Raccoons are a serious problem especially during baby season, dissuading them from coming to your property either because they are living there or coming to make a latrine is something that many people would like to find. Sadly, as with many animals that live in a city they have no animal predators. While coyote urine may scare off a rural raccoon but not one that has never seen a coyote. The same goes for other deterrents. Ammonia smells terrible to a raccoon but the issue with its use is that raccoons in the city are desperate. They may not respond to it and will continue to go through your garbage even if you have drenched it in Windex. Raccoons are not social animals, the females are solitary and need to hide in attics and under decks and sheds because their babies are hunted by other males. This is a process of intra-species survival in which other male raccoons will kill the children of other males in an attempt to increase their own children’s well-being and access to food. While this may sound problematic there are many species that use this process to increase their children’s survivability. This all makes for a very extreme situation for the raccoon kind. While males hunt each other’s children, females must hide their babies while searching for food to feed them. Raccoon babies are, for the first few months of their lives entirely defenseless. They are born blind and immobile and stay that way for a great deal of time. This hampers any possibility of them defending themselves against the much more aggressive, large and dangerous adult male raccoon’s that are hunting them. Male raccoon’s can reach sizes over thirty percent larger than females and compared to baby raccoon’s they are insurmountable.
Deterrents for raccoon’s can be effective in keeping them out of the garbage. Do not spray the ammonia on things, that is not effective as it will dry and lose its smell very quickly. Instead soak a rag in it until it is dripping and leave the rag in various places you are worried the raccoon will go. You can place one in the bottom of your garbage container and then keep the container in the garage, making the sure the door is closed tightly. The raccoon may find a way to get inside but the strong smell of ammonia will help keep them away from it. Keeping the container locked is also a good way to prevent them from getting in. There are other deterrent you can try but always remember that raccoon’s are protected wildlife, things like spikes and other dangerous things are likely to harm them which can come with a hefty fine for harming them. If you have a raccoon living in your attic or under a shed or deck you will not be able to get them out yourself. You can call a professional wildlife control technician who can trench your deck or shed while leaving a one way door that will allow them to vacate but prevent them from getting back in. This one way door can also be used to get them out of an attic. It will be attached to the main entry way they got into through the roof and will force them out of the attic as they must seek out food on a regular basis.