How to Get Rid of Raccoons in the Garbage

Raccoons are scavengers that will eat anything they can find—including your trash. Here are a few ways to keep them out of your garbage and away from your home. 

Tricks and Tips to Keep Raccoons Out of Your Trash Cans

• Scare Them Off

While they may seem brave, raccoons are skittish and will run away from human contact. Trick them into thinking you’re there by planting a noise maker or playing a radio near your garbage can. Sudden movements and bright light also keep raccoons away. Motion-activated lights or sprinklers can scare them off as well. 

• Change the Scent

Smell is one of a raccoon’s strongest senses, and it uses its nose to find your garbage. An easy way to mask the attractive odor of your garbage is by double-bagging your trash. If you want to change the smell, ammonia and mothballs are also unpleasant to raccoons. Sprinkle a small amount of ammonia around your garbage, or spread mothballs around the outside of the can. 

• Take Away Their Food Source

Homes are an easy target for raccoons because they provide convenient access to food and water sources. An improperly sealed garbage can is easy for raccoons to use, and birdbaths, pet dishes, and leaky hoses all provide a water source. Make sure your trash can lid is tightly sealed, and consider adding a lock to make it more difficult for raccoons to open. Empty out birdbaths and pet bowls when they’re not in use, and tighten up any leaks around your home. 

• Hire a Raccoon Removal Professional

The best and most effective way to keep raccoons out of your garbage is by hiring a pest control expert to remove them. Wildlife removal professionals will use are safe and effective methods to get rid of the animal quickly and efficiently. 

Fortunately, Critter Control® of Ft. Worth is here to help. Our four-step CritterSafe® method includes inspection, removal, prevention, and property restoration that permanently rids your property of nuisance raccoons while keeping the health of you, your property, and the animal in mind.

Ft. Worth’s Raccoon Removal Experts

At Critter Control® of Ft. Worth, we pride ourselves in using eco-friendly and humane methods to remove unwanted critters from inside your home or workplace. To schedule a property inspection and receive a free raccoon removal estimate, give us a call today at 817-222-110.