Wildlife Control – Raccoon Psychology 101

Do you have a raccoon problem? In order to do your own wildlife control and get rid of raccoons, you've got to think like a raccoon! Here's a crash course on raccoon psychology and some tips for getting rid of them. And don't worry; everything in this article's completely humane!

Trash Is Tasty

If you have a raccoon problem, you probably already know that they like trash. A garbage can is like a smorgasbord to them, full of delectable human food. They know that's where the goods are, so you can get rid of them by keeping it sealed up. Since these are clever little animals, spare no expense in keeping it closed. Seal it tightly and wrap a bungee cord around it. Another extra measure you can take is to put something heavy on the lid so it's harder to remove.

Light Is Not Cool

Raccoons like it dark. They sneak around at night looking for goodies and they sleep all day. You might know that shining a flashlight into their eyes sends them running off into the woods quickly. One great way to keep them away from your house is to install motion detectors. Flood lights work best because they're good and bright. When they come sniffing around for food, they'll get a dose of light that'll send them looking for food elsewhere.

Pet Food's Almost As Yummy As Human Food

If they can't get into your trash, your pet's food will do just as well. Make sure you bring everything in at night and clean out bird feeders because they'll eat bird food too. If you're having raccoon trouble, you might want to bring your dog inside because a fight over their supper dish could result in a nasty raccoon bite. Watch out also about screened in areas; if raccoons smell pet food there they'll try to get in.

Ammonia Stinks

For some reason, raccoons hate the smell of ammonia. One easy wildlife control solution is to put a little bit of ammonia around trash cans or the perimeter of the house. Just like ants won't cross a line of cayenne pepper, raccoons won't cross a stinky line of ammonia even if there are trash cans galore on the other side.

They Don't Find Their Way Back

Finally, you can remove raccoons entirely by trapping them and taking them on a nice long drive. You can buy raccoon traps that close when they enter. Put a tasty bit of food in there and they'll get stuck. In the morning, drive them a few miles from your house. Just be careful because they will bite, and make sure you haven't separated a mother from her cubs or else you're now a proud parent.

The whole idea behind doing your own wildlife control is to make your home's garbage less available to the local raccoon population. If you understand what they like and don't like, you can keep them from feasting on your home's refuge. You can also call your local wildlife control experts for some other tips on getting rid of them.