What Attracts Raccoons to Your Property?

There are anywhere from 15 to 25 raccoons per square kilometre. Your neighbourhood is no exception.

A raccoon is a resourceful, curious and extremely intelligent animal. For these simple reasons it is important to be mindful of your property and what may attract raccoons and other wildlife to it.

Garbage is the number one attractant for raccoons. They love the variety of discarded food scraps (they aren’t picky!), and the ease at which they can tear open the plastic to get the food.

Another reason raccoons may want to spend an extended period of time on your property is the fact that they’re attempting to gain access to the inside of a structure through any vulnerable spots. These include garages, attics, sheds and under porches. Raccoons need food and shelter to survive and humans can provide more than enough of both.

Here are some tips for making your house less desirable for a raccoon:

●     Keep garbage in closed containers and put it to the curb in the morning

●     Repair any damage to the exterior of the home where a raccoon could enter

●     Frequently inspect the integrity of any external structures such as sheds, decks and porches to make sure they aren’t being frequented by wildlife

●     Don’t leave pet food or bird seed outside. Keep any food sources locked up

The warmth of an attic’s insulation provides ideal conditions for a raccoons nest. Often, raccoons will enterthrough soffits and loose roof vents. The heat from the vents attracts the raccoon and lets them know that there’s a warm, safe place right below.

Once inside an attic a single raccoon can cause irreparable damage to insulation and structural wood. The constant defecation and coming-and-going will undoubtedly be difficult for a homeowner to deal with.

It’s important to note that there are many raccoons per square kilometre, and that a single home is only one of potentially many homes that a raccoon is poking around.