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Winter 2011
Discourage Raccoons from Moving In
Keep raccoons away
- Do not provide food or shelter for raccoons or other wild animals. It is against the law to keep wildlife, including raccoons, as pets.
- If your pet’s food is usually left outside, bring it in at the end of the day. If you feed your pet outside, remove the dish after half an hour.
Raccoon-proof your home
You may want to contact a professional for advice, or raccoon-proof your home yourself:
- Cover up potential entrances, such as uncapped chimneys, loose shingles and openings in attics, roofs and eaves. If you’re not sure where raccoons are getting in, sift flour around potential entrances and check for footprints later. You can also stuff a rag or ball of paper in a suspect hole and check later to see if it has been removed.
- Make a raccoon den unlivable. Install devices such as motion-sensitive lights, sprinklers, or aluminum pie plates to scare animals away. Raccoons dislike loud noises, bright lights, and strong smells. Use the same methods in your garden or in the area where you keep your garbage or composter. Use environmentally friendly, non-toxic wildlife repellent on plants and flowers that are being damaged by animals.
- Always cover composters and garbage cans. Use a bungie cord or a heavy weight to keep the lid in place.
- Make sure that bird feeders, especially suet feeders are on slippery poles or on wires which raccoons cannot climb.
- Make sure that all raccoons or other animals have left before sealing up holes in any part of the building. This is especially important between May and July when there may be young.
- Block the entrances to a raccoon den once you are sure that all animals have left. You can use sheet metal. Repair siding and holes in buildings, and use heavy rustproof screening to cover open-air vents or chimneys.
- Trim all overhanging tree branches or any other structure that animals might use to get on to the roof of a residence or detached building.
Contact:
Natalie Gorman
Ministry of Natural Resources
705) 755-1551
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