Ideas for repelling a pesky raccoon??
 

Hi everyone, it seems that wildlife is increasing in our neighborhood as each year passes. This year I’m trying to cope with a pesky raccoon who apparently wants to build a nest in my attic. Last night I literally came face to face with one. I heard scratching on my window sill, and when I went to look, there she was looking right back at me through the window!

Normally, I would just set out a baited trap and then take the captured animal out into the countryside and let her loose, far enough away that it would be unlikely for her to return to my house. With my limited mobility, however, this is no longer feasible for me to do. I don’t want to have an animal control outfit come out, as they would probably just euthanize the poor creature after catching it.

So I’m looking for suggestions on how to keep the raccoon away from my house. She often gets on the roof by climbing some of the spruce trees on the north side of my house, but I don’t want to trim any of those trees as they help protect the house during winter snowstorms. I am very careful when I dispose of any trash. The lids are tight on the cans, and there is no odor to attract small animals.

One of my elderly neighbors scatters mothballs around the base of her house, with the theory being that the odor will keep away the raccoons. I am skeptical, but have to admit she hasn’t had any raccoon problems recently.

It would be ideal if I could find a repellent that would keep raccoons away, but I’ve been told that none of them work for very long despite the advertising claims. Does anyone have any experience using products like Critter Ridder? Any other ideas to discourage pesky raccoons??

Hi Auntie Audrey,

I immediately thought about ultrasonic repellers, but then I found this site.


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I have enough trouble dealing with mice under the floorboards, coming in after Harvest every year. The price of Country living.

Dave.

You could call animal control and ask if they catch and release (far away) and not euthanize...
County animal control or humane society?
Or ask if they can refer someone.

Well Auntie,
If nothing else this will give you a good laugh.
Years ago my mother.in.law had a raccoon problem and asked for help.
I found an article that said human urine deters raccoons.
It was also July 4th weekend and lots of family were visiting so all the men, that night, offered to "mark" her property to help her. We all had a good laugh. I cant tell you if it worked because we also bought a little shed to put her trash and in because her problem was that the raccoons kept getting into her trash, dumping it over and leaving a holy mess.
We did see less raccoon activity so who knows? Maybe Urine smell or the frustration of no more free lunch sent them elsewhere.

My husband runs a hardware store and they sell coyote urine to deter various backyard wildlife and I know it sells well.

A blog post about this topic....


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I wish you the best in solving your raccoon issues.
Let us know what transpires.
Diandra

Hi Jo*mar, thanks for your suggestions!

Whenever I’ve encountered a raccoon problem before, I’ve just baited my trap with a small amount of fish and it eventually works. Then we go for a ride together so I can relocate her and know she’s safe somewhere out in the countryside.

I’ve never used animal control, but I’m not sure I would believe them if they told me they wouldn’t euthanize an animal.

I could possibly call the humane society, but I’ve heard they don’t release captured animals far enough away for them not to come right back. One of my neighbors had a possum trapped by the humane society and they released the animal in a field only three houses away from where she lives!!

Thanks so much for the link, EnglishDave.

I’ve read the article and also watched the enclosed video. The motion activated sprinkler is something I never thought about, but it could possibly work.

I know where the raccoon goes at night and I could install a sprinkler in that area. The only problem is that it is fairly wooded and I’m not sure if the raccoon would actually get sprayed enough to deter her, but it may be worth a try. Otherwise I may try using cinnamon in the area as suggested in the video.

So far I haven’t seen any evidence of mice around my garden this year, but perhaps that’s because I don’t get out there as frequently as I should.

The problem I face every year around my house is hornets! They were initially attracted by ripening fruit on my pear trees, but they still don’t want to leave even after the trees are now gone. So every couple of weeks I have to meander around the yard and house to make sure they aren’t nesting out there somewhere.

Hi Diandra, I didn’t realize the people on this forum were so creative! I can honestly say I never thought of your solution either. :D

So, on the one hand we have cinnamon as recommended in English Dave’s video, and on the other hand we have coyote urine.

Hmmmm, decisions, decisions. Which to choose?

I think I may begin with cinnamon (I know, I know, it was a tough choice!).

If that doesn’t work, then (gulp!) I’ll try the coyote urine, but my nephew is going to apply it, not me!! :eek:

I can attest that human urine works for wolves, weasels, and the like. The weasels were bothering the chickens. Also, I know that a dog's urine works for ground hogs. Can't say the same for skunks. I don't know as I trapped them and got rid of them the old fashioned way. Also, I would guess for raccoons. The old fashioned way works great. It does help to keep trash away.

Saw a show once on the guy doing his thing when he was out with the wolves and it worked.

I don't know about the water "business"....


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Kitt, thanks for the input! With a couple of testimonials for urine, I suppose it just might work, but if I use it, it will probably be of the coyote variety.

I suppose I’m a little squeamish, but as I said before, it will be my nephew who will buy it and apply it! Either that, or else no more Sunday lunches at Auntie’s house. :D

Thanks for the facebook link, mrsD.

So.....if I use a motion activated sprinkler, I just might find a raccoon dancing around my yard? ;)

Back to the drawing board, I guess.

LOL.... I thought the raccoon in the video was very funny!

It just appeared in my FB today.

You could put a radio in the attic ...facing the wall where she is trying to get in. They can hear thru the walls. My cats can in this old house with stucco walls. I don't think she will try to get in when she hears human voices. So choose talk radio shows.

I don't know about raccoons but a while ago I had issues with a possum which used to eat the lemons on my tree (grrr...).

I sprayed the tree with a suspension of cayenne pepper (harmless to both the tree and the possum, but unpleasant for the latter).

The possum got the message.

Hi kiwi33, thanks for the suggestion!

Cayenne pepper was also mentioned in a link to a video provided by English Dave earlier in this thread. The narrator in the video said if you sprinkle spices like cinnamon, curry or cayenne pepper around flower beds or the bases of trees, it will keep away raccoons because they don’t like the odor and it irritates their paws.

I may try it. It’s good to know that it worked for you with a possum too. :)

We use cayenne pepper when planting... but it tends to disappear with rain....

Raccoons are not the only animals that play in water...
This really cute video illustrates twin moose playing in a yard sprinkler.


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even hummingbirds!

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Your home and yard could become a veritable oasis!

Those are really cute videos, mrsD!

It makes me wonder about the effectiveness of a motion activated sprinkler. I went back to the link about this product, and this is what they say:

“Most animals don’t like to be sprayed suddenly with water and this is something they never get used to. It works every single time.”

Reading it again, it sounds more and more like another possibly unjustified advertising claim.

I suppose the difference may be whether or not animals are expecting to be sprayed. But even so, if they are thirsty, it seems to me they might return to the yard for another look, and get sprayed again, and then come back again, etc., etc.

So..... the sprinkler may actually attract rather than repel raccoons? Or maybe not.

I’m thinking I need to do a little more research about this.

My impressions are that raccoons like water and usually live near it.

So do moose.

We had a raccoon try to chew thru a corner of our back of the house near our bedroom--it was where a corner came down on the roof below. We were gone for the summer (like usual) so it was QUIET here. So she decided to try and move in.
With us here making noise, there has not been another attempt.

Hubby climbed up there and installed some hardware cloth, and she was foiled.

Raccoons carry diseases as do others. You do not want to be around them at all. And yes, they like to be near water. Just one site.


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Coonhound paralysis is something else.


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Our big German Shepherd (over 100 lbs.) was bitten by a buck coon that carried it. They are the ones who can carry it. The dog hadn't shown up for a couple of days. Finally, I was calling for him and heard a jingle in the corral. Low and behold there he was. We took him to the garage and did he ever drink water. He could not even lay upright. Off to the vet who didn't know what it was and thought he should be put down. But I got a second opinion at another vet who knew right now that it was coonhound paralysis. The dog had the bite marks on his nose and snout. So some good nutrition and kept him in the woodshed with screens on the door so no flies, etc. could get in. I had to turn him every four hours so that he wouldn't get pneumonia. The vet said that in about six weeks he would be up and normal.

Finally after a time he could lay upright and then he was able to sit up. And yes, around six weeks later he was walking and running like his old self. You would never have known. A good thing he was able to get to the corral from the slough. A smaller dog would have died right then.

So that's how that went and he went on to live a full life for a big dog.

Raccoons are nothing to fool with for any reason as other animals are not either. Never know what they may have.

What sweet videos...the sound of water from humming bird fountain is so soothing...I have to find one! Thanks Mrs D, you always post the best wildlife videos.
Happy July 4th weekend.
D.