Anyone who has ever walked outside and seen their garbage bins overturned knows what damage raccoons can cause when they’re trying to get a meal. Raccoons are scavengers, and human trash is a gourmet buffet to them. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to keep raccoons out of your garbage.

Secure The Lid Of Your Garbage Cans

The best way that you can keep raccoons out of your garbage is to limit their access to what’s inside by securing the lid. There are a few ways to do this. You can weigh down the top of your garbage can using something heavy, like a stone, or you can keep the handles down by tying them shut with a bungee cord. Think about it this way; raccoons are looking for a quick meal, so if you can make your garbage can a hard target they will be likely to move on to something else.

It should go without saying that you should never leave the lids off your trash!

Use Ammonia

Raccoons do not like the smell of ammonia, so if you use a little ammonia in the inside of your can and on your garbage bags, you’ll be less likely to attract these little critters. The best part of using ammonia is that it has the tendency to keep other animals out as well. Just a little sprinkle will go a long way.

Let There Be Light

Raccoons are nocturnal animals and they operate best when it’s dark out, to deter them from rummaging through your trash by hanging up some lights around the garbage cans. The best way to do this is to put up a motion-detected floodlight near the cans, but smaller lights work too.

Remember, raccoons are opportunists who want easy access to your garbage, so make it a little bit difficult for them to forage through the trash in peace and you’ll find that they’ll move on to greener pastures.

Make A Little Noise

This option will not be feasible for everyone, but if you are at the end of your rope with raccoons you can always set up a recording of human voices near your trash cans. Raccoons see humans as possible predators and will avoid garbage cans that are located near the sound of people.

Of course, this is a lot more difficult than putting up lights, sprinkling some ammonia, or closing up the garbage bins. Most people won’t see setting up a tape player as a viable option, but it will keep these scavengers out of your trash.

If you have a raccoon problem, don’t try to solve it yourself. Ontario has strict laws that relate to the treatment of wild animals, including raccoons. You are prohibited from killing or harming these animals unnecessarily. For your safety, and the safety of the raccoons, call in a wildlife professional to remove them in a safe and effective way. If you find that you can’t get rid of these pests by deterring them from your trash bins, don’t go it alone. Call in the professional raccoon removal Toronto.