Many of the calls for wildlife control in Barrie are in regard to raccoons. These mammals are clever, opportunistic, and adaptable. There are populations of urban and suburban raccoons that actually prefer living in human habitations so they can eat out of garbage cans, and take advantage of the warmth and safety provided by the attic of a home.

Raccoon removal is a painstaking process that should only be undertaken by professionals. It is understandable that you may prefer to prevent them from getting into your house in the first place. Raccoons have a keen sense of smell that they use to find food, and certain scents can irritate or disrupt them. Some people try to use these scents as a deterrent to keep raccoons out of their homes. Using smells that raccoons are known to dislike as a deterrent may not be as effective as you hope, but it certainly won’t do any harm if you want to try it.

What Are Some Smells That Raccoons Hate?

A raccoon’s sense of smell is not its most sensitive, but it does rely on its nose to help lead it to sources of food. Certain smells can irritate a raccoon’s nose and help to keep it away from your property. Here are some scents that you might try as homemade raccoon deterrents:

1. Epsom Salt: Epsom salt consists of a mineral compound called magnesium sulphate sold in crystal form. It is an extremely useful chemical that has multiple applications for homes and gardens. It has been shown to be more effective as a raccoon deterrent than some other scents, and it also doubles as a good fertilizer. When added to the lawn, it breaks down into its component chemicals of sulphur and magnesium, both of which are nutrients that help plants grow greener, healthier, and more productive.
2. Cayenne Pepper: Like other hot peppers, cayenne pepper contains a naturally occurring chemical called capsaicin that gives it its spicy heat and sharp smell. On the Scoville scale, which is the ranking of capsaicin content in peppers, cayenne ranks approximately in the middle. Raccoons don’t like it because it irritates their olfactory senses, but exposure to it doesn’t harm them. Most people have cayenne pepper in their homes but perhaps not in sufficient quantities to serve as an effective deterrent. 
3. Onion and Pepper Solution: If you are concerned that the cayenne pepper may not be effective alone, you can create a stronger, more pungent mixture by boiling water with a mixture of pepper and onion together in equal measure. The resulting solution can be sprayed around your property to keep raccoons away.

Why Might Scents Not Be Effective To Deter Raccoons?

Using scents such as these for raccoon deterrents might be effective for a while. However, no matter how strong the scent, it will eventually wear off. For example, the onion and pepper combination only lasts for a few days. If you want the smell to last, you have to keep reapplying every couple of days. Wind and weather conditions may also make it more difficult for your scent deterrent to last the test of time.

Raccoons are both adaptable and highly persistent. Once the scents wear off, they may start trying even harder to get into your home. Exposure to unpleasant odours may teach the raccoons that your home is not worth the effort, but it may also give them an opportunity to become accustomed to the smells so that they are no longer bothersome. If this occurs, you may try a different scent as a repellent, but its effect is likely to be temporary as well. A more effective way to deter raccoons from your property is to limit their access to food.

Wildlife Control in Barrie for Raccoons

If raccoons get into your house despite your best efforts, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control can perform safe raccoon removal. Our services include humane and effective exclusion methods that keep raccoons from coming back.