This Raccoon Won’t Leave My Deck! What Now?
When a raccoon won’t leave the deck or even the backyard, you have to take action. Yet, standing face to face with a wild animal like a raccoon can feel a bit scary. You know raccoons have sharp teeth and claws. You understand that they carry hideous diseases. Unfortunately, they scamper around your deck or backyard as if they own the place. What can you do? Follow these tips to get rid of that raccoon as fast as possible.
Quick Tips for When a Raccoon Won’t Leave
Like most wild animals, raccoons do not want anything to do with humans. They want your food, yes. Yet, they are not inclined to hang around for a friendly tete-a-tete. So, when a raccoon won’t leave, you do not have to feel bad for shooing it away. Here, you’ll find out how to do it.
Stay Safe
Before you think about how to get rid of a raccoon that won’t leave, think about everyone’s safety. Be sure your kids are safe inside your home. Don’t get too close to the raccoon. Don’t go any closer to it than you already stand or sit. If you use any repellent, put it between the raccoon and yourself. What’s more, you should look for an escape route, in case it comes towards you.
Get Bigger and Louder
Now, suppose you see a raccoon on your deck. What do you do first? Right away, make yourself bigger. Stand tall, raise your arms and wave them around. You can even move your legs and stomp. Then, make loud noises. Scream or yell at the masked critter. If you have any metal or wood objects handy, bang on them to make even more noise. All this may solve your immediate problem quickly.
Flash Some Bright Lights If the Raccoon Won’t Leave
Facing a raccoon on your deck in the dark may feel even more intimidating than during the day. Since these are nocturnal creatures, they don’t particularly like bright lights. Get a very bright flashlight. Get several, even. Flash them around in the direction of the raccoon. Then, see if it leaves.
Use a Predator’s Scent to Drive Them Away
If you just stumbled onto a raccoon on your deck or in your backyard, you probably will not have a lot of resources specifically designed for when a raccoon won’t leave. For example, you likely won’t have a predator’s urine on hand. Of course, if you do, you can grab it and spray it between yourself and the raccoon.
Sprinkle Natural Scents Raccoons Hate
If you don’t have any predator’s urine on hand, you can use some other natural scents that raccoons don’t like. Examples include garlic, peppermint oil, Epsom salt, onion, or hot pepper, like cayenne. Sprinkle the smelly substance around and go inside. The raccoon may leave before you come back out.
Try Raccoon Eviction Fluid
Now, suppose you have a female raccoon on your deck with babies. A nursing raccoon mother hates the scent of a male raccoon. After all, a male of their species will threaten her and her little ones. You can get a product called “eviction fluid,” formulated to smell like the scent of a male raccoon. It’s a strong smell, but if you have that in your house, you can spray it around. The female raccoon will likely dash away, and her little ones will follow.
Call for Help When the Raccoon Won’t Leave Anyway
If you tried all these tips and the raccoon still won’t leave your deck, stop and call the professionals. OMNIS provides comprehensive pest control services, including removing wildlife like raccoons from your outdoor living spaces. We can do a live capture, take the raccoon away, and come back to safeguard your property from raccoons coming back.
In addition, we can teach you many prevention tricks. You can find blogs on our site about raccoon control tips, and our team members can also clue you in on the best ways to avoid a future situation where a raccoon won’t leave. In the end, having a pro on your side gives you the most effective way to get rid of raccoons and keep them away.
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