How To Keep Raccoons Away From Trash Cans

Download Article

Download Article

The results of a nocturnal raccoon raid on a trash can are often quite devastating: smelly trash strewn all over a lawn, an unsightly and unsanitary mess. Fortunately, there are several strategies y'all can employ to proceed these stray creatures from having their way with your waste.

1. ane

   Weigh down your lid. For an easy solution, just identify a heavy rock or cinder cake on height of your lid. Just brand certain anybody who needs access to the can is strong enough to lift it (besides raccoons, of course)!

2. ii

   Pick a locking metallic trash tin. A flimsy or loose can won't stand up to a cunning raccoon. Choose a metal trash can with a locking lid. While some plastic cans tin can lock, raccoons are often able to chew through plastic.^[1]

   Advertisement

3. 3

   Install an extra lock (or two). Attaching clamps, a chain-and-padlock philharmonic, bungee cords, or particularly designed garbage-lid straps are all good strategies to continue your hat secure from intruders. Don't hesitate to use multiple locking mechanisms.^[2]

4. iv

   Seal each trash bag. Tightly sealing trash numberless before putting them in your can will aid prevent tempting scents from escaping. If a trash purse contains an specially smelly item--such equally a slice of meat--endeavour sealing it with an actress bag.

5. v

   Secure your can upright with stakes. Oftentimes, raccoons open up trash cans by tipping them and spilling their contents. Tie the handles of your trash can to a metallic or wooden stake secured in the footing to go on raccoons from tipping them over.

Advertizement

1. one

   Sprinkle a raccoon repellent around your trash cans. Specifically designed commercial repellents tin ward off raccoons from even inbound the vicinity of your can.

   • Effort granular products such as Havahart Critter Ridder, or liquids such equally Just Scentsational synthetic wolf urine. ^[3]
   • Avoid using naphthalene (the active ingredient in mothballs), as it has been identified every bit a possible carcinogen past the EPA. ^[4]

2. 2

   Use ammonia. Ammonia smells like raccoon urine, making it a highly offensive--and highly effective--repellent. Try spraying ammonia or placing ammonia-soaked cloths in and effectually your trash can. Additionally, yous can spray other areas of your property where raccoons seem to besiege to discourage them from entering your g in the first place.^[five]

3. 3

   Use natural raccoon-repellant spices and oils. Racoons hate the smell of many normally bachelor spices and oils, including mint, cayenne pepper, and oil of mustard. Try spraying or sprinkling whatever (or all) of these items in and around your can for additional protection.^[six]

Advertisement

1. 1

   Put your bin behind closed doors. Keeping your trash cans in a shed, garage, basement or other enclosure volition surely prevent overnight pillages; racoons simply cannot open doors. If you need to leave trash out for pickup, look until the morning to remove your cans from their haven; raccoons tend simply to strike at nighttime.^[7]

2. ii

   Plow up the radio. Keeping a radio on constantly effectually your cans will aid deter raccoons. The racket of human voices (such as though from a news or talk station) will scare off the furry burglars. Try a low volume at first, and plow it upwards if your raccoon problems persist.^[eight]

3. iii

   Turn on the lights. Install move-detection lighting around the surface area where you lot go on your trash cans. Raccoons prefer darkness and might exist deterred by a sudden vivid light. For an easier solution, merely install a strand of blinking Christmas lights over the trashcan.^[9]

4. four

   Eternalize your fences. If you have a fenced yard, consider adding mesh wire to the bottom of the fence and extending it several inches hush-hush to deter raccoons from burrowing under and getting to your trash cans.

   Adept TIP

   Hussam Bin Pause is a Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator and Operations Director. He and his brother Hussam co-founded Diagno Pest Command in the greater Philadelphia area in 2018, and have since expanded their services to include the New Jersey market. Diagno Pest Control has received Home Advisor'southward Tiptop Rated and Elite Service Badges for quality of work and customer service.

   

   The best method to deter raccoons is exclusion. Nigh states don't allow people to catch raccoons because they might be carrying rabies. Instead, you tin can use different methods to foreclose the raccoons from getting near or into your business firm or trash cans.

Advertisement

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your electronic mail address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertising

Video

• If you have outdoor pets, avoid leaving their food and h2o out overnight, every bit these might attract raccoons to your yard.

• Do not try to trap or snare raccoons yourself. These animals can get ferocious and might even carry rabies. Always contact a professional person wildlife control company to handle fauna entrapment.

Advertising

Things You'll Need

• Trash can, metallic with lock if possible
• Hose piping, bungee cord, cinder block, concatenation and padlock, etc.
• Ammonia, cayenne pepper, oil of mustard, mint oil

About This Article

Article Summary Ten

Go along raccoons out of your trash tin can by ensuring your tin can lid is stock-still in place or weighing it down with a rock or heavy object. If this doesn't work, try spraying ammonia effectually your can, since information technology's a raccoon repellant. Alternatively, you can spray household products like mint or mustard oil around the base. To prevent raccoons from finding your trash, make certain your numberless are tightly sealed before you put them in the trash tin can. Finally, consider securing your can in place past tying it to stakes then raccoons tin can't knock it over. To learn near chemical products you tin can use to keep raccoons away, and which ones to avert, read on!

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 288,405 times.

Did this commodity help you?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Raccoons-Out-of-a-Trash-Can

Share this post