Not everyone faces this problem, but for those who do, only you know how blood-boiling those critters can be. People think, ‘Oh, but raccoons are so cute! Have you not seen Rico from Pocahontas?’ Well, dear friends, the raccoon from that movie was quite troublesome himself, if you go to see. And they are uninvited guests just terrorizing your house. So take these tips and put them to use.

Cleaning and discarding attractants:

Firstly, you are going to have to take the trouble to do thorough cleaning in and around your house. So food, papers, fallen fruits, littered garbage etc. has to be discarded and taken care of properly. These things attract the raccoons. Do a double or even triple-check if necessary, on having completely cleansed the vicinity.

Buy metal dustbins or even the ones with clamps to completely lock the litter from coming out or rather, being taken out. Place a heavy stone onto your dustbins if you can’t buy the aforementioned garbage cans. Keep heavy weights on containers or vessels etc. that may contain food, water etc.

Wash your garbage bins every week to keep them from smelling. Turn them upside down to avoid letting mosquitoes grow in there or even raccoons from drinking water.

Consider keeping outdoor tables or benches – if you own any – clean. No crumbs etc. should remain on it.

Raccoons will make a home out of any space that will provide them proper shelter. So nests in trees, attics, even space under or between your home music-system can do the job for them. So make it inhospitable for them. Place lights, noisy things etc. in their place to avoid the raccoons.

Block entries:

First, you must locate their access points. Search for hole 3 inches or bigger in diameter. Broken vents, dormers and places under nooks are where they generally make a path.

Block these routes by taking a foam gun and metal mesh. Make sure the mesh covers it entirely and then use the foam gun on it. But leave one entrance the way it is. Don’t block it. Stuff the remaining others with newspapers.

Ammonia is terrible for their nests, so find out where they’re nesting and soak 3-5 tennis balls and throw them in those places. They will be forced to relocate.

Check to see if the newspapers have shifted. If they have, put them back in their place. It means they’ve moved. If the paper hasn’t been moved for 48 hours, cover up the last hole.

Heat up a cup of cayenne pepper with habanero chillies and water and transfer it into a spray can or bottle after it has cooled. Wear a gas mask and goggles and spray onto the vents you have blocked. It will steer them away from your home.

If you house has a fence, check for any gaps or large spaces in between and cover those up.

Buy traps:

Finally, you can opt for buying a trap. Use carefully though. And once caught, dispose of with safety. There should be no room for them to move or turn in. A harsh technique would be to throw boiling-hot water on them and then dispose of them.

More from my site