around areas where raccoons are dwelling.

5. Another Method to Protect Your Garden: Epsom Salt

Raccoons can be very destructive to your vegetable garden. Lucky they don’t like the smell of Epsom salt.

To deter raccoons using this method, sprinkle Epsom salt around and inside your vegetable garden. The masked critters will avoid your garden altogether and most likely will not return.

However, you will need to reapply every time it rains or after a couple of weeks with no rain.

6. Secure Your Chicken Coop

You don’t need to make your chicken coop into a fortress to protect your chickens from raccoons, but it helps. Raccoons can open many latches, so use a latch you can padlock to keep the windows, doors, and other openings on your coop securely locked during the evening and nighttime hours.

Use a strong wire mesh with small openings that are no larger than 1/2 inch to keep raccoons from reaching into your coop or breaking through it. Put a roof on your coop and fasten it down tightly.

If a raccoon can’t break into your coop easily, he will likely move on and not return.

7. Motion-Activated Sprinklers

Motion-activated repellents, specifically sprinkler repellents, are all-natural since they use only water to scare off raccoons. There are downsides like they can be expensive by itself, and they do rack up your utility bills.

There are solar-powered repellents which are just effective. Another thing is, it’s only limited to a certain area.

It can only secure a few square meters, so this is perfect to raccoon-proof your garden. Watch the related video below to know more about the motion-activated sprinkler natural raccoon deterrents.

8. More Tips on How To Get Rid of Raccoons

There are certain steps you can take which are effective in discouraging these critters from your property. They are simple yet necessary to ensure they don’t feel free to roam around.

Keep trash cans lids secure with bungee cords
Keep your yard clean and free from any litter which attracts and invites critters to rummage through your property
Pick up your pet’s water bowls at night
Pick up your pet’s food bowls at night

Don’t forget to download, save, or share this handy infographic for reference:

All kinds of critters can invade your home, making your life more difficult and your family less safe. Raccoons are especially notorious for causing havoc in your yard and home if left unattended.

Not one of these natural raccoon deterrents is solely effective by itself. One could work for a while but raccoons are intelligent creatures which figure out your tactics after some time.

Respect and understand the creature to know what works for the long term.

Which of the natural raccoon deterrents have you tried before? Share your experience with us in the comments section below! Do you know of other ways to repel raccoons? Please share with us in the comments section below.

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