Looking for the perfect raccoon repellent to keep these pesky critters away from your home? These homemade raccoon repellent ideas offer choices suited to your needs and budget.
Try these natural raccoon repellent ideas to keep raccoons away from your home perimeter for good.
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We can never stress enough the dangers and troubles these critters pose, so check out these tried-and-tested natural raccoon deterrents we've collected for you.
Also, I will share tips on steps you can take to help keep them away for good!
1. Cayenne Pepper Spray to Protect Your Garden
Raccoons are chicken predators and they wreak havoc in vegetable gardens. Dealing with a raccoon infestation can be a very frustrating situation!
Cayenne pepper is one of the natural raccoon deterrents and a great way to repel critters and pests.
These pesky rodents hate the smell of this homemade raccoon repellent. It makes it an effective ingredient then, in homemade animal repellent sprays.
What you’ll need:
- A small canister of cayenne pepper
- 1 bottle of hot sauce
- 1 gallon of water
Instructions:
- Add 1 small canister of cayenne pepper and 1 bottle of hot sauce to 1 gallon of water
- Spray the solution all over your garden plants, bushes, and shrubs
- Reapply after rainfall.
2. Ammonia
Raccoons cause trouble both in rural and urban areas where they can be a problem all year round. They may also carry distemper, roundworms, and fleas.
They wreak havoc on trash cans, creating a huge mess and attracting other animals and insects. Ammonia is another effective raccoon control solution.
How to use ammonia to deter raccoons:
- Position several ammonia-soaked rags near/around the entrances of the raccoon’s nest
- Spray ammonia around the places where raccoons have been spotted
- Sprinkle one cup of ammonia solution around the inside of each trash can
- Spray ammonia on the ground in the places where raccoons are drawn
3. Mothballs
Raccoons hate the odor of mothballs. So, it's used by homeowners to get rid of raccoons in attics and crawlspaces.
CAUTION: If mothballs are left in place for a long time, the chemicals can seep into the rest of your house, exposing people to it. It can also be ingested by pets or even small children.
Use this raccoon-repellent mothball method with extreme caution.
4. Predator Urine
This deterrent method will trick raccoons into thinking predators are nearby. It will likely scare them away.
This raccoon deterrent is available in sporting goods stores and many online retailers. Look for urine from wolves, coyotes, bobcats, or mountain lions.
Use it around areas where raccoons are dwelling.
5. Another Method to Protect Your Garden: Epsom Salt
Raccoons can be very destructive to your vegetable garden. Luckily they don't like the smell of Epsom salt.
To deter raccoons using this method, sprinkle Epsom salt around and inside your vegetable garden. The masked critters will avoid your garden altogether and most likely will not return.
However, you will need to reapply every time it rains or after a couple of weeks with no rain.
6. Secure Your Chicken Coop
You don't need to make your chicken coop into a fortress to protect your chickens from raccoons, but it helps.
Raccoons can open many latches, so use a latch you can padlock to keep the windows, doors, and other openings on your coop securely locked during the evening and nighttime hours.
Use a strong wire mesh with small openings that are no larger than 1/2 inch to keep raccoons from reaching into your coop or breaking through it. Put a roof on your coop and fasten it down tightly.
If a raccoon can't break into your coop easily, he will likely move on and not return.
7. More Tips to Keep Raccoons Away
There are certain steps you can take which are effective in discouraging these critters from your property. They are simple yet necessary to ensure they don't feel free to roam around.
- Keep trash cans lids secure with bungee cords
- Keep your yard clean and free from any litter that attracts and invites critters to rummage through your property
- Pick up your pet’s water bowls at night
- Pick up your pet’s food bowls at night
8. Motion-Activated Sprinklers
Motion-activated repellents, specifically sprinkler repellents, are all-natural since they use only water to scare off raccoons. There are downsides like they can be expensive by themselves, and they do rack up your utility bills.
There are solar-powered repellents that are just as effective. Another thing is, that it's only limited to a certain area.
It can only secure a few square meters, so this is perfect to raccoon-proof your garden. Watch the related video below to learn more about the motion-activated sprinkler natural raccoon deterrents.
All kinds of critters can invade your home, making your life more difficult and your family less safe. Raccoons are especially notorious for causing havoc in your yard and home if left unattended.
Not one of these natural raccoon deterrents is solely effective by itself. One could work for a while but raccoons are intelligent creatures that figure out your tactics after some time.
Respect and understand the creature to know what works for the long term.
Don’t forget to download, save, or share this handy infographic for reference:
Which of the natural raccoon repellents have you tried before? Share your experience with us in the comments section below!
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on November 24, 2021, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Informative article.
I’ve a family of raccoons in the attic above carport, 2 possible entrances; so wonder if you think I could force mother & young out the other entrance, if I stuffed ammonia soaked rags up one?
of course like your website but you need to take a look at the spelling on quite a
few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I
to find it very bothersome to inform the reality on the other hand
I’ll surely come again again.
One more sure way to rid pests are bullets they work wonders not to expensive and are a definite stress reliever
That’s for sure. I couldn’t agree more. I think that’s the only way to get rid of raccoons. We have several where I live.
What about squirrels 🐿 chewing into the attic. I’m not making that up. Cute little fluffy tails chewing away 😮
I don’t want smelly ammonia chasing my own visitors…….people away!
@silicone bracelets ES I hate to tell you this, but your comment is “rife with spelling issues”. Seriously, if you are going to call out someone for something, please make sure you are not guilty as well.