Category: raccoons

Raccoons are one of the smartest types of invasive wildlife, known for their tendency to sneak into residences or commercial buildings in search of their next meal. Despite their larger size, raccoons can go unnoticed on Pittsburgh properties for some time, potentially causing costly property damage and spreading dangerous health risks. To lower your risk of infestation and protect your property from the nuisance pests, try using the following natural repellents for deterring raccoons.

5 Natural Raccoon Deterring Repellents

Here are some natural raccoon repellents to deter the pests away from your property.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar– For raccoons, the sharp, acidic smell of vinegar mimics the warning scents of potential predators. Spray full-strength vinegar around your garden’s perimeter or soak rags with the liquid. This method is completely pet-safe compared to harsher chemical options.
   
   
2. Cayenne Pepper and Hot Sauce– The capsaicin found in cayenne pepper can severely irritate a raccoon’s nose, mouth, and paws. Mix one bottle of cayenne pepper powder or hot sauce with a gallon of water and a teaspoon of dish soap. The dish soap will act as a binding agent to help the mixture stick to surfaces.
   
   
3. Crushed Garlic and Onions– These strong allium produce a pungent, eye-watering scent that raccoons actively avoid. Boil a chopped onion and a handful of garlic cloves in water, strain the liquid, and use it as a perimeter spray. However, keep this away from household pets, as alliums can be toxic to dogs and cats if ingested.
   
   
4. Epsom Salts– While mostly odorless to humans, Epsom salts are highly abrasive and uncomfortable on a raccoon’s sensitive paws. Sprinkle a heavy border of salt directly around your vegetable garden beds. This dual-purpose method can also fertilize your soil with magnesium while keeping the pests away.
   
   
5. Peppermint Essential Oil– The intense aroma of peppermint overwhelms a raccoon’s olfactory receptors. Soak cotton balls in pure peppermint oil and place them near trash bins or entryways. Be sure to replace the cotton balls every few days as the scent will evaporate.

Trust Critter Control® of Pittsburgh for Your Raccoon Removal Needs

The best way to keep raccoons off your property is by hiring raccoon removal professionals. At Critter Control® of Pittsburgh, we prioritize safe and humane raccoon removal to permanently get rid of infestations throughout residential and commercial properties. Our techniques are eco-friendly and low-impact, guaranteeing effective raccoon removal that meets on your schedule, budget and needs. To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate for our raccoon removal services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

One of the most common wildlife species found in the Greater Pittsburgh area, raccoons can quickly become a destructive nuisance if they gain access to your property. Their behaviors can cause serious damage, spread disease and threaten the structural integrity of your home or business. They can also transmit dangerous respiratory illnesses through both direct and indirect contact. Fortunately, there are five raccoon prevention steps you can take to keep the mischievous critters off your Pittsburgh property.

Effective Raccoon Prevention Techniques

The easiest way to deal with a raccoon infestation is to prevent one from starting. Common steps to take in protecting your property from raccoons include:

1. Taking Away Their Food Sources: Raccoons will eat nearly anything they can find. To prevent hungry raccoons from feasting on your property, secure your trashcans with a locking lid, store pet food bowls indoors whenever possible, and pick up any fallen fruit or garden vegetables.
2. Sealing Entry Points: Despite their relatively large size, raccoons are agile enough to squeeze through gaps in your roof, chimney and soffits to access the safe warmth of your home. Examine your property’s exterior for vulnerable points, and repair any gaps with strong, sturdy materials. Any holes larger than three inches wide should be sealed. Chimney caps, wire mesh and hardware cloth can also help prevent raccoons from sneaking into your property.
3. Landscaping Your Yard: Raccoons are excellent climbers. They’ll often scale gutters and trees, using branches as a way to get onto your roof. Trim nearby tree limbs at least six feet away from your property, make sure to clean up any debris or leaf piles in your yard, and store firewood as far away from your property as you can.
4. Installing Natural Deterrents: Raccoons are naturally skittish and will run if they feel threatened. Scare them off when you’re not around by installing motion-sensor lights or sprinklers, which will trigger when raccoons enter your yard.
5. Calling a Raccoon Removal Professional: While the above DIY raccoon-proofing methods may help with prevention, there’s little you can do on your own once an active raccoon infestation has begun. Raccoons are wild animals that should only be handled by trained professionals. To avoid potential injury, rely on the raccoon removal experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh.

Fast and Efficient Raccoon Removal Services in Pittsburgh

The licensed and trained technicians at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh use a proven four-step method to effectively remove raccoons from area homes and businesses. Our safe and humane process includes:

1. Inspection – We conduct a comprehensive property walkthrough to locate all pests.
2. Removal – Low-risk and eco-friendly methods are used to completely remove all raccoons.
3. Restoration – Any contamination or property damage is cleaned and repaired.
4. Prevention – Exclusion devices and deterrents are installed to keep raccoons from returning.

To schedule an inspection and receive a free raccoon removal estimate, call us today at 412-767-4067.

Raccoons are known to roam residential neighborhoods and commercial business districts in search of food at night. From scattered trash to torn window screens, nuisance raccoons can cause a great deal of damage to your Greater Pittsburgh area property. To keep your home or business clean and free of destruction, you may consider investing in motion sensor lights or other raccoon deterrent methods to alert and scare away the nuisance critters when they first approach your property. However, will motion sensor lights deter raccoons, and are they worth the investment?

Property Damages Caused by Raccoons

Not much will stop a hungry raccoon from rummaging through your trash. The dextrous critters are capable of prying open lids and toppling over trash cans to get to a meal. They will then spread garbage all over your yard while they comb through your trash for edible bits. Raccoons are also known to dig up and chew through fruit and vegetable plants in your home garden if they are not enclosed.

However, things get much worse if raccoons try to nest inside of your property. Not only are raccoons known to tear up drywall, shred insulation, and damage important infrastructure within residential properties, but they also like to nest in warm attics where they will breed and contaminate your belongings with urine and droppings. Such activity can promote mold growth and cause a very unpleasant smell to develop in your home. 

Will Motion Sensor Lights Deter Raccoons from Your Property?

Motion sensor lights are designed to scare away potential threats like burglars or invasive critters. The device is often mounted to the side of a home or other outdoor structure like a shed or garage. When any movement is detected, blinding lights are activated that can scare and startle would-be intruders away from your property.

Because raccoons are nocturnal creatures and typically only active at night, bright light can be disorienting and frightening to them. Therefore, motion sensor lights will likely scare raccoons away. However, they will not keep the tenacious pests from coming back and, over time, the raccoons may get used to your motion sensor lights and ignore them. Furthermore, if the critters manage to get inside your property, motion sensor lights installed in your backyard will do little to help your problem.

Ultimately, the most effective way to prevent property damage caused by nuisance raccoons is to call the raccoon removal professionals at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh.

Effective Raccoon Removal Services Near You

Unlike motion sensor lights, the wildlife removal professionals at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh are guaranteed to resolve your raccoon problem quickly and permanently. Our licensed and trained raccoon removal experts are dedicated to providing efficient, effective, and thorough raccoon removal services that will both remove any existing nuisance raccoons from your property and prevent new ones from turning up in the future.

To schedule an inspection of your Pittsburgh-area property and receive a free estimate for our professional raccoon removal services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

During certain times of the year, raccoons may use your chimney as a place to nest, take shelter, or enter your home to search for food. Unfortunately, once these critters are in your home, it is only a matter of time before they start causing expensive damages and contaminating your property. Therefore, it is vital to try the following raccoon removal techniques to get the pests out of your chimney as soon as possible.

Raccoon Removal from Chimney Tips

• Wait the Raccoons Out

The easiest option is to do nothing and simply wait for the raccoons to leave. It is uncommon for raccoons, particularly ones that are nesting, to stay in one location for more than a few months. Typically, a raccoon’s nesting period lasts about 10 weeks. So, if you’re willing to wait for that long, you can simply pay the creatures no mind until they are ready to leave; just keep in mind that doing so leaves your chimney and property vulnerable to damage and disease.

• Use Noise and Lights

If you are unwilling to wait for the raccoons to leave, causing a racket could encourage the raccoons to leave. Some homeowners have successfully chased off nuisance raccoons by placing a loud radio near their chimney. Flooding your chimney with bright spotlights can also prompt the nocturnal critters to leave.

• Try Predator Urine

If you’re willing to get a little more hands on, a great way to deal with an invasive pest is to invest in the urine of its predator. Easily purchasable online, raccoon predator urine, such as coyote urine, can be sprayed up into your chimney to keep the pests out of your home.

• Call Raccoon Removal Professionals

If you want to prevent raccoon-related property damage and evict nuisance raccoons from your chimney as quickly as possible, the most efficient way of doing so is to contact the wildlife experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh to perform effective raccoon removal from chimney services.

Rely on Critter Control® of Pittsburgh for Raccoon Removal from Chimney

At Critter Control® of Pittsburgh, all of our raccoon removal technicians are licensed, trained, and experienced in quick and safe raccoon removal methods. Our raccoon removal technicians will not only remove all unwanted critters from your property, but they will also implement preventative measures to ensure raccoons cannot return to your chimney in the future.

To schedule an inspection of your property and receive a complimentary estimate for our raccoon removal services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

Raccoons are one of the most common pests found wandering around on Pittsburgh properties. While they may look cute from afar, the critters are known for causing significant damage and destruction to residential properties. If raccoons are ransacking your Pittsburgh home, you may be wondering about the extent of damage the pests can cause and whether or not your homeowners insurance covers raccoon damage.

The Damages Raccoons Can Cause

Raccoons can truly be a menace if they decide your property is a good place to find food. A hungry raccoon on your property will start by rummaging through your garbage can, toppling it on its side and scattering trash all across your yard. This is not only a hassle to clean up, but it is also incredibly unsightly and embarrassing.

Beyond trashing your yard, an unsatisfied raccoon may attempt to break into your home to get to accessible food, especially if you have doggy doors or pet food bowls set out. If they’re looking for a place to nest, raccoons may tear window screens, rip roof shingles, or damage vents to get inside of your attic. Once inside, they will scratch your walls, shred your insulation, gnaw your wires, and soil your floors.

Such damages can be costly to repair, and a nested raccoon can be difficult to remove.

Homeowners Insurance Raccoon Damage Coverage

While it depends almost entirely on your specific insurance plan, many homeowners insurance policies will help cover repairs for raccoon-related damage. However, a homeowners insurance policy will typically only cover structural repairs to your roof or siding. It usually will not cover the cost to remove a raccoon, clean raccoon contamination, or replace any damaged personal items. As always, check your specific homeowners insurance raccoon damage policy to see what wildlife damage coverage you have.

If you are dealing with a raccoon infestation on your Pittsburgh property, it is vital that you take care of it as soon as possible to avoid further damage. The most efficient and effective way to take care of a raccoon problem is to call the raccoon removal professionals at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh.

Raccoon Removal Professionals in Pittsburgh

At Critter Control® of Pittsburgh, we are dedicated to providing area homeowners with fast, efficient, and affordable raccoon removal services. Our licensed and trained technicians will not only evict all unwanted critters but will also restore any damages, clean and sanitize any contamination, and seal entry points to ensure nuisance raccoons don’t return.

For more information on our raccoon removal services or to schedule an inspection of your Pittsburgh property, which includes a complimentary estimate, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

There are a number of laws governing the trapping and hunting of raccoons on public and private land across the state of Pennsylvania. If nuisance raccoons are terrorizing your Pittsburgh property, it is important to understand your rights as a citizen when considering which raccoon removal strategy to undertake.

Legal Ways to Kill Raccoons in Pennsylvania  

There are lethal techniques that are approved by the Game Pennsylvania Commission to prevent the spread of rabies. However, you must first obtain a hunting license from the Game Commission that legally permits you to hunt, shoot, euthanize, or otherwise kill raccoons in Pennsylvania. You must also be the owner of the property the raccoon is infesting.

Acceptable firearms for killing rabid raccoons in Pennsylvania must meet the following criteria:

• Rifles or handguns with at least 26 calibers
• Shotguns with a 12 gauge projectile
• Weaponry such as cross-bows are not permissible by the state

Residents are subject to criminal charges if these laws are violated.

Human Raccoon Removal Methods

Live-trapping raccoons is the safest and most humane option for all parties. If you wish to live-trap a nuisance raccoon, you must be sure of the following:

• The trap is in a residential area only and not within 150 yards of any other property where people are present.
• The trap is 10 x 12 x 32 inches.
• The trap was checked within one day of receiving it.

DIY raccoon trapping is risky business that can result in your physical harm or the spread of disease. If your invasive raccoons are found to have rabies, it is best to rely on professionals to capture and euthanize the wild animals, safely and effectively.

The Best Way to Remove Raccoons in Pennsylvania

Ultimately, the best way to get rid of nuisance raccoons on your Pennsylvania property is to contact the wildlife professionals at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh. Our licensed and trained technicians utilize the humane techniques for capturing nuisance raccoons both inside and outside your Greater Pittsburgh home or business. To schedule an inspection and receive a free estimate for our raccoon removal services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

If you wake up one morning to find trash strewn around your yard, one culprit that should top your suspects list is the pesky raccoon. Raccoons are dexterous creatures known for getting inside and rummaging through outdoor garbage cans, which often has disastrous results. If you’re dealing with the mischievous critters, here are some methods to keep raccoons away from my garbage.

Ways to Keep Raccoons Away from My Garbage

1. Lock Your Lid

While raccoons are skilled enough to open a sealed trash can on their own, there is little they can do if your trash can is locked. Even placing a heavy object on top of your trash can lid or storing your garbage cans inside can help to deter hungry raccoons away.

2. Scare Them Off

Like most pests, raccoons are easily startled. Giving them a good scare is a good way to encourage them to find a different garbage can to violate. However, raccoons are typically only active at night, so it can be difficult to catch them in the act. To scare them at the right time, invest in motion-activated sprinklers or flood lights and aim them at your garbage cans while they rest the street at night.

3. Try Scents

Many pests dislike certain scents, and raccoons are no exception. Two scents that you can weaponize to get raccoons out of your trash are ammonia and mothballs. Applying either of these pungent scents near your trash will likely drive the raccoons away.

4. Rely on a Raccoon Removal Professional

While DIY methods can help to some extent, the only truly efficient and effective way to keep raccoons away from your garbage is by calling a raccoon control expert. Fortunately, the wildlife professionals at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh are experienced and equipped to implement raccoon prevention measures on your property.

Keep Raccoons Away From My Garbage with Critter Control® of Pittsburgh

The raccoon control technicians at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh are licensed and trained to perform quick and safe removal services that will permanently relocate nuisance raccoons from your property and keep them from returning. To schedule an inspection of your Pittsburgh-area property and receive a complimentary estimate for our raccoon removal services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

Raccoons are scavengers that will try to find food anywhere they can, including your yard and garden where there’s plenty of plants, fruits, and vegetables to devour. Fortunately, you can turn the tables on the pests by planting aromatic plants that raccoons strongly dislike. Here are some plants you can get to help drive raccoons away from your property.

Natural Raccoon-repelling Plants

There are a variety of fruits and vegetables you can plant in your yard that raccoons can’t stand, such as:

• Thorny plants: Squash and cucumbers have thorns on their vines that act as defense mechanisms. Raccoons have sensitive paws and won’t like touching or walking on these plants.
  
  
• Spicy peppers: Peppers contain capsaicin, a spicy compound that raccoons avoid. Raccoons hate spicy food and won’t return to your garden if they accidentally eat one of your peppers. Even the smell of chilis or black pepper can be enough to drive raccoons away.
  
  
• Tomatoes: Raccoons aren’t very selective when it comes to what they eat, but they’ll avoid acidic plants. Plump, red tomatoes have enough acidity to keep them away.
  
  
• Strong scents: Raccoons rely on their sense of smell to determine what’s safe to eat. Their perceptive noses can easily be overwhelmed with strong scents such as garlic or peppermint. Not only can these plants keep raccoons away, but they are also easy-to-maintain herbs that can spice up your dishes.

Do Plants Keep Raccoons Away? 

While the above plants may deter raccoons away from your garden for a short period of time, they are not a permanent solution to get rid of a raccoon infestation. To evict nuisance raccoons for good, you’ll need the expertise of a licensed and trained raccoon removal professional.

Effective Raccoon Removal Services Near You

The experienced raccoon removal professionals at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh will quickly and safely remove nuisance wildlife and keep them from returning to your Pennsylvania property. Schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate by calling Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.

It may be surprising to learn that raccoons have sensitive noses, especially since the critters are known to frequently rummage through smelly dumpsters and trash cans in search of their next meal. However, there are some scents raccoons cannot stand, and you can use them to repel the mischievous pests from your property.

Which Smell Repels Raccoons Best?

• Peppermint Oil

Peppermint is one of the most despised scents among a variety of pests, including raccoons.  The smell is so intense to the critters that even a small amount is likely to repel them from your property once they detect it.

Fortunately, you are likely to have peppermint oil or extract in your kitchen cabinet. To administer this scented repellent, try dabbing a few cotton balls with peppermint oil or extract. Then, place the cotton balls in areas where you’ve observed frequent raccoon activity to keep the pests away.

• Epsom Salt

Another smell that repels raccoons is the scent of Epsom salt. While you wouldn’t want to scatter salt all around your home, it can be a good repellent if you have raccoons in your backyard. Salt can work as an excellent addition to your fertilizer. You can also sprinkle salt in your outdoor trash can to deter raccoons and other pests from seeking the discarded food inside.

• Predator Urine

While the above smells are known to be effective at repelling raccoons, few scents will scare away a raccoon more than the scent of their predators. If you don’t have peppermint oil or Epsom salt handy, consider investing in raccoon predator urine.

While you may find some success using these various scents to repel raccoons, at the end of the day, the only guaranteed way to repel raccoons from your property is to rely on a wildlife removal expert to get rid of raccoons for good. So don’t stress about what smell repels raccoons, instead call the licensed and trained raccoon removal professionals at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh to handle the job for you.

Effective Raccoon Removal Services

At Critter Control® of Pittsburgh, our team of wildlife removal experts are experienced at removing and repelling raccoons from Pittsburgh-area properties. Our services are safe, efficient, and permanent. Call us today at 412-767-4067 to schedule an inspection of your property and receive a free raccoon removal estimate.