Raccoons are cute and cuddly, but these nocturnal animals can be pests in your garden. They can also carry rabies and transmit diseases to humans and other pets.
If you have raccoons in your garden, it is essential to take action quickly before the problem gets worse.
If left alone for too long, raccoons will cause serious damage by digging up plants and eating them or by destroying flower beds with their urine which is believed to be an attempt at marking territory or releasing tension from being confined indoors all day long.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Keeping raccoons out of your garden is important to protect your plants and limit the spread of disease. |
| Strategies for keeping raccoons out of your garden include creating physical barriers, removing food sources, and using natural deterrents. |
| Understanding what attracts raccoons to gardens can help you identify potential problem areas and take preventative measures. |
| Additional resources like blog posts, guides, and FAQs can provide more information and support for keeping raccoons out of your garden. |
Use A Hot Wire
The simplest way to keep raccoons out of your garden is to install a hot-wire fence. If you have an existing fence, it’s easy enough to add a layer of electric wire just below the top of your existing fence.
Make sure that this section is fully enclosed and not accessible from above (that is, don’t leave any holes in the fencing).
If you are building a new fence or plan on enclosing your garden entirely, then you’ll need to install an electric fence system that’s designed specifically for protecting gardens and food crops.
For example, this model comes with three wires: one ground wire that keeps the system grounded; one hot wire; and one safety ground wire that will deactivate if someone gets too close so they don’t get electrocuted!
The safest place for these systems would be about two feet high off of the ground where raccoons can’t climb over them easily without coming into contact with them first (see step 2).
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Install a fence
A fence is a good way to keep raccoons out of your yard. The fence should be tall enough to keep the raccoons from climbing over it, and have sharp edges that will not easily be damaged by the raccoons’ claws.
Don’t leave food out for any wildlife
Don’t feed wildlife. This is an obvious one, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s still something that happens all the time. When keeping raccoons out of your garden, it’s important to not leave food out for any wildlife.
This includes pet food left outside overnight, garbage and composted organic material, or fruit and vegetables that have fallen off trees.
Even if you’re only feeding squirrels, keep in mind that raccoons can also access this kind of food source if they want to—and they are much bigger than most squirrels!
Keeping your trash can secure is another way to keep raccoons from getting into your garden (or flowerbeds). Raccoons love easy access to garbage and other human food sources like compost piles; make sure these things are put away every night before bedtime!
| Wildlife | Reason |
|---|---|
| Raccoons | Attracted to the scent of food |
| Squirrels | Can become aggressive towards humans for food |
| Birds | Attracts scavengers like rats and other pests |
| Deer | Encourages deer to become habituated to people and urban areas |
| Coyotes | Encourages these wild canines to forage in residential areas |
Set out traps
You can use a live trap or a kill trap to catch raccoons if you see one in your garden. Place the traps in areas where you’ve seen evidence of raccoon activity, such as droppings or destroyed plants.
The best time to trap a raccoon is at night, so place the traps after dark and check them in the morning.
You may need to bait your traps with peanut butter or other food that appeals to raccoons before placing them in strategic locations around your property (make sure not to leave any bait outside for pets or other animals).
Make sure you set up your baited traps correctly so that they’re secure and sturdy enough not to tip over once an animal climbs inside it.
Use flood lights and motion-activated sprinklers
You can use motion-activated sprinklers or flood lights to scare raccoons away from your garden.
Motion activated sprinklers are devices that spray water when they detect a moving object, such as a person or animal, in the area.
They’re usually battery powered, so you don’t have to worry about wires and electricity if you live in an area where raccoons are common and might chew through wires to get inside your home.
The downside of these devices is that they may not be able to sense small animals like raccoons because they tend to move more slowly than larger animals do.
Flood lights can help keep raccoons out of your garden by shining bright light onto the plants at night when these pests are active (they prefer dark areas).
You can buy waterproof versions with timers so you don’t have to stay awake all night shining them on the crops every few hours! Just make sure there aren’t any holes for rodents or insects before installing them!
Keeping raccoons away from your property requires some effort, but with the right strategies, it is possible. Check out our simple guide to keeping raccoons away for tips and tricks on how to deter these pesky critters
Try to make the area less attractive to raccoons
You can try using citrus peels, vinegar or mothballs around your garden as a deterrent for raccoons.
They don’t like the smell of these things and will look elsewhere for food and shelter if they are present in large amounts.
Raccoons also won’t be attracted to an area where there is too much light, so you may want to install motion-activated lights around your property if you have any trouble with raccoon infestations.
To keep trash secure from raccoons, keep it inside until you’re ready to take it out at night or early morning when they aren’t likely around—or simply dispose of trash entirely by taking it straight outside when it fills up instead of leaving it inside until later in the day or evening when they might come looking for easy snacks in your kitchen!
You’ll also want to remove food sources such as pet food dishes that are left outside overnight as well as bird feeders that have fallen victim (oops!) during winter storms but haven’t been cleaned out yet due.
| Strategies | Effectiveness |
|---|---|
| Secure garbage cans with locking lids | Very Effective |
| Install motion-detecting lights or sprinklers | Somewhat Effective |
| Remove potential food sources, such as fallen fruit or nuts | Moderately Effective |
| Block access to potential denning or nesting areas | Moderately Effective |
| Use natural deterrents, such as hot pepper sprays or predator urine | Somewhat Effective |
Use ammonia to repel raccoons from garbage cans
Ammonia is a common household ingredient that can be used to repel raccoons from garbage cans. Raccoons are attracted to the smell of ammonia and will stay away from it if they detect it in their territory.
To use ammonia to repel raccoons, fill your garbage can with water and add 3-4 tablespoons of ammonia for every gallon of water you use.
Let this mix sit overnight so that the ammonia has time to permeate all areas of your garbage container.
The next day, dump out any leftover liquid and rinse off your trash can thoroughly with fresh water before putting any more trash inside it.
Safety precautions when using ammonia: Ammonia fumes can be harmful if inhaled or ingested, so make sure not to breathe in fumes while handling this substance!
Also, don’t let pets or children near an area where you have applied this repellant because small animals may drink from puddles left behind after rinsing out your trash bin (which could lead them into ingesting dangerous amounts).
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Give them no reason to be there
Finally, make sure you give the racoons no reason to be in your garden in the first place. Here are some ways you can do that:
Keep your property well lit. This is a basic rule of thumb for keeping out any pests or unwanted visitors, but it’s especially important when dealing with raccoons.
They prefer to stay hidden when they prowl around at night, so making sure there are no dark corners where they can hide will help prevent them from coming into contact with your plants and garden beds.
Use ammonia to repel raccoons from garbage cans. Ammonia has been known to work as a deterrent against many different types of animals (including rats), and it works especially well on raccoons because they’re drawn to its strong scent.
Simply pour some into an empty spray bottle, mix 3 parts water with 1 part ammonia, then spray down garbage cans and bins before putting them outside on trash day (or whenever you dispose of food scraps).
The smell will deter most animals who might otherwise try to get into these containers looking for an easy meal—and since raccoons are particularly fond of trash bags full of old food scraps that haven’t yet made their way into a bin or carton outside yet!
Remove any food sources near your property immediately if possible; otherwise keep them locked away from prying eyes at night by using animal-proof lids or other means.”
Make sure your garbage containers are secure
It’s important to keep raccoons away from your yard and garden, but it’s just as important to make sure they don’t get into your home.
Raccoons can easily open a standard garbage lid or tear into a plastic bag. Instead of using a normal lid for your cans or bins, use one that fits tightly over the top of the container and keeps raccoons out.
You can also use locking mechanisms on containers if you want to ensure that no one—human or animal—can get inside without some sort of help from you first!
Raccoons can be a nuisance when they get into your trash, but luckily there are several simple ways to keep them out. Our guide on keeping raccoons out of your trash offers effective strategies for keeping your garbage cans secure and raccoon-free.
Protect your garden with fencing or netting
If you live in an area where raccoons are prevalent, it is important that you protect your garden and crops from them. The easiest way to do this is by using fencing or netting.
For fences, try chicken wire as it’s very easy to install and can be used on most kinds of soil.
Just dig a hole about 8 inches deep with the width of the fence, lay out your fence, fill in with dirt so that it lines up properly with the ground level, then hammer stakes into each end of the fence line at least 12 inches deep into hard ground or concrete.
Keep in mind that raccoons will climb over short fences (under 6 feet) but will not attempt anything higher than 8 feet.
To keep them from digging under fences use a trench along the bottom edge at least 12 inches deep filled with large rocks or bricks around each post before filling back out with dirt afterwards so nothing can get underneath without making noise for you to hear when they try digging through overnight when no one’s watching (or wake up early enough).
Netting is also an effective method for keeping raccoons out because they don’t like climbing if there aren’t any trees nearby where they could go instead.
| Type of Barrier | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Electric fencing | Highly effective; keeps wildlife out of garden | Expensive; requires installation and maintenance |
| Chicken wire fence | Affordable and easy to install; can be customized to garden size | Not as strong or durable as other options; may require frequent repairs |
| Mesh netting | Effective against birds and smaller pests; allows for light and water to pass through | Less effective against larger pests like raccoons or deer; may entangle wildlife |
Keep your garden clean and tidy
Keep garbage and food waste away from the garden. Raccoons are attracted to areas where there is food, so make sure you keep your garden clean and tidy by storing any garbage or compost in a bin until it can be taken away.
Remove any dead trees or branches that could provide shelter for raccoons. This will also help keep other pests out of your garden as well!
Keep your garden free of debris and make sure it is tidy, especially around new plantings; these are the places where raccoons like to sleep during the day.
Attracting raccoons to your yard might be fun for some, but for those looking to keep them out of the garden, it’s important to understand what draws them in. Our guide on how to attract raccoons to your yard offers an in-depth look at the behaviors and habitats of these creatures, as well as tips for keeping them out of your garden.
Remove water sources
You can also remove water sources such as bird baths and fountains, or at least cover them up. Raccoons are known to be attracted by the sound of running water.
Make sure you do not leave any food out either, especially pet food that is left unattended. The best way to keep raccoons away from your garden is to keep your area clean and tidy.
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has given you some ideas on how to keep raccoons out of your garden. If you’re having trouble with them, try some of these tactics and see what works best for you!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to learn more about keeping raccoons out of your garden:
How to Get Rid of Raccoons: This blog post from Smith’s Pest Management offers tips on how to identify and remove raccoons from your property.
How to Keep Raccoons Out of the Garden: WikiHow provides a comprehensive guide on keeping raccoons out of your garden, employing a variety of methods including fencing, repellents, and traps.
How to Keep Raccoons Out of Your Garden: Urban Farmie offers tips on how to protect your garden from raccoons, including natural deterrents and physical barriers.
FAQs
What attracts raccoons to gardens?
Raccoons are attracted to gardens for their food sources, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts. They are also drawn to areas with accessible water sources.
What are some natural ways to keep raccoons out of the garden?
Some natural ways to keep raccoons out of the garden include planting herbs and flowers that are unappealing to them, placing garlic or ammonia-soaked rags around the garden, and using hot pepper sprays or predator urine.
What are some physical barriers to keep raccoons out of the garden?
Physical barriers that can keep raccoons out of the garden include electric fencing, chicken wire fences, or mesh netting.
What should I do if I find raccoons in my garden?
If you find raccoons in your garden, it is important to remove any food sources to discourage them from returning. You can also try repellents or traps to safely remove them from your property.
Is it legal to trap raccoons in my area?
Laws regarding trapping raccoons vary depending on location. Check with your local wildlife agency to determine the legal requirements for trapping or removing raccoons in your area.
Hello! I’m Hellen James, and I write about how to keep pests from invading your home. For the last 10 years, I’ve been working in pest control and am excited to share my expertise with you!
