Rabies Infected Raccoons in Hamilton
With the recent outbreak of rabies affecting raccoons in Hamilton, as well as the local new stories of dogs being attacked by a rabies infected raccoon, it’s more important than ever to protect your family and pets from the dangers surrounding raccoons. Although the city of Hamilton and the Ministry of Natural Resources have responded to this outbreak through a baiting program, residents of Hamilton should take their own steps to ensure that raccoons aren’t lurking around their homes.
One of the most effective ways a resident of Hamilton can combat encroaching raccoons, (other than calling us for removal), is to eliminate any possible food sources; such as securing your household garbage and recycling. Below we’ve laid out several tips to secure your garbage & recycling, which will eliminate any food sources and help to ensure safety for your family and pets.
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Invest In Quality Garbage Cans
Purchasing a locking garbage can will stop the neighbourhood raccoons from ripping apart your garbage bags, leaving a trail of trash across your property. If you’ve already got a garbage can that you use, but it’s not a locking type, try using some bungee cords to secure the lid, or place a heavy object like a cinderblock on top. The idea is to make the garbage inside inaccessible to pests, sending them on their way to scavenge somewhere else.
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Place Garbage Cans Away From A Fence or Ledge
Always try to place your garbage cans away from fencing or ledges. If your garbage can is too close to a fence or a ledge, a raccoon will simply climb on top of your can and try to pry the lid open, and in some cases attempt to tip it over by standing on the edge of the can. By removing the ability for them to get on the top of the garbage can, you limit the chances the raccoon can get inside of it.
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Store Garbage In An Enclosed Area
Storing your garbage indoors until garbage day is one of the best options in combating raccoon garbage scavengers; however this isn’t always possible, especially for those who don’t have the available space for smelly garbage in their home or garage. Having a secure shed, box, or container where garbage can be stored until garbage day will work just as well; just make sure you check the structure once and a while for any indication of raccoons getting inside. This can quickly turn out into a nightmare scenario if raccoons hide inside of an unsecured shed during the day. If this happens, call us immediately for assistance in removal!
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Use More Lighting
Since raccoons are nocturnal, they try to avoid brightly lit areas. Before you go out and buy industrial halogen lighting, know that the light doesn’t need to be blinding to humans to help keep raccoons away from an area; a single 100 watt incandescent bulb can usually do the job. Remember, be considerate of light pollution to your neighbours and consider motion sensing lights.
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Try Using Repellents
If you’ve gotten new garbage cans, installed new lighting, and keep your garbage in an enclosed area and still have a raccoon digging through your garbage, you can try using some common types of raccoon repellents. Ammonia is a popular choice of repellent, as it’s believed that raccoons sense ammonia as urine and an area they do not want to visit. Ammonia is a bit dangerous to be used in areas with small children, pets, and edible gardens, so it’s best to use caution when using ammonia. Try pouring some in the bottom of your trash cans!
Believe it or not, another repellent is talk radio! The human voice is enough to keep raccoons at bay, so having a small radio tuned into talk radio and placed near your garbage at a low level can be a very effective repellent; just be sure not to annoy the neighbours!
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Call The Experts For Removal
The most effective method of getting rid of problem raccoons on your property is to contact us to remove them. Action Pest Control will humanely trap and relocate raccoons deep into wildlife areas.
