Raccoons may decide to make your deck their nighttime playground, turning it from a relaxing and fun place to be outside into an unexpected battlefield. Protecting your deck from these smart and determined animals is important to keep your outdoor space safe. Let’s go over Deck Defence 101, which will teach you how to keep raccoons away and keep your deck a safe place for you and your family.
How to Figure Out Why Raccoons Like Decks:
Raccoons are naturally curious, which is one reason they are drawn to decks:
- Cover: The areas under decks provide cover and safety from the weather, which makes them appealing places for raccoons to build nests.
- Food Sources: Birdseed that has fallen or crumbs left over from outdoor parties are common food sources that are easy to get to on decks. Raccoons are adaptable eaters that will go anywhere to find food.
- Safe Routes: Raccoons are very good at climbing, and they can easily get on decks by using nearby fences, trees, or even gutters. Once they find a safe way to get in, they may come back often.
Tips for Deck Defence:
- Seal Entry Points: Look over your deck carefully and seal any possible entry points. Raccoons can get through even the smallest holes or gaps. To block these places of entry, use strong materials such as wire mesh or hardware cloth.
- Install Barrier fence: Use fence to make a physical barrier around the base of your deck. Under the fence, digging deterrents like gravel or rocks can be put to stop people from digging.
- Motion-Activated Lights: Raccoons are active at night, and bright lights can scare them away. Raccoons will be scared away by motion-activated lights around your deck. This will also make your outdoor space less appealing.
- Take Away Food Sources: Don’t leave any food on your deck. Clean up any bird seed that falls outside, keep trash cans closed, and don’t leave pet food outside. By getting rid of possible food sources, you make your deck less appealing to raccoons.
- Cut back overhanging limbs. Raccoons are very good at climbing, and they often use overhanging branches to get to decks. Cut back tree branches that make it easy to get to your deck.
- Keep raccoons out of trash cans by: Get trash cans with lids that won’t open easily for raccoons. Raccoons are known to go through trash cans looking for food, and if you lock your trash cans, they won’t have a good reason to come by.
- Use Repellents: Raccoons can be scared away with natural repellents like pepper-based sprays or citrus-scented solutions. Focus on possible entry points as you put these around the outside of your deck.
Why consistency is important:
When using deck defence tactics, it’s important to be consistent. Raccoons are persistent and flexible, so attempts that are spread out may not work in the long run. Check and strengthen your deck’s defences on a regular basis to keep them working well as a barrier.
Help from professionals:
If you try to keep raccoons out but they keep coming back, it’s best to get professional help. Wildlife removal professionals can look at your deck carefully, find weak spots, and make custom solutions to keep raccoons away.
In conclusion, Deck Defence 101 includes both proactive steps and a dedication to regular upkeep. By learning about how raccoons act and using these methods, you can get your deck back as a peaceful outdoor space without any unwanted visitors at night.
Quality raccoon removal services in Port Perry are done by talented and seasoned wildlife control experts. Our technicians have the equipment for everything needed to expel raccoons from your commercial or private property.