Suburban Raccoons

A Raccoon clinging to bricks six stories up a Burlington, Iowa, apartment building, a masked burglar is finally collared by the authorities. Raccoons can climb just about anything if this picture is any indication. They are very smart and have excellent claws for climbing and taking things apart. They can get into just about anything you can imagine. If they can climb this building, they can certainly climb the brick at the front of your home. Then onto your roof and push their way under the eave into your attic. Raccoon Deterrents is one approach to dealing with them. They seem to learn which homes are easy to break into and which ones are more difficult. Make sure that yours is one of the difficult ones!

We all want to avoid raccoons getting into our homes or in our attics. I have tried loud music, lights, noise, live animal traps, and more after they got into our attic. Nothing works. Don’t waste your time. Do not waste your money on traps etc. These suburban raccoons are used to living around humans. In fact, they depend on us for their food and shelter! They just ignore us unless they are physically threatened. You need to make sure that all of the potential entrances into your home’s attic are properly blocked.

Best Raccoon Deterrents

The best raccoon deterrent is actually to have your home checked by a professional before you ever have a problem with raccoons. For example, any location where they can gain entry to your attic or some other place inside your home should be covered with heavy gauge wire mesh and screw nailed into the surrounding roof or siding. If you do need to screw nails into the roof, be sure to use a sealing compound to avoid any potential water damage.

If you think they cannot climb up the brick on your house, think again. They can climb so fast that they are almost running up the side of our house when we do see them and scare them.

There are many websites that advertise a variety of raccoon deterrents. These include everything from moth balls to wolf urine. Don’t buy them because you are wasting your money and smelling up your home. Block all entry points to make sure that they cannot get in in the first place. Use strong wire mesh and screw nail it over all potential openings. Don’t take a chance, place wire mesh over anything that you think might be a potential entrance. While you are at it, block entrances for squirrels as well. This is really the best form of raccoon deterrent. It worked for us.

Be Patient if Raccoons Have already Invaded

If you already have a raccoon problem, you will still need Raccoon Deterrents, but first, you need to get rid of them. If they have young ones inside your attic, make sure you get the young ones out as well otherwise the parents will tear your roof apart to get back into the attic where they are. Once the young ones are old enough to travel, installing strong gauged wire mesh with a one-way trap door is the best bet, so they can get out, but not in again. This is the best form of raccoon deterrent and will prevent this family from getting back in as well as others that roam in your neighborhood.

Raccoons in Your Neighborhood

In case you are wondering raccoons will have up to 4 or 5 different dens in a neighborhood and there can be as many as 5 or 6 families in a square mile, sometimes more. So trapping one family and moving them well away will not solve your problem, especially if you have not blocked the entrance. Another family is just going to move right in. Raccoons can tell if the den is in use. Or if it has not been used for some time.

So forget those other types of raccoon deterrents and install a strong wire mesh they cannot remove or get through.

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