Raccoons are most active in winter and early spring as they mate and birth litter. Their sounds and activity are the best indicators of a problem.

Scent-based deterrents, like ammonia (an irritant when breathed in high concentrations) and scented trash bags, may help keep raccoons away from your garbage.

Humane Trapping

Raccoons can cause a lot of damage to property by digging through trash, uprooting gardens and raiding pet food containers. They also carry diseases that are dangerous to humans and domestic pets.

Raccoon waste contains a roundworm (Baylis ascaris procyonis) that can be transmitted to humans through direct contact or when small children ingest the debris. This parasite can cause severe illness in humans and be fatal to dogs.

Many people attempt raccoon removal Toronto by trapping and relocating wild animals like raccoons living close to their homes, but this rarely ends well for the animal or the homeowner. It’s a good idea to use a recovery box instead.

One-Way Doors

Raccoons are known to carry diseases and feces that can cause harm to humans and pets. It’s best to consult a professional when dealing with this mess. They can recommend the proper equipment to use, including protective gear such as eye masks, coveralls or body suits and cleaning products that are high strength.

Alternatively, you or a professional can install one-way doors to make it impossible for the raccoons to get back inside. This is a much better option than relocation because it doesn’t involve the animal leaving its family.

Before buying a one-way door, it’s important to thoroughly inspect your house to find where the raccoons are entering. You can test a potential entrance by blocking it loosely with wadded newspaper and leaving it in place for two or three days.

Sealing Up the Entry Point

Raccoons can enter homes through gaps, cracks and holes in the foundation and eavestroughs. Inspecting the property for entry points and sealing them using caulk is important. Reinforcing eavestroughs, fascia and roofs can also help. If raccoons live in your attic, hire a professional to trap them and relocate them to an outdoor shelter.

Sealing animal entry points alone is possible but can be challenging for the average homeowner. You can use methods like “humane harassment” to coax raccoons out of your home, such as shining bright lights into their den, playing loud music or spraying the area with ammonia-soaked rags. It is best to start this process around dusk, as raccoons are primarily nocturnal and may become confused in the daylight.

Cleaning Up the Area

Raccoons love dark, quiet spaces like under homes and decks. Lights and noise, as well as store-bought or homemade scent-based deterrents, decrease the appeal of these areas and help keep raccoons away.

Cleaning up the area is an important part of humane raccoon removal. Raccoon droppings are intense and can contaminate carpeting, wood, insulation, and stored items. The odor can even penetrate through walls and ceilings.

Raccoons rummage through trash bags and cans and destroy gardens and flower beds. To deter raccoons from entering your yard, try placing rodent-repelling trash bags in the garbage can and keeping outdoor bins closed. Raccoons are also attracted to bird feeders, so they move feeders out of reach. If raccoons nest in your attic, installing heavy gauge wire mesh or a fence-type barrier may be necessary.

Extermination

Raccoons carry and spread diseases like salmonella, E coli, canine distemper, leptospirosis and roundworm. They also transmit rabies, which puts people and pets at risk for infection.

Prevention is the most effective solution, starting with eliminating food sources. Feed cats and dogs indoors and lock their food bowls at night. If you must feed them outdoors, consider a motion-sensor light to deter raccoons from approaching the bowl. You can also use a trap that detaches to the top of the trash can.

Make sure all compost piles, gardens and fish ponds are secure. Trim back tree branches that could provide a bridge to your roof or overhangs. Soak rags in ammonia, or spray areas where raccoons have been known to enter your home with the scent of predator urine — which they dislike.