With their black mask over their eyes, raccoons look like droll little burglars. But unfortunately not everyone is delighted by the cute little bears. Especially not when they sneak into gardens and garages at night to loudly plunder garbage cans.
But a peaceful coexistence with the little bears is possible if you follow a few tips that keep the raccoons away from house and yard.
Raccoons are omnivores. They love fruits, vegetables and insects as well as leftovers or dog food. So compost heaps and garbage cans are tasty temptations for the North American bears. However, since the animals are nocturnal, the search for food is often accompanied by unwanted noise. In addition, residents are annoyed about broken flower pots, torn garbage bags and looted garbage cans.
Raccoons can easily open doors, drawers and garbage cans. In addition, it is easier for the animals to rummage through compost heaps for food than to search the ground for insects or to laboriously climb a tree and pick cherries.
Raccoons are not only happy about a quick meal, but also about a dry place to sleep. They are excellent climbers, gratefully accepting attics, garden sheds or garages for shelter and making themselves comfortable. In addition, the wild subtenants are sociable and use their smell to signal their fellow tenants where it is good to live.
If the raccoons chose your attic, you must be wondering how they got in. They usually get to the roof and then into the house through densely growing trees with overhanging branches or through rainwater downpipes.
Branches can be shortened quickly and easily and tree trunks and downpipes can be covered with smooth metal sleeves. Never use barbed wire. On the one hand, the animals can injure themselves on the spikes, on the other hand, the wire is more of a climbing aid for the raccoons than an effective barrier.
Free dog or cat food is an open invitation for wildlife, not just raccoons. Because the smell of food is already very tempting, it is better not to feed your pet outside.
Instead, you should place smells that act as a deterrent to furry visitors: simply place a well-used dog blanket near possible entrances and signal the raccoons to stay away.
Alternatively, you can also hang up bags with dog hair or lay out mothballs. The little bears are also effectively scared away by loud noises: raccoons have a keen sense of smell and hearing. A running radio is very effective.