Raccoons are native North American animals that a mammals and can do a lot of damage in your garden and yards. Also most of the time raccoons are known to be just a pass-by animal and they don’t stick around areas for long.
If you want to get rid of raccoons here you can find all the necessary steps to identify and get rid of chipmunks:
What Attracts Raccoons to Your Garden and Yard?
Raccoons are known for not staying around human habitations for long but if they have a reliable food source and have babies around your gardens and yards they will stay. You will have to figure out what is keeping raccoons attracted around your gardens and yards.
They are mostly attracted around your gardens and yards if you have pet food that’s left outdoors, an open compost pile, or an easily accessible garbage bin.
An easy access point to attics or open holes under porches and patios is particularly appealing to mother raccoons as it is a safe spot for them to raise their babies and get food from there for their babies.
Signs of Raccoon in Your Garden and Yard
So you want to make sure that your garden and yard have been infested by raccoons or not. You may hear a strange hissing sound that raccoons make or you can even spot them with an eye but if these are not the options there are other ways you can confirm that your garden and yard have been infested by raccoons and some of them are as follows:
1. Holes dug in gardens and lawns
If you have holed dug in your garden, yards, and lawns then that might be raccoons as they create these holes when digging for garden grubs.
2. Raccoon footprints in wet, muddy areas
Also, you can look out for the footprints of raccoons in wet, muddy areas as they have distinctly long toes which makes their footprints easier to identify than other animals that visit your garden.
3. Scratch marks
At the edge of porches or near other access points you may find claw marks and scratch marks where raccoons are nesting.
4. Overturned trash cans and compost bins
You may also find overturned trash cans and compost bins in your house as raccoons can do it and make a quite mess when they knock over trash bins or they can even dig holes in open compost piles.
5. Crop damage
If your crops are damaged including strawberries, potatoes, peas, and fruit trees then that might be raccoons as they are also known for not being particularly picky eaters. You may also find half-eaten melons and corn cobs in their wake as they are known for being notoriously fond of melons and corn.
6. Other damage
As we talked they can eat strawberries, melons, corn, potatoes, peas, and fruit trees but they also feed on birds, small mammals, fish, and amphibians. They can also eat chickens and koi as they are also known for being an omnivorous animals.
How to Prevent and Get Rid of Raccoons in Your Garden and Yard
1. Eliminate Food and Water Resources
The main thing you can do to control raccoons and their population is to reduce or remove their food and water source from your yard and garden. You can remove their food sources by removing, hiding, or pest-proofing bird feeders, securing bird seed, and pet food, securing garbage bin lids, and compost piles. Also if you have a fish pond or chicken remember to protect them with pest-proof feeders and add mesh over ponds to protect fish.
2. Do a Good Garden and Yard Cleanup
You can also do a good clean up of your gardens and yard to keep them away as they feel more at home in wild areas. They are mostly seen around lawns with tall grass, overgrown shrubs, open compost heaps, and wood or rock piles. Cleaning all those things will make raccoons feel more exposed and may give them a reason to move somewhere else. You can also keep your eyes and invest in a compost bin and keep it covered when it’s not in use.
3. Reduce Access Points
You can also reduce access points for them like open areas under porches and outbuildings. The most you can do to secure access points for them is to use fencing and the walls of your home, garage, or potting shed with grates or hardware cloth which can make them hard to get into your yard and garden.
4. Add Raccoon Baffles
Raccoons tend to love to be around bird feeders and eat the food but if you love watching songbirds and raccoons eating the bird food and also you don’t want to keep bird feeders away. Then you can install raccoon baffles which can help your bird feeders from them. It won’t allow raccoons to climb up to the seeds and also remember to keep the bird feeder away from trees as they can get there easily as they are excellent jumpers.
5. Install Fencing
You can also add hardware cloth and bulb fences around the plants that need protection from raccoons. Remember when you are using hardware cloth you will have to bury them and dip them into the garden as it will help to keep raccoons away from plants. While using hardware cloth get 1/4-inch of them and shield your plants and also remember to use them on newly planted seeds. But you should remember fencing may not work as they are known to climb quite well.
6. Grow Repellant Plants
You can also grow repellant plants like cucumbers and squash as raccoons tend to hate them. They also don’t like sweet corn so you can also plant them in your yard or garden. Always remember that herbs and flowers may make gardens a bit more pest-proof and discourage raccoons from your yards and gardens.
7. Trapping and Removal
You can also use a live trap to control raccoons in your yard and garden but remember that deterrents and prevention is always a better option than trapping. if you want to relocate them you should always follow local rules and regulations or you can also get help from a professional pest control company. Remember to handle them with care as they are known to carry diseases and trapped raccoons can be particularly feisty.
Also remember not to use poison baits as it can get you arrested, get the garden harmed, or it can even harm non-target animals like owls and pets.
FAQs
Q. What scent will keep raccoons away?
Peppermint oil, lemon, eucalyptus, and pine are some of the thing scents that can keep raccoons out of your garden and yards.
Q. What kills raccoons with home remedies?
Cayenne Pepper Solution is a home remedy that can kill raccoons but it can get you arrested as per your area laws so remember to check your area laws before doing it.
Q. What do raccoons hate to walk on?
Raccoons hate to walk on plastic so you can also use a double layer of plastic as their paws are so sensitive.
Also Read: How to Get Rid of Chipmunks in Your Yard and Garden