Raccoons are cute animals, but they can be a nuisance. Learning to get rid of them quickly and permanently allows you to enjoy your property without having to watch out for coons.

If you have raccoons in your walls, wait for them to leave at night, then seal their entry point. Also, eliminate their food sources, such as pet food, loose garbage cans, bird food, compost piles, garden fruits or veggies, and household pests. On the other hand, you might try scare tactics, like motion-activated sprinklers or noises. Finally, there are raccoon repellants like ammonia, cayenne pepper spray, scented trash bags, and anti-raccoon plants.

Following these guidelines will help you get rid of raccoons once and for all. Keep reading to learn more about these techniques and choose which ones are best for your situation.

You might also be interested in reading these two related articles “How To Get Rid of Snakes Quickly and Permanently” and “How To Get Rid of Possums Quickly And Permanently“.

Eliminate Food Sources

Most often, raccoons enter your property looking for food. Therefore, if you cut off their food supply, they won’t come around anymore.

Raccoons are omnivorous animals, meaning they eat plants and animals. In a backyard setting, raccoons may be attracted to a variety of food sources, including:

1. Garbage cans: Raccoons are notorious for raiding garbage cans to find food scraps.
2. Pet food: If you leave pet food outside, raccoons may come to eat it.
3. Bird feeders: Birdseed can attract raccoons.
4. Fruits or vegetables: Raccoons will eat fruits and vegetables from gardens, such as corn, tomatoes, and berries. Fence off veggie patches and pick up fruit that falls on the ground.
5. Compost piles: Raccoons are attracted to compost piles because they contain food scraps. You may need to change your compost method to one that animals can’t get to deter these critters.
6. Insects or rodents: Raccoons will eat insects such as grubs and cockroaches that may be found in your yard. Taking care of other pests could be the key to stopping coons.

How to Get Rid of Raccoons in the Walls

Getting rid of raccoons in the walls is challenging, and should be left to wildlife professionals. But, if you can’t access help, there are some steps you can take on your own, including:

1. Identify the entry point: Raccoons can enter the walls through gaps or holes in the roof, walls, or foundation. Locate the entrance and seal it off after the raccoon exits.
2. Determine if there are baby raccoons: You don’t want to leave baby raccoons trapped inside your walls. If there are babies, it’s best to wait until they’re old enough to go out with their mother before taking action.
3. Make noise: Loud noises, such as playing music, encourage raccoons to leave the walls and find a new den. Place your speakers near where you have heard raccoons for the best results.
4. Set up a trap: A live trap can be set up near the entry point to capture the raccoon. Once caught, the raccoon can be released far away from your property.

Luckily, raccoons should leave your walls each night to look for food. You can watch for them to exit, then seal their entry point, and they will find another place to shelter.

If you suspect a raccoon is stuck in your wall, you may need to make a hole for it to escape. This could be extremely dangerous and should only be attempted in an emergency.

Secure Trash Cans

Overall, securing your trash cans is one of the most important steps you can take to keep raccoons away. Easy ways to do this are using a trash can with a tight-fitting lid or putting heavy objects on top.

Look for cans with lids that snap securely or have fasteners to keep the top firmly in place. Also, ratchet straps can be put over your garbage lids to hold them down.

You may want to invest in a wildlife-proof trash can in areas with large raccoon populations. These durable bins feature a variety of security measures, including complicated opening mechanisms that raccoons won’t be able to figure out.

Add Repellent Bags To Your Trash

Raccoons are attracted to the smell of food in trash cans. Therefore, using rodent-repelling garbage bags that emit a strong odor deters them.

These bags have natural oils, such as mint and cedar, with a strong scent that masks the smell of food. The odor of rodent-repelling sacks is more pleasant to humans but doesn’t smell like a free meal to raccoons, so they leave your trash alone.

For this method to work, it’s critical to tie the sacks tightly, keeping the food scent sealed inside. Additionally, rodent-repelling bags add extra raccoon-preventing power to well-secured trash can lids.

Motion Activated Sprinklers Scare Raccoons Away

Motion-activated sprinklers are a fast and humane way to keep raccoons away from your yard. These sprinklers use infrared sensors to detect motion and spray a burst of water, startling and deterring any animals in the area.

To use motion-activated sprinklers, follow these steps:

1. Set up the sprinklers where raccoons frequent, such as near garbage cans or around garden beds. 
2. Adjust the sensors to detect raccoon movement. 
3. Aim the sprinklers where raccoons enter your property. 
4. Set the sensors to turn the water on for less than five minutes.
5. Move the sprinklers daily until raccoons stop coming to your yard. This prevents them from learning to avoid the water.

Also, don’t let your sprinklers hit anything water could damage, like electrical outlets or wooden siding. Then, be mindful of the sprinklers overwatering areas of your garden. Finally, this method wastes water and isn’t suitable for deserts or places with expensive water.

Motion-Activated Sounds

Similar to how motion-activated sprinklers, sounds are another way of scaring raccoons away from your property. These devices emit high-pitched sounds or predator noises that are unpleasant to raccoons, encouraging them to stay away.

To use motion-activated sounds, place the devices in areas where you have seen raccoons. Set the volume to the right level and adjust the motion sensor to detect the raccoon’s movement. 

It’s important to note that raccoons may become accustomed to the sounds. Therefore, this method could scare them away initially, but you should take other measures to prevent them from returning.

Getting Rid Of Raccoons With Ammonia

Ammonia is a component of urine. Its strong smell deters raccoons from your property because they think it could be pee from a predator or another raccoon. 

Soak rags or cotton balls in this chemical and place them around your property to ward off raccoons. The smell will wear off every few days, so replace the ammonia frequently for at least two weeks until the raccoons learn to avoid the area.

Ammonia is a harsh chemical that shouldn’t contact your skin, so wear gloves and protective clothing when handling it. Also, keep the ammonia away from children and pets and avoid placing it near food or water sources. 

Will Bleach Keep Raccoons Away?

While bleach has a strong odor that can be unpleasant to raccoons, it’s an impractical method for keeping them away. Unfortunately, bleach is a toxic chemical that can harm animals and humans if ingested or inhaled.

Also, bleach damages surfaces, such as concrete or wood, and your landscaping. Furthermore, raccoons are adaptable and intelligent animals that may quickly become accustomed to the bleach smell. 

Put simply, bleach is a bad way to get rid of raccoons.

Make A Spicy Pepper Repellent Spray

You can make a simple and safe pepper solution to spray that raccoons will avoid. Follow these easy steps to do it yourself:

1. Gather a spray bottle, cayenne/any spicy pepper powder, water, and dish soap.
2. Fill the spray bottle with water and add a tablespoon of cayenne powder. Make the mixture as strong as you need by adding more spice.
3. Add a few drops of dish soap to the mixture. This ingredient helps the spray stick to surfaces and irritates the raccoon’s skin and eyes.
4. Shake the mixture well.
5. Identify the areas where raccoons hang out, such as around trash cans or near garden beds.
6. Spray the pepper solution directly on the surfaces in these areas. Be sure to spray thoroughly, especially where the raccoons are likely to climb or access food sources.
7. Reapply the pepper solution every few days or after rain because the smell wears off fast.

How to Get Rid of Raccoons Naturally with Plants

While no plants are proven to repel raccoons completely, some plants might offer some help to deter them due to their strong scent or prickly texture. 

Some plants you can grow to keep raccoons away are:

1. Mint: This plant is easy to grow, plus its refreshing scent might deter raccoons. Use it as a barrier around your property, but, be careful: it quickly gets out of control and could take over your garden.
2. Lavender: This beautiful flower has a sweet smell that raccoons don’t like. As a bonus, it’s unlikely to turn into a weed and choke out your garden like mint.
3. Marigolds: These flowers have a strong scent that many pests stay away from, including raccoons. Plant it near your gardens or around your property for beauty and a bit of raccoon repellant.
4. Thorny plants: Raccoons, like humans, don’t want to get pricked by thorns. Therefore, planting spiky plants like roses, cacti, or blackberries around your garden keeps them away.

Seal Your Home To Prevent Raccoons From Returning

Once you’ve gotten rid of raccoons, you need to take measures to keep them away. Some steps you can take to prevent raccoons from returning to your property are:

1. Inspect your home: Check for any openings or gaps where raccoons might enter. Check for holes in the roof, walls, vents, or around doors and windows.
2. Seal openings and gaps: Once you’ve identified the holes, seal them with caulking, wire mesh, plywood, or hardware cloth.
3. Install chimney caps: Chimneys are a common raccoon entry point, but putting a cap on them stops that.
4. Trim branches: Raccoons climb trees and enter homes through overhanging branches. Trim them to prevent these critters from gaining access to your roof.
5. Close pet doors at night: Raccoons might enter homes through pet doors. 
6. Use motion-activated lights: Install motion-activated lights around your home to make raccoons feel less comfortable near your home.