What Attracts Raccoons To A Home?

When most people think of home pest control, they likely picture the smaller invaders they might spot around the house—carpenter ants, termites, and stinkbugs, for example. However, larger animals like squirrels and rats can really wreak havoc around your home and your yard, and raccoons can be one of the worst offenders. Knowing the things that attract raccoons in Dover, NH, is the first step towards keeping them off of your property and away from your family. Most tips boil down to keeping your area tidy but read on for some other tricks homeowners should know.

Loose Food

Raccoons are some of the most efficient foragers in the animal kingdom, and they will eat anything essentially. Things that attract raccoons in Dover, NH, can even include fallen tree fruit and garbage in unsecured bins. Keep your yard swept clean to make sure no fallen nuts or fruits are collecting, and make sure you’re using bungee cords to secure the lids of any trash cans.

Raccoons are also incredibly opportunistic, which means they’ll find any source of food they can. This can even include pet food that’s left outside for your dogs or cats, so make sure those are kept inside and inaccessible to pests.

Woodpiles

If you have a wood-burning stove or a working fireplace, you need to carefully select where you’re going to stack your wood. It needs to be in a sunny location so the wood can dry and season, but it should never be too close to your home. Small pests can easily make the jump from the wood to your home’s interior, and raccoons can do the same. Woodpiles are attractive sites for them to set up their dens, so you can avoid raccoon infestations in Dover, NH, by regularly checking your woodpile for signs of inhabitation. If possible, it’s a good idea to keep your wood stored in a sealed shed.

Outbuildings

Beyond woodpiles, raccoons are very crafty at tracking down any type of indoor shelter. They’ve been known to set up camp inside doghouses, chicken coops, sheds, garages, and pool houses. If space will keep them warm and keep the rain off their heads, they’ll likely move in if given the chance!

You need to nip this problem in the bud by making sure all of your buildings are properly sealed up and allowing no access points for these pests to enter. For a building like a chicken coop, your wire should extend at least two feet underground since raccoons are adept at tunneling if they see an opportunity.

Things that attract raccoons in Dover, NH, also include standing sources of water, like fishponds and bird baths, but the food sources and the shelter are variables you likely have more control over. Raccoons can carry rabies and other diseases, so if they’ve already set up shop on your property, we don’t recommend attempting any DIY wildlife pest control measures. Instead, call the experts at Dependable Pest Solutions today—we even offer preventative services to stop problems before they’re able to start!