Do you have raccoons on your property? These creatures are common visitors in Chicagoland. Though their natural habitat is wooded areas, they are very adaptable to the urban environment and will live under sheds and decks, in garages or even move into your attic.
If a raccoon makes a home on your property, it’s very likely that they will begin to cause problems such as digging in your yard or getting into trash cans. It’s also likely that females will make a den and raise young.
We provide professional raccoon removal services in Chicago area but sometimes you can scare raccoons away on your own.
Below are some tips on how to get rid of raccoons under your shed or deck.
For professional raccoon removal phone (847) 464-1861
What to do if a raccoon is living under your deck or shed
Option one – Leave them alone
One option in this situation is to leave the raccoon alone. If a raccoon has dug a den under your shed or deck, it’s safe to assume she may be raising a family.
Raccoons will usually only live in a den for a few months while the babies are too young to be independent. The babies will go out on their own by the end of the summer and then the mother will be likely to move on as well.
So even if you do nothing, the raccoons are likely to leave on their own after a few months. Some people choose this route so as to not worry about upsetting the mother and babies.
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Option two – Humane harassment
The mother raccoon has chosen to make a den under your deck or shed because it is a safe, dark and quiet place to raise a family.
If you disrupt this quiet environment, then you might be able to convince the raccoon to leave your property.
To disrupt their living space, you upset their sense of quiet, darkness and safety. You can do this by placing a light at their entrance to create a constant light source that will irritate them. You could also place a radio by the den set to a talk radio station to create a constant source of human voices and noise.
These are your best sources to disrupt their happy home but you can also try using scents in combination with these methods as well. Soak old rags in apple cider vinegar and place them in a plastic bag with several holes poked in it. You could also use old used kitty litter if you have a cat. Then hang or nail the bag right by the den entrance.
How to tell if the raccoons are gone
During daylight hours when the raccoons are likely to be inactive, you can test if they have moved out by using an old newspaper. You can take a couple pages and bunch it up into a ball and place it into the entrance. You can also tape it over the entrance depending on what type of den. Check back the next day and see if the newspaper is removed.