Raccoons are cute animals that have strong and smart personalities. However, their bushy striped tails quickly become less charming if you’re dealing with these animals in or around your home. Raccoons are great at climbing fences, walls, and pipes, and smart enough to find their way into attics and other entry points.
If not properly taken care of, raccoons can quickly wreak havoc. Fortunately, a little prevention goes a long way when it comes to keeping these animals away from your home and yard.
Things That Attract Raccoons to Homes
The main thing that raccoons are always looking for is food. In the wild, raccoons often live near water, where they have access to fish, shellfish, and other food available nearby. However, they are foragers, and that means they’ll eat just about anything. They’re not picky, and if they find a ready food source, they’re unlikely to leave on their own (and may even bring friends!). Unfortunately, this means that pet food, an unsecured garbage can, a vegetable garden, or fruit trees are all seen as a meal source by raccoons.
Raccoons are also looking for water, which can be found through pet water dishes, ponds, fountains, and even puddles and leaky pipes, as well as shelter. Shelter is particularly important if it’s cold outside or if there is a female looking for a place to raise her young.
How to Keep Raccoons Away
The most important thing you can do to prevent raccoons from taking up residence in your yard is to remove the food sources they’re reliant on. This could include:
- Cleaning up fallen fruit or nuts
- Putting a fence or automatic sprinkler system around a garden
- Putting a secure lid on trash cans (bungee cords work great)
- Bringing pet food inside at night or when you’re not at home
- Sealing any birdseed, pet food, or other food items you may have in the garage
- Clearing leaf piles and other debris that are home to worms and insects (another favorite food source)
To remove their access to shelter, it’s important that you seal off any access points such as gaps around crawl spaces, under the porch, etc. Make sure to close and lock your pet door and clear any wood piles. Motion-activated flood lights can also be beneficial since raccoons prefer darkness.
Be careful about initiating a direct confrontation with a raccoon. These animals can be aggressive if they feel threatened, and they have teeth that make for a painful bite. They can also carry dangerous diseases including rabies.
If you have a raccoon issue that needs direct intervention, it’s best to call a local pest control company as soon as possible. They have the training and equipment to safely remove the animal.
Eco-Friendly Pest Control in Northern Utah
If you’re dealing with a raccoon on your premises, let the professionals handle it for you. At Nature’s Balance, we’re experienced in safely handling a wide variety of pests, rodents, and insects, and can ensure the problem is taken care of quickly and efficiently.
We specialize in the use of eco-friendly treatment methods, so you can feel good about the effect your pest control has on the environment as well as any kids or pets nearby. Contact us today to learn more or request a free estimate.