Any wood ash will work, such as the ashes from your fireplace. You may not necessarily be able to buy a quantity of wood ash, but you can save ashes from a fire. These deterrents work best if you only have 1 or 2 raccoons passing through the area. Resident raccoons will quickly adapt, or wait for it to rain and wash away the deterrent.
Sprinkle the mix evenly around crops raccoons are attracted to, such as corn. Use enough that you can smell it in the air around the plants. If it’s recently rained, this mixture may not work. The powder would simply be soaked up by the soil and lose its deterrent effect. Wait until the top layer of the soil is dry before you spread your mixture.
As with other natural repellants, this works better with raccoons that are just passing through the area. Raccoons who live nearby will adapt and learn how to jump over the squash or enter the garden in some other way.
Solar-powered lanterns will charge during the day and come on automatically at dusk, so you don’t have to worry about a power source.
Playing the radio works best in combination with lights. If the raccoons see lights and hear people talking, they will assume that people are there and stay away. Other signs of humanity, such as human hair or clothes that smell of human perspiration, may also work.
Some areas do not allow people to release animals they’ve trapped themselves. Rather, you must contact animal services to have a professional remove the animal for you. This is more common if you live within the city limits. [8] X Research source Even when using humane traps, you are still required to follow state laws and local ordinances regarding the trapping of wildlife.
If you have frequent or repeated problems with raccoons in your garden, it may be worth the investment to go ahead and buy your own traps so you can use them repeatedly. You can purchase humane live traps online, or at hunting or farming stores.
Raccoons are omnivores and will eat nearly anything. If the raccoon you’re trying to trap is going after something in particular, such as your corn, you might try using that as bait.
Typically, you’ll need to leave the trap in an area where the animal services officer can easily get it. You may not be home when the officer arrives. If the raccoon will be in the cage for several hours, provide the animal with some food or water.
If the option is available, you may want to contact 2 or 3 companies and explain your problem. Find out their plan for removing the animals and a basic time frame for when they can get the job done. Then you can compare several estimates. Research the reputation of any company thoroughly before you hire them. You can look up reviews from customers online. If the company is regulated by a government agency, find out if their license is current or if they’ve had any complaints.
Raccoons can figure out how to get over or through a fence fairly easily. They are more likely to be deterred by a fence if they don’t know there is good food beyond it.
Make sure the fence stakes are far enough into the ground that they won’t fall over easily, particularly if it rains. A depth of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) should be sufficient, depending on the density of your soil.
Don’t hook the electric fence up to your home current – it’s much stronger than you need and will turn your electric fence into a serious danger. [14] X Research source
Put up at least one sign for every 4 feet (1. 2 m) of fencing. Make sure the signs are clearly visible from several angles.
Some charging systems allow you to place your fence on an automatic timer. That way, you won’t have to worry about going out to your garden to turn the fence on and off every day.
