Raccoons can be a big problem as they are big pests. However, there is a number of steps that can be taken to keep raccoons away from your backyard and your plants and property safe from damage. These wild animals make look friendly but can do a great deal of damage to your backyard. They are quite bold around humans and pets and this can lead to some problems. They are known to carry rabies and parasites. Call us if you need help with raccoon removal in Guelph.
Lighting
Raccoons are nocturnal creatures and are active in the dark and twilight. Installing motion-activated lighting can discourage raccoons. Simple porch lights are not going to be effective. You are going to need more powerful lights. Bright lights such as quartz halogen might be necessary. Also, to maximize the use of lighting, it is best to use multiple lights. Therefore, there are a higher chance raccoons will be frightened.
Food and Water
Do not leave pet food out at night as raccoons love these and will eat them. They might even attack your pet for them. They will also drink water. Raccoons are scavengers and so will eat anything. They have a habit of knocking trash cans and going through them making a big mess and attracting vermin such as rats. To stop raccoons from going through your trash cans, you can put a heavy lid on them. However, you can also buy trash cans with sealing lids. Also, do not leave pets out at night with water, lock them in if you can.
Water Sprayer
Buying a motion sensitive water sprayer will help keep raccoons away. First, it will scare raccoons as they do not know what is happening and may think a predator or human is coming. Two, raccoons are not too fond of taking showers and the water being sprayed on them will make feel uncomfortable.
Strong Fence
Most regular fences do little to keep raccoons out. This is because raccoons are excellent climbers and diggers. The best fence to keep a raccoon out is an electrical fence. It does not need to be turned on all day and night but only needs to be turned on from the evenings to dawn. This is the time when raccoons hunt and enter most people’s backyard to search for food. They will work better than repellants. You can also wrap electric wire on tree trunks to discourage them if they are using that tree to climb onto your roof or eat the foods on the tree.
Raccoons may look cute but are destructive. If cornered they might attack. Do not approach them yourself but rather use the above techniques to keep them out of your backyard. They are very intelligent and can climb to the most difficult of places. They can cause lots of destruction for their small size. Keeping them out is difficult but not impossible. If the above steps are followed then you should be seeing a lot fewer raccoons in your backyard.
