How to Get Rid of Raccoons – 10 Tips to Keep Them Away

Raccoons are sneaky little creatures that love to wreak havoc on yards and buildings, small and medium-sized animals, and even houses. During one summer of raising chickens, we lost over 40 chicks to raccoons (9 raccoons, to be exact) in a period of just weeks. While this “summer of the raccoons” was an exceptionally large era in our raccoon history, it taught us a thing or two about how to get rid of raccoons (and hopefully keep them away).

The best way to keep a raccoon problem at bay is to take proactive steps to make your yard or building less hospitable to these opportunistic feeders. Preventative measures like securing garbage bins, removing food scraps, and tightening up potential entry points (even more than you might think) can go a long way in deterring these nocturnal creatures. 

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But if you still find yourself with a raccoon infestation, it may be time for some raccoon deterrents, such as motion-activated lights, high-frequency sounds, or natural repellents. 

If you have a really attractive and reliable food source (say, a chicken coop full of delicious-looking young birds), you may need to take it a step further in order to remove these highly intelligent animals. (I’ll show you just how intelligent they are in a moment!)

Let’s start with some of the simplest and most effective methods for getting rid of raccoons.

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5 Ways to Prevent Raccoons from Coming Into Your Yard

A yard that’s inhospitable to raccoons is the easiest and best way to keep them out of your space. Raccoons are nocturnal animals, and they’ll take any chance to sneak in at night and rustle through your trash bins, grab scraps left outside of vegetable gardens, demolish pet food bowls, or get their hands on birds, eggs, aquatic animals, and small rodents.

If you can take preventive measures to create a space that they don’t care for, you’ll probably soon find yourself with no more raccoons around. 

Of course, sometimes it’s not possible to completely remove everything raccoons like, such as trash, compost bins, or outdoor animals. In this case, you’ll need to be strategic about securing these areas in order to keep raccoons out. Keep reading for some ideas on how to do so. 

1. Secure trash cans

If you wake up to bags torn apart or trash strewn about, you probably have raccoons clawing through your garbage at night. To avoid this, make sure all of your trash bags make their way into a secure bin, and ensure that garbage cans stay completely closed at nighttime. 

If your area is especially prone to these creatures or you have especially enticing garbage, you may need to use strong bungee cords to hold the lid on tightly, or keep your garbage bins inside a garage or building. 

2. Be strategic with compost piles

If leftover food scraps from your compost pile are what’s bringing in the raccoons, you may need to switch over to a more closed system. Here are a few ideas to adjust your composting to keep raccoons out.

• Build walls around your compost bin using sheet metal or glass. Raccoons cannot climb up these surfaces, as long as screw heads are far enough apart that they can’t grip them in order to climb.
• Bury your food scraps and avoid composting animal products. You may be able to keep raccoons out by burying food scraps in enough brown material, such as dead grass and leaves. However, for some motivated raccoons, they may still dig through. In addition avoid composting animal bones, meat, and grease, which are especially attractive to raccoons and may make your compost stink, anyway.
• Create an electric fence. While most regular fencing doesn’t deter raccoon damage, placing one or two strips of electric fencing around the bottom few inches of your compost pile can have good results for keeping them away. This method can work for gardens, too.
• Switch over to a closed compost tumbler. 
• Build a raccoon-proof compost bin out of hardware cloth and 2x4s.

3. Block access points

Raccoons are notoriously smart. They can open simple latches, peel back chicken wire, and move light objects. 

During the summer that we kept losing chicks, we could not figure out how these raccoons were getting into our chicken tractor. After a couple of nights (and a couple of different attempts at solidifying the chicken coop), we set up a trail cam to help us see how they were getting in. 

In the morning, we hardly believed our eyes. Turns out, they were climbing up the coop, flattening themselves to shimmy under the tight tarp that was stretched over the top, and scooting to the very top where the chicken wire met. At the top, there was a 1″ gap at the roofline (UNDER the tight tarp!), which they pried apart with their hands and shimmied inside.

If you’re interested, you can read more of the story and see the trail cam pics in this blog post.

All that to say, block your areas well! Use complicated latches and hardware cloth (better than chicken wire), and patch up any holes very well, whether you’re protecting chickens or your attic. 

4. Remove or protect any other potential food sources 

Raccoons (aka “trash pandas”) aren’t too picky about what they’ll eat. They’ll go after bird feeders or fallen bird seed, fallen fruit from fruit trees, pet food bowls, or scraps left outside. Try removing these sources, or at least take them away from tree branches or other places where raccoons can easily get up. Remember, these intelligent animals are incredibly good climbers (although they can’t usually get up glass or sheet metal).

5. Protect water sources

Sometimes, raccoons will venture into your yard looking for a water source. If you’ve removed food and trash, protected chickens and other small animals, and secured any other holes that they might find interesting, you may need to consider covering any sort of water feature in your yard, such as bird feeders, swimming pools, a fish pond, or pet water dishes.

5 Ways to Repel Raccoons

If you’ve tried everything you can do deter raccoons by taking preventative measures, you may need to dip your feet into the world of raccoon repellents to keep them away. Motion-activated devices, strong scents, and sounds are a few specific methods that can keep these destructive creatures away from your space.

1. Motion-activated sprinklers

Motion-activated sprinklers can be a harmless and effective way to scare raccoons and other nuisance wildlife with a sudden burst of water. If possible, aim it in the direction from which raccoons typically enter your yard. 

It’s a good idea to look for an adjustable sprinkler like this one and change the spray distance and pattern every once in awhile (and maybe even the direction it’s facing) to keep them on their toes. If you’re looking for humane methods for deterring raccoons, this is often a good one to try.

2. Scent repellents

Strong scents can be another good way to deter raccoons. Here are a few ideas:

• Sprinkle cayenne pepper around garden beds, crawl space entry points, or garbage areas to create an irritating barrier that raccoons avoid. You can also mix cayenne with water in a spray bottle and apply it to surfaces that might need protection
• Dilute peppermint oil in water and use a spray bottle to treat areas that are prone to raccoon damage. The strong mint scent is repelling to their sensitive noses.
• Scatter blood meal granules in flower beds, vegetable gardens, compost bins, or areas where raccoons dig. The smell signals danger and discourages them from approaching.
• Apply vinegar to fence posts, garbage containers, or garden borders. The sour aroma is another natural deterrent.
• Hang bars or shavings of Irish Spring soap or spread them around outdoor areas. Raccoons dislike its strong smell.

If these seem a little too basic, you can also take it a step further and apply some predator urine (such as fox or coyote) around the perimeter of your yard. (Please share your experience in the comments if you do!)

It’s a good idea to rotate or refresh scents weekly so raccoons don’t get used to them.

3. Bright lights

Motion-activated devices that shine bright or flashing lights can also be effective deterrents for raccoons. You can go fancy with evictor strobe lights or try some simpler lights paired with scent repellants or sprinklers to catch your nightly visitors off guard.

4. Ultrasonic devices

Ultrasonic devices emit high-pitched sounds that are supposedly only heard by certain animals. Some of these animal repellant devices, like this one, also have integrated lights.

5. Other ideas

Here are a few more simple ideas for deterring your local raccoons:

• Try a decoy. I have my doubts about this one (these creatures seem way too smart to me), but some say decoys like a scarecrow or owl can be helpful in deterring raccoons. 
• Pie tin or streamers. These types of decoys can be intimidating to animals as they blow in the wind. Hanging them up around gardens or compost piles can be a good way to keep animals out. If nothing else, they might at least scare the deer away.
• Other sounds. Fluctuating sounds or loud noises can be a decent solution. In a pinch (during a daytime attack against our chickens), I stuck a bluetooth speaker outside to play different podcasts until my husband came home to help me better seal up the chicken coop. It worked! 

If Nothing Works, Trap Raccoons in a Live Trap

If nothing works to keep the raccoons away, the best option may just be to remove them using a live trap. 

Unfortunately, in urban areas, this can get tricky. While it may seem simple to take your catch to the woods or other open areas nearby, local regulations may not allow you to simply relocate these creatures.

In residential areas, you may have to contact pest control services or find a professional removal service.

If you live out in the country, trapping raccoons is often a fairly simple and necessary option.

(You can find more tips for trapping raccoons in the FAQ section of this blog post below.)

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FAQs

What Problems Can Raccoons Cause?

Raccoons can cause all sorts of problems to both humans and animals, including property damage, potential health risks, and killing smaller animals.

They’re incredibly smart creatures, and even small openings can grant them easy access into outdoor areas and human habitations, including homes, garages, barns, and sheds. Raccoons can chew through wires, destroy insulation, raid crops (especially sweet corn—a favorite target), and more. 

They also carry parasites and diseases, which can be transmitted to humans through their feces. 

How Do You Trap a Raccoon?

Trap raccoons using a live trap that’s baited with something attractive such as dog food, marshmallows, or corn. We’ve also had success with cooked chicken. Place the bait all the way to the back of the trap, and make sure it’s large enough that they can’t grab it and pull it out through the bars on the sides. 

Make sure to check into local laws and regulations, as some areas may require you to call animal control or a wildlife agency for raccoon removal.

Will Raccoons Dig Under a Chicken Coop?

Yes, raccoons can dig under chicken coops and reach through chicken wire. The best solution is to bury hardware cloth at least 12″ deep under the coop, and surround the coop with hardware cloth as well. 

Chicken wire isn’t enough to deter raccoons in most cases. The wire mesh of hardware cloth is small patterned and much more effective for keeping coons out. 

However, we have our (fairly heavy) moveable chicken coop anchored to 2x4s, with no buried hardware cloth, and the only times we’ve had them sneak or reach under is when the coop wasn’t on completely flat ground.

Here are some more effective ways to protect your chickens from raccoons. (Plus, a crazy story about how they got to dozens of our young birds—and how we finally figured them out!)

What Do Raccoon Tracks Look Like?

Raccoons look like tiny human handprints that are about 2-3″ in length. Raccoons have five toes on each foot and five fingers on each hand. You might also see their little foot prints accompanied by claw marks on wooden boards, tree trunks, or fences.

Other signs of raccoons include raccoon scat (poop), a mess of food or animal parts, and nighttime attacks.

What Does Raccoon Poop Look Like?

Raccoon poop is typically dark and tubular, and about 2-3″ long. Raccoon poop is different from cat or dog poop in that it usually has lots of small pieces of undigested food in it. 

It’s common for raccoon feces to carry parasites and bacteria, so if you find it in your yard, it’s best to remove it quickly. 

How Much Does a Raccoon Weigh?

Adult raccoons can weigh anywhere from 10-30 pounds. Their size varies a lot depending on the time of year, sex, habitat, and food availability.

From a distance, raccoons sometimes look like a large cat or a small dog, but they have a walk-run that highlights their arched back.

Where Are Raccoons Native To?

Raccoons are native to North America. They’re found throughout Southern Canada, almost all of the U.S., and parts of Mexico and Central America. They thrive in wooded areas as well as near cities and suburbs.