Raccoons living near your home in Toronto are a cause for concern even if they are not in your yard or in your house. It is only a matter of time before they build a nest under your shed, in your garage or in your attic when breeding season comes around. It isn’t much you can do to raccoons near your home except make your property as unattractive as possible to these critters so they’ll pass it over to other homes or areas.

It is illegal to transport raccoons for more than a kilometre without a permit so trapping may not be a viable option. It is also illegal and inhumane to poison, shoot or otherwise kill or injure raccoons.

Keeping Raccoons Away From Your Home

Once you figure out what might attract raccoons to your yard or house, you have a better chance of keeping them away. Coons are attracted to three main things; food, water and a warm, safe place to nest. If you can eliminate these three, raccoons living near your home shouldn’t be too much of a concern.

To eliminate food that may attract wildlife avoid keeping pet food or bird seed outside especially after dusk. Keep your garbage cans in your garage until pick-up day. If they have to be outside, get heavy and sturdy metal trash cans and tie down the lids with bungee cords or zip ties. Pick up fruits as soon as they fall if you have fruit trees.

Next, get rid of potential water sources in your yard. Pay attention to how you water your lawn so there aren’t shallow pools that the coons can drink from. Install steel mesh over your fishpond and get a pool cover.

Finally, seal all potential entry points in your home with galvanized steel or metal flashing. A raccoon can use a hole as small as 4 inches in diameter so inspect and seal thoroughly. Don’t forget to cover your chimney flue with a steel cap. You may want to consider installing an electric fence around your property. Be sure to dig at least 12 inches into the ground so the coons can’t barrow through and make the fence at least 6 inches high so they can’t jump over.

Hire a Wildlife Removal Service

Do not attempt to trap the raccoons on your own. You may unwittingly separate a mother from its babies, causing the young to die of starvation, exposure or dehydration. Raccoons are vicious when cornered and the trap may not offer you much protection. Lastly, leaving the coons trapped in a cage for an extended period of time exposes them to the elements and predators.

By far the best solution to your raccoon problem is to hire a raccoon removal service in Toronto. The expert will assess the situation and decide whether he will trap and relocate the wildlife or simply reinforce your home so the raccoons won’t be an issue for you. Ask for a warranty of at least two years for the service.