If raccoons get into your house, they can cause extensive property damage and potentially expose you and your family to disease. Therefore, it is reasonable for you to try to figure out how to keep raccoons away. In fact, it is better to think of that proactively than to have to think about how to get rid of raccoons if they get into your home. Fortunately, there are things you can do to deter raccoons from your property.
Keep Your Roof in Good Shape
Raccoons have an instinctual drive to seek shelter high off the ground. This helps provide protection from predators for themselves and their vulnerable offspring. In the wild, this typically leads the raccoons to make dens in trees, but urban raccoons are just as likely to climb up on your roof.
Once there, they can use their nimble paws to exploit any weakness or vulnerability that they find to get into your house. For example, if you have shingles that have lifted, raccoons can grab hold of them and pull them up to create an entry into your attic.
Trim Your Trees
If you have tree branches that hang over your roof, it makes it easier for raccoons, squirrels, and other tree-dwelling creatures to get on your roof, which brings them one step closer to getting into your house. Keeping your trees trimmed may not prevent these animals from getting into your house, but it does make it more challenging for them. Ultimately, they may decide that it is not worth the effort, in which case, you may not need raccoon removal in Barrie.
Enclose the Bases of Your Sheds and Decks
Raccoons are versatile. Though they prefer to make dens up high, they can also use a subterranean den if they believe it would be advantageous. Therefore, if you have a space under your deck or shed, you should enclose it with mesh wiring so raccoons can’t get underneath. This barrier should extend underground at least six inches so that the animals can’t dig under it. In addition to deterring raccoons, this can also help against skunks and other burrowing animals.
Don’t Feed Raccoons Either Intentionally or Unintentionally
Raccoons are omnivores with a diet that includes a wide variety of food. They are intelligent creatures that are able to feed themselves. They don’t need your help to find food.
If you see raccoons on your property, don’t feel sorry for them and try to feed them. Doing so is dangerous for both you and the raccoons, as well as everyone in your neighbourhood. If you feed raccoons, they lose their natural fear of humans. They can then become aggressive in trying to get food from humans, meaning that they could bite you or a member of your family. Also, human food is not healthy for raccoons, and if you feed them, they might not get the nutrients they need.
Most homeowners don’t feed raccoons intentionally but may be providing food passively without meaning to. Avoid this by storing garbage in a shed or garage until pickup day and then placing it inside a tightly sealed container. Other passive sources of food for raccoons on your property may include the following:
- Bird feeders
- Fruit trees
- Decorative ponds
- Pet dishes
You may have to get rid of these completely to deter raccoons from your property.
Skedaddle Knows How To Keep Raccoons Away for Good
While preventive measures such as these may reduce the risk of raccoons on your property, they are clever and persistent creatures that may get into your house despite your efforts at deterrence. You shouldn’t blame yourself if you have raccoons, but you should call Skedaddle because we remove them safely, clean up after them, and prevent them from getting back in. Learn more about the services we offer in your area.