If you have raccoons in your attic or hiding out under your porch, you probably want to figure out a way to get rid of them. The thing with raccoons is that you will need more than one approach to get rid of them effectively. This will help increase your chances of eliminating the animals and preventing them from coming back. For more information on the steps you should take to remove raccoons from your home or property, keep reading.

Get Rid of Any Water or Food

When raccoons step foot onto your property, they are looking for food. Therefore, the best thing you can do is to make sure that you aren't leaving any potential food sources out that could be giving them an open invitation to your home. Here are a few things you can do.

• Secure your garbage bins outside.
• Take the trash out regularly.
• Clean up fallen nuts, berries, fruits, etc.
• Clean up pet food, leftover food, etc.

Locate Areas of Damage

If you have raccoons hanging out at your home, it is important to take the time to figure out where they are spending the bulk of their time. There is a good chance that they have caused some damage, so be on the lookout for this. In doing so, you can better determine your control method in the next step. Here are a few raccoon activities to look for.

• Raiding your garbage bins
• Eating your crops
• Invading your attic
• Living beneath the porch
• Attaching your bird feeders
• Stealing fish from your pond

Select the Most Appropriate Control Method

As soon as you have determined where the raccoons are spending a lot of their time, you can select the proper control method. Keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with multiple layers of defense, as this will actually increase your chances of eliminating them and preventing them from returning. Here are a couple of your options.

• Live Raccoon Trap – A live trap will allow you to catch a raccoon while it is alive and remove it from your property manually. You will simply need to bait it so that the animal enters the trap completely and steps on the trigger plate.
• Raccoon Repellents – Repellents can be used to keep raccoons from accessing high-trafficked areas and certain surfaces/objects. These can in both granular and liquid form. The former works well to create a barrier around something like a garden, whereas the latter works well on bird feeders, garbage bins, and other surfaces.

If you would like to learn more or need professional assistance, contact a raccoon removal service in your area.