{"id":32613,"date":"2019-09-15T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-15T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.novaextermination.com\/how-do-you-keep-raccoons-away\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T12:28:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:28:16","slug":"how-do-you-keep-raccoons-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.novaextermination.com\/en\/how-do-you-keep-raccoons-away\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you keep raccoons away?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Would you like to know how to keep away raccoons that have taken up residence in your attic or barn? Or would you like those who prowl around your home or business to be able to leave and never come back? Here are some <\/strong>tips <\/strong>that can help you scare them away<\/strong>, as well as a description of the methods that professional exterminators use<\/strong> to capture and relocate these wild animals in the forest. <\/p>\n

The importance of keeping raccoons away quickly<\/h2>\n

Raccoons can be affected by raccoon rabies<\/strong>. The provincial government is implementing a plan to control this rabies variant through surveillance and control activities. 143 municipalities are under close surveillance<\/strong>. Vaccination by airdrop and spraying was carried out in 2019 in the Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie region. <\/p>\n

If you have a raccoon problem around your home, inside it or in your garage, call on an expert in exterminating wild animals<\/a> to have them captured and relocated<\/strong>. They know how to keep raccoons away from your home. If you want to try to scare away or capture raccoons on your own to relocate them to the forest, you will have to take great precautions and use highly safe methods. <\/p>\n

Remember that you must be extremely vigilant when it comes to managing the presence of raccoons<\/strong> around your home or business. This wild animal is unpredictable, entrusting the task to a raccoon exterminator<\/a><\/strong> is the best thing to do. Also, raccoon droppings can give off an unpleasant smell in addition to contaminating the surrounding area, hence the importance of calling a raccoon exterminator. <\/p>\n

If homemade methods are no longer enough, or if the raccoon family is already established under your porch, our animal capture service<\/a> takes over with professional traps, legal relocation and closure of access points to prevent return.<\/p>\n

Cut off their food sources<\/h2>\n

Our second tip for how to keep raccoons away is about food sources. If a raccoon is lurking<\/strong> around your home or business<\/strong>, but has not made its nest in your attic, barn or garage, place <\/strong>your garbage cans<\/strong> in an enclosed area<\/strong>. Or, close them securely with straps, while washing them regularly. Garbage cans are full of food scraps<\/strong> that attract raccoons, so it’s essential to close them tightly with the garbage can lids. <\/p>\n

In addition, you should avoid leaving pet food<\/strong> outside at night as well as bird seed, as raccoons are fond of pet food. It should be cut off from any food source as much as possible<\/strong>. Fence your garden with a metal fence (or chicken fence) more than a meter high, fixed on solidly planted posts. This will greatly limit the potential for raccoon invasion. <\/p>\n

In the rural areas of the Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie, our exterminator team in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu<\/a> sees a lot of raccoons attracted to gardens, composters and domestic chicken coops, where food sources are difficult to cut off completely.<\/p>\n

Scare them away<\/h2>\n

To better prepare for a raccoon infestation, you can also install lights that detect movement<\/strong> near your garbage cans or garden, or an ultrasonic device (unless you have pets or chickens). Installing sprinklers with motion detectors is also a very good idea if you are looking for ways to keep away raccoons, nocturnal animals. <\/p>\n

If you don’t have children or pets, you can also keep raccoons away by using chili peppers, such as habanero pepper. Raccoons hate its smell, as does cinnamon, which is a very unpleasant smelling spice for them. Finally, you can spray a mixture of water, fresh chilies, and cayenne pepper<\/strong> near their crossing points to scare them away. <\/p>\n

How do you keep raccoons away from their burrow?<\/h2>\n

If you know the location of the terrie<\/strong>r (under your balcony, in the shed, etc.), make sure there are no babies inside (they are born in May and come out in July) and block the entrances with wire mesh<\/strong> buried deep in the ground.<\/p>\n

If raccoons have made their nest in your attic, make sure they are really out when you block the entrances (sofferings and roof ventilation elements) with wire mesh. Before you know how to keep raccoons away from your home, find out if it’s an animal or a rodent in the attic<\/a> in the first place. <\/p>\n

When the raccoons return despite all efforts to exclude, or if you spot a litter in a nest, trapping becomes necessary. Consult our advice on how to capture a raccoon<\/a> properly (approved cage trap, relocation more than one kilometre away, respect for the breeding period). <\/p>\n

Capture and relocation in the forest<\/h2>\n

A professional exterminator will know how to keep <\/strong>raccoons<\/strong><\/a> away permanently<\/strong>. He will be able to find where their nest is located and then capture them using a capture cage with food bait. He will relocate the entire family of raccoons in the forest<\/strong>, far from your home or business, and will be able to effectively block all possible entrances to avoid another invasion. Finally, the exterminator on the South Shore<\/a> can, if necessary, decontaminate the nest site, which will also remove odours that could attract other raccoons. <\/p>\n

Nova Extermination is an exterminator specializing in the capture and relocation of raccoons on the South Shore. Our experienced team of raccoon exterminators<\/strong> knows how to keep them away sustainably, by taking them to the forest. Experienced technicians will be able to find the nests and dislodge any raccoons that are hiding in your home or business. <\/p>\n

Seven methods to keep raccoons away<\/h2>\n

The table below compares practical methods for removing a raccoon from a property, from cost-effective homemade solutions to permanent structural interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Method<\/th>\nType<\/th>\nCost<\/th>\nDuration of effect<\/th>\nTarget species<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Constant light on at night<\/strong><\/td>\nVery low scaring<\/td>\n<\/td>\nAs long as the lamp is running<\/td>\nRaccoons, skunks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Radio on day and night<\/strong><\/td>\nSound scaring<\/td>\n<\/td>\n

Low <\/p>\n

5 to 7 days<\/td>\nRaccoons especially<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ammonia on rags<\/strong><\/td>\nOlfactory repellent<\/td>\nVery low<\/td>\n2 to 4 days<\/td>\nRaccoons, squirrels<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Motion detector with water jet<\/strong><\/td>\nAutomatic scaring<\/td>\nModerate<\/td>\nPermanent<\/td>\nAll animals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Motion detector with ultrasound<\/strong><\/td>\nAutomatic scaring<\/td>\nModerate<\/td>\nPermanent (but habituation)<\/td>\nVariable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mesh sunk under gallery<\/strong><\/td>\nPhysical exclusion<\/td>\nModerate<\/td>\n10+ years<\/td>\nAll (definitive)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Professional Trapping<\/strong><\/td>\nHigh Capture<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDefinitive<\/td>\nComplex Cases<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The recommended sequence begins with scaring methods (light, radio, ammonia) for 7 to 10 days. If the animal does not leave the burrow, we move on to physical exclusion with trellises. The professional becomes necessary if a litter is present or if the animal shows abnormal behavior. <\/p>\n

Three test cases and their resolution<\/h2>\n

Raccoon that loots the garbage cans every night<\/h3>\n

The most frequent case in urban and peri-urban areas. The raccoon does not settle down but comes back daily to empty the bags and scatter the waste. Solution: replace garbage cans with self-locking models, store them in a shed or garage until the morning of collection, clean containers weekly to reduce odour. Moderate cost, result in a few days. <\/p>\n

Raccoon with burrow under the gallery<\/h3>\n

More problematic: the raccoon sleeps during the day under the porch, comes out at night to hunt. Outside the calving period (May to August), intervention in two stages: intensive scaring for 7 to 10 days to push the start, then installation of a wire mesh driven 30 cm into the ground and folded outwards in an L-shape to prevent any return. Post-closure check with a flour area on the floor to confirm that no animals have become trapped. <\/p>\n

Raccoon that regularly enters the garage<\/h3>\n

Typical case of a garage with a poorly sealed door on the ground. The raccoon comes in at night to drink from bowls left on the ground or explore. Solution: Install a steel brush broom seal at the bottom of the garage door (eliminates access), remove any water or food sources from the garage, and install a motion sensor with a water jet near the door for the first few weeks. Results in 1 to 2 weeks. <\/p>\n

Why a Raccoon Comes Back So Fast<\/h2>\n

Many owners notice that a raccoon hunted comes back in less than a week, or that another takes its place quickly. Three biological factors explain this phenomenon and guide the actions to be taken to break the cycle. <\/p>\n

Expanded spatial memory<\/h3>\n

The raccoon is an intelligent mammal with an excellent memory of places. A regular food source (accessible garbage can, bird feeder, open composter) is memorized and included in its hunting route for several years. As long as the spring remains accessible, the animal continues to visit it, even after several occasional scares. <\/p>\n

High population density in the city<\/h3>\n

Quebec’s urban areas are home to up to 100 raccoons per km\u00b2, according to studies by the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de la faune. If you chase one individual, several others in the vicinity can quickly take their place. This is why eliminating the source of attraction is more effective than eliminating a particular raccoon. <\/p>\n

Annual Dispersal Cycle<\/h3>\n

In September-October, the young raccoons leave their birth territory to look for their own habitat. This is the peak period for new installations. Strengthening prevention just before this period (August) avoids the majority of the problems of the following year. <\/p>\n

Questions<\/h2>\n

What attracts raccoons to a house?<\/h3>\n

Four main sources of attraction for raccoons:<\/p>\n