How do I get rid of a family of raccoons?

Question

Suddenly we have a family of raccoons probably under our shed, whats the best way to get rid of them

Answer 1

I fully understand the degree of determination that raccoons possess.


This will be the longest answer I have given.


Some cities of Canada have bylaws that forbid you from catching and transporting raccoons, so you have little choice but to call animal control and ask for their help, but you can force them to relocate.

Getting them out is a concern, and you will find suggestions that loud noises, recordings of people talking, etc. will work.

Sometimes, these will help, but usually, they will get you frustrated.


That said, you can get the reccoons to relocate themselves but it requires work, and a little patience.

Wait until after dark. Raccoons are nocturnal feeders, so they will leave their "residence" shortly after it gets dark.

At this point, you may get impatient, as they do not always go out, so you can watch all night and see only one go out, and then another when the first returns, but once the young are old enough, they will all leave together.

If you know exactly where they are, and the entrance/exit, you can block it and prevent their return. You do this shortly after they leave for the evening.

That is the EASY part. Now onto how you do it:


1-Make a concrete pad ready and, when the raccoons have left, move the shed onto the pad.

Guaranteed effective.


Not your idea of fun? Not suitable fo ryour property?

Then get ready to work a bit.


Note first.:

It is imperative that you block the entrance/exit completely AND securely, and then do the same for the entire perimeter of the shed.

Raccoons are well known to be clever, but they are also very determined and will scratch, dig and try to pull apart anything you use to block their way home, so it must be substantial.

Do NOT underestimate their determination or you will be frustrated for a long time.

If you are not prepared to be more determined than them, and also ready to actually work for several hours to defeat them, stop reading, go to the telephone and ask for help.


....I F...... you are more determined than the raccoons, the following will work for you, but it will cost you a few bucks,
and a few hours of work

Basically, you must fortify your entire shed. The known entrance stays open until all the work is done and you are ready to close it off completely after they leave.

You can use sheets of plywood that extend into the ground and cover the entire perimeter of the shed. This is the simplest way of doing it. If you decide use inferior wood to do the work, you will have wasted your time and money.
Use not less than half-inch plywood....NOT waferboard/MDF etc. Use wood braces behind every break in the sections so that they can be screwed together.

If you bury the bottom edge deep enough they may choose not to dig around it.

You can discourage their digging by making them think it is useless, and this is done by another method.

The best item to use is the metal mesh sheets that are used as underlay for ceramic floors. You can buy these at any building supply store. Buy some 1 x 2 wood strips and some screws/nails while you are there. You will need them.

You can cut the mesh to suit, using sheet metal snips/shears.

Fasten the mesh securely, top and bottom. Overlap sections at joints and fasten the middle with twisted wire. Use heavy wire, not twist ties, as they will pull these apart in seconds. Apply the wire at not more than three-inch spacing.

Better still, use a piece of wood behind the overlap and in front, then screw the pieces together, or place the wood strip on top of the overlap and drive screws through the wood strip into a wood stake behind.

To keep the bottom in place, you use wood garden spikes (basically 2 x 2s with pointed ends). First dig a trench about one foot deep, then drive the spikes into the ground at one foot intervals all around the perimeter of the shed so that their tops are at the bottom edge of the shed. You leave the existing entrance they are using alone for now.


Cut the mesh to fit the full height of the trench, plus two inches at the top, where you will screw or nail a strip of wood to hold it in place.




Remember, raccoons are VERY determined.

For the tops and bottoms, add a strip of wood on top of the mesh and nail or screw everything through the wood and into the shed.

This is very important as they will otherwise pull an edge of the mesh away and climb over it.


Do not scrimp on materials and do not even think about using staples. Use screws and washers and nail/screw it all together very solidly.

Otherwise you wil be doing it again.....and again.....and......

Once you have them discouraged, or at least delayed until daylight, they will move on to find shelter elsewhere, but they WILL return and try again, so you must keep the fortification in place for some time. Perhaps you should consider it permanent!

When you are ready with all this you must wait for them to leave, and then close off the entrance. That is a separate step.

The existing entrance will likely be only about 6 inches wide.

Lift the sod and dig away the soil immediately in front of the entrance, to create a space of 2 feet in front of the entrance and one foot on either side of the entrance and about 4 inches deep.

Use 2x4s, flat side against the mesh, and fit them along the entire perimeter of the mesh, then lay the completed box in the ground, 2 x 4s down, and cover it completely. Tamp it in place.


Make your "door" to fit the space you have left. This will be a frame with wood strips on the outside and the mesh in the middle. Measure it to fit against the the stakes that you will drive into the ground. The door will be screwed into place when you are ready.

Drill holes through the strips all around so that you can insert screws easily. you wil use only screws for this, not nails, so be sure they are long enough. Drywall ones will do nicely.

The bottom strip will fasten to the 2x4 of the buried mesh, so the holes must go down.

When you are sure the raccoons have left for the night, simply drop your "door" in place and the screw it in completely, both sides, top, and at the bottom.

Now that your tenants have departed, and your new fortress is complete, sprinkle mothballs around the former entrance, and then add more around the entire perimeter of the shed. They dislike this smell and it will further encourage them to find a new residence. They will last two to three days. Replace them and keep them working for you for at least a week.

Answer 2

They won't break into your house, but don't put anymore dog food outdoors, lock up your garbage pails, leave the outside lights on. Do anything to keep the raccoons from coming back. Make noise.

Answer 3

Predator urines are great - especially coyote pee for raccoons. They'll think they're being hunted and move to another hotel!

Answer 4

clean around the house remove any food source& houseing for them . make sure u'r neighbors areas r clean and free of houseing. complain to local offcial. trapping them a trap cost about 80 dollars. a honey bun is goood bait . but be ware of nieghbors pets

Answer 5

Because it's a family, you should consider using a professional humane wildlife officer.

more info:
http://www.wildlifeinthecity.com/

Answer 6

A good dog, poison, trap them, shoot them if in town, call animal control

Answer 7

pest/animal control..
to rehabilatate them to a better place to live in..

Answer 8

CALL ANIMAL CONTROL THEY WILL COME AND GET THEM FOR NOTHING AND TAKE THEM BACK TO THE WOODS WHERE THEY WILL BE SAFE