If you want to keep raccoons off your property and out of the garden, there are specific measures you will want to take. Raccoons are clever, tenacious, and love to take advantage of the comforts of your how and yard. And those of us with gardens are simply providing a gourmet buffet for the “masked bandits.” Raccoons can swim, jump, run quickly, balance on almost everything, and use their thumbs to open any door easily.
Then if none of your efforts seem to be effective, homeowners should call for wildlife removal. In Alabama, those homeowners call Covenant Wildlife Removal for expert and effective raccoon removal services.
Signs of Raccoon Intruders
Have you woken to a front-yard full of garbage and cans pushed over?
Do you refill your bird feeders all the time and never seem to have any seed in them?
Are there holes in the lawn and mulch that seem to come up overnight?
What about your Koi or goldfish pond? Are fish suddenly missing?
Does it seem someone or something is taking bites of your garden veggies?
Hearing low growling or shuffling noises in the attic or shed?
All these are the signs you have a raccoon intruder or two, or perhaps more. And that can be a troublesome thought. Not only do you have to clean up after all those messes, but there may be more messes than you see. Wandering around your property, you may locate their dens or piles of droppings. That is not a pleasant discovery.
In addition, raccoons will eat just about anything. In fact, this is what OutdoorAlabama has to say about their feeding habits.
“Raccoons are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders. They will feed on plant material such as wild fruits, berries, acorns, nuts, corn, and garden vegetables. Their diet will also include insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, bird and turtle eggs, snakes, and small mammals. In urban areas and city parks, they will also forage in trashcans and garbage dumps.”
So, how is a homeowner to keep raccoons off the property and get the current raccoons out?
Keep Raccoons Off Your Property
Raccoons are pretty persistent and will stop at almost nothing if they see something they want. But there are ways you can limit those attractors in your yard. Here is what the professionals at Covenant Wildlife Removal suggest.
- Walk the premises of your property regularly to look for changes or abnormalities.
- Cleaning up the yard will limit the nesting and hiding spots for raccoons. Get rid of any overgrowth, brush, piles of junk, and yard debris. Keep the lawn well-manicured and trimmed. And ensure all shed doors are sealed and locked with a padlock.
- Protect crawlspaces and under decks and stairs with chicken wire, lattice, or fencing they cannot get through.
- Seal off entry points like chimneys, eaves, basements, and attics.
- Place cayenne pepper on bird feeders to keep raccoons off the birdseed. And don’t worry. It doesn’t bother the birds. Additionally, don’t store the seed in plastic bags outside—secure seed in an airtight container or a locked shed.
- Place all pet feeders indoors for the night. Raccoons will eat almost anything, including cat and dog food.
- Be sure your pet doors lock and deal at night.
- Keep raccoons out of the trash cans by securing them with locks, bungee cords, or tight sealing lids. You can also try storing cand in a locked garbage shed or the garage. And double bag your food waste so they can’t sniff it out as well.
- Motion-activated lights or sprinklers will scare them off the property.
Also, freshly laid sod contains earthworms and grubs that are just ripe for picking to the raccoons. When you lay sod, be sure to install the motion sprinklers to keep the raccoons off in the night.
Keep Raccoons Out of Your Garden
After all of the work and waiting for the fruits of your gardening labor, there is not quite as disheartening as someone tearing apart your garden. And if raccoons want what you are growing, they will do almost anything to get to it. So, here are the tips Covenant Wildlife Removal has found useful.
- Fencing the garden area off from animal intrusion can be challenging but effective. The only real deterrent to a raccoon would be an electric fence. You can install the fence on a timer only to come on at night. However, make sure the family pets have come in for the night.
- Surrounding corn stalks with thorny veggies or flowers can help them give up on the feast.
- Additionally, you can place pepper plants near entrances and borders. Raccoons do not like hot peppers.
- Installing a motion-detected sprinkler will give the plants a quick drink of water and the raccoons a quick fright.
- When fruits fall from trees or crops are changing for the season, be sure to turn the rotting fruit into the soil, so they are not readily available for the coons.
Why You Should Keep Raccoons Off Your Property
If you think you may just live and let live… think again. Raccoons can create significant damage to homes and yards. When raccoons move into your garage, attic, basement, under your deck, or in your chimney, they will use these areas for their bathroom and their home. And a urine-soaked ceiling or anything, for that matter, is not only a stinky mess, but it can be a respiratory danger.
Not to mention, raccoons defecate in one spot they deem worthy of a restroom of sorts. They will create a stinky pile in one place, whether in the attic or yard. That is a mess no one wants to shovel.
Besides, raccoons will tear up the insulation in your attic, chew electrical wiring and plumbing, and pick away at roof shingles. These are costly repairs and can cause additional and recurring problems for the home.
And speaking of gardens, farmers are particularly in danger when a raccoon family moves on the property. Raccoons can damage crops in a hurry, especially corn. And, if you raise chickens, the raccoons will try to get them for a tasty meal.
Raccoons are pretty defensive and will fight to keep their territory or property. They have sharp teeth and claws and are not afraid to use them.
Finally, Raccoons carry diseases that are dangerous for humans and pets. Among those diseases are roundworms and rabies. If you are approached by a raccoon and get a scratch or a bite, please seek immediate medical attention.
Help for Racoon Removal
For effective raccoon removal, homeowners should contact a professional raccoon removal company. Never try to get them out on your own; it is just too dangerous and tricky. At Covenant Wildlife, we remove raccoons through proven trapping methods. Our team will get the appropriate traps and bait them for success. Then we will remove the raccoons and relocate them to approved areas.
We are a top-rated local full-service wildlife trapping, removal, repair, and insulation services company at Covenant Wildlife Removal. We provide safe and humane wildlife services in Jefferson and Shelby counties.
What’s more, we guarantee everything we do and stand behind all of our work. It is our goal to remove all raccoons from your home, attic, walls, or crawlspace. Then we will make sure that your home and business are expertly repaired to prevent raccoons and other wildlife from finding openings and re-infesting your home again.
So, if you suspect you have a raccoon problem in your yard or garden, take the prevention methods above and put them into place. Meanwhile, contact us or call 205-255-9524 to set up an inspection.
