Known for stealthily preying on chickens and feasting on lush garden greens, raccoons are nighttime nuisances. To prevent future unwelcome visits, the predator control experts at Nite Guard Solar have these easy tips on how to deter raccoons. If you take action, you can look forward to a property free from raccoons.
Are you ready to learn how to keep raccoons away? Read on.
Homemade Pepper Spray
Raccoons aren’t fond of spicy smells, so a cayenne pepper spray can be an easy and effective raccoon repellent. Mix a small bottle of cayenne pepper with a bottle of hot sauce, then add both to a gallon of water and shake well. Spray this pepper solution around your plants, bushes, and other garden greenery. If you’re trying to deter racoons from prowling your chicken coop, spray it around the perimeter, as well.
Epsom Salt Sprinkle
Continuing in the vein of undesirable scents, Epsom salt is another ingredient that keeps raccoons away. For the most effective protection, sprinkle Epsom salt both inside and surrounding your vegetable garden. Racoons will generally keep a safe distance from that smell, avoiding your garden and coops.
Fix the Fence
A broken fence means easy access to your chicken coop or garden for any curious and dedicated raccoon. If your property is enclosed by a fence, be sure to regularly check for fence damage, and repair any holes immediately. In addition to securing the outermost boundary of your property, be sure to use (and repair) the right type of hardware cloth for your chicken coop, since raccoons will try to reach through mesh cloth with wide enough openings. Use galvanized mesh hardware cloth with openings that are less than one square inch, which is small enough to keep raccoon hands out.
Take Away the Trash
Another easy racoon repellent is the establishment of a scent-free zone. In other words, keep all attractive scents (like the potent stew of garbage) under close cover. Attracted to even the faintest of food smells, raccoons enjoy scavenging for garbage and fallen fruit wherever it is easily accessible. Prevent raccoons from raiding your garbage bins by securing your trash can so that even when tipped over, the lids stay tightly in place. You might choose to look for new garbage bins outfitted with animal-proof latches. Also related to trash, continually check for and pick up any food in the form of fallen fruit (or scattered pet food if you have outdoor pets) before raccoons put your yard on their list for a midnight snack.
Raccoon Deterrent Lights
While all of the above tips are easy, the most ongoing-headache-free and long-lasting solution would be installing Nite Guard Solar lights. Predator deterrent lights are by far the most effective solution to ensure a raccoon-free property. They’re simple to install, weatherproof, and environmentally friendly, so Nite Guard Solar lights are the obvious choice to keep raccoons away for years to come.
To protect your chicken coop from raccoons, mount four Nite Guard Solar lights on all four sides of the coop (one light per side) and position them at eye level to a raccoon (about 10–15 inches from the ground and centered corner to corner).
To keep raccoons away from your garden, place a light about every 25 feet around the garden’s entire perimeter, and position them about 10–15 inches up from the ground. Placing a light in each direction ensures that, no matter where raccoons enter your property, they’ll immediately see Nite Guard Solar’s aggressive red eye, and stay far away from the sense of a threat.
Deter Other Predators
Installing the Nite Guard Solar predator deterrent lights — along with the other tips above — will go a long way to reassure you that your garden and chicken coop will be safe from raccoons. If your predator and animal troubles go beyond raccoons, you can learn how Nite Guard Solar lights can also deter other menaces such as deer and coyotes.
Contact Nite Guard Solar to share your predator deterrent questions and comments. For installation assistance and to order our raccoon deterrent lights, give us a call at 1-800-328-6647 or send us an email at info@niteguard.com.