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How to Prevent Raccoons From Returning to Your Attic

Jessica Loticus

Raccoons in the attic are a severe problem for homeowners. Why? These nuisance pests are notorious for their destructive capabilities. This makes them arguably the most destructive nuisance wildlife in the attic. Raccoons will rip off the insulation, wood, and wires in the attic. They will also litter the entire space with their urine and poop, posing several health risks like leptospirosis, salmonella, and Baylisascaris. That’s why you need to get rid of raccoons from your attic and ensure they never return.

You may visit pestcontrolraccoon.com to learn more about raccoon control – identifying how the nuisance critter got in and devising an effective removal strategy. But in this post, we will explore the steps to prevent raccoons from returning to your attic after getting rid of them.

Get rid of food sources on your property

If there’s easy access to food on your property, it’s only a matter of time before a raccoon will find its way into your attic. Why? Because raccoons love to live in proximity to food sources. The attic provides the perfect shelter for raccoons to stay warm and safe from predators and even raise their young ones while staying close to food.

As omnivores, raccoons will feed on a wide array of food – from leftovers in the trashcan to garden plants to pet food. Some tips to bear in mind to eliminate food sources include.

  • Ensure you keep pet food indoors, especially at night.
  • Sweep away seed crumbs from under your birdfeeder.
  • Secure your garbage cans properly so raccoons can’t break into them.
  • Regularly pick up fallen fruits from your garden.
  • If possible, build a fence around your garden to deny raccoons access.
  • Do not internationally feed raccoons as this will encourage them to always come back for more.
  • Seal potential entry holes in your attic and hiding spots in your yard

If you want to keep raccoons from returning to your attic, you must ensure there’s absolutely no way to get back in.

Before properly sealing the attic, you need to identify all potential entry holes like missing roof tiles, broken shingles, damaged wood, and more. Missing roof tiles must be replaced. Small holes can be sealed with caulk. Larger holes can be closed up with hardware cloth. Damaged wood needs to be replaced. You must close up such holes with a strong material because raccoons have powerful jaws and teeth they can use to break in through weak spots.

Furthermore, you must eliminate hiding spots from your attic. Ensure you trim off brushes regularly. Get rid of abandoned items on your property. Remove wood piles and leaves from your yard. Cut off tree branches overhanging your roof. The idea is to make raccoons uncomfortable being on your property.

Use repellents and deterrents

Repellents are substances that irritate the sense of raccoons to keep them away. Common examples include common household ingredients like peppermint essential oil, coffee grounds, chili pepper, Epsom salt, cayenne pepper, and vinegar. Apply these substances around your property to keep raccoons away. Predator urine has also been shown to be effective in keeping raccoons away. Note that repellents have to be regularly re-applied to remain effective.

Deterrents can also be used to deter raccoons from your yard and attic. For example, having a motion sensor bright light in your yard will startle any raccoon that comes close at night and deter them. What’s more, playing a radio in your attic will give raccoons the impression of humans nearby, discouraging them from coming too close.

Be prepared for the worse!

Raccoons are resilient creatures. That’s why they sometimes break in even after putting several preventative measures in place. If that occurs, you must remain calm. But more importantly, you must act quickly.

Promptly contact a reputable wildlife removal company like Norcal Wildlife Removal. Wildlife removal companies will inspect your attic and property to determine the root causes of the problem and eliminate them completely. They also provide attic restoration, cleanup, decontamination, and odor removal services. You can never go wrong leaving raccoon removal to the experts!