Raccoons can be a nuisance. They make a mess, can damage property and your garden, and they carry diseases. They are the number one carrier of rabies in Colorado. If you have a raccoon problem, here are some of the ways to get rid of them:
The first step in getting rid of any animal pest, including a raccoon, is to remove their main reason for being there: access to food. Seal your trash can lids. Change from an open compost pile to sealed bins. Don’t leave pet food outside. Get rid of bird feeders.
If raccoons are raiding your garden, try aversion techniques to limit their access.
Aversion techniques create an unpleasant environment for raccoons, encouraging them to leave. Raccoons don’t like bright lights or loud noises. You can put lights in your garden and leave them on or set them up on a motion sensor. You may also be able to keep them away with a radio set to a rock station and left in the garden, but it may be hard to find a volume that frightens the raccoons but doesn’t bother you or your neighbors.
They may also be repelled by certain smells, including ammonia. You can often encourage them to vacate a lair by putting rags soaked with ammonia inside (though this is obviously not a good idea if they’re in your home.) You can also try lighting their lair or putting a radio inside as well.
In Colorado, you are allowed to trap raccoons on your property without a license. You are then allowed to relocate them within 10 miles if you can find an appropriate habitat and get permission from the landowner or managing agency.
Trapping raccoons is tricky, because the animals are smart, you may trap cats and other animals by accident, and the raccoon you trap may not be the one responsible for the damage.
Although raccoons are fairly large animals, an adult raccoon can fit through an opening as small as 3 inches. Make sure you find and seal all the entrances, if you are sure the raccoon is not inside. If you seal a raccoon inside your home, it will die, creating a smelly corpse
Heavy wire cloth or sheet metal are preferred for sealing entries. Don’t forget to seal your chimney. Cut trees away from your roof to limit access.
Although you are allowed to try trapping raccoons on your own, our years of experience in trapping and relocating them allow us to take care of the problem more quickly and with more assurance.
For help with a raccoon problem in the Denver area, please contact Animal & Pest Control Specialist today.
Ronnie came out and completed an inspection in our home. He gave us good news that we did not have an insect problem. He was very knowledgeable, courteous and professional. Although they typically do not deal with our particular problem, they were willing to do an inspection and point us in the right direction. The gal in the office went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of. Thank you!
