What Scents Do Raccoons Hate?

Raccoons are generally not animals that you want lurking around your property at night. Not only can these pests rummage through your trash, but they can also create property damage as they search for food. Still, it's not easy to get rid of these animals, especially if you don't know how to handle wildlife and don't have a plan to get rid of them. Luckily, there is a natural way you can handle a raccoon problem. Since raccoons heavily rely on their noses to search for food, you can use this against them. Strong scents like onion, garlic, peppermint, hot peppers, Epsom salt, and a few other scents can get rid of these pests for good. Additionally, you can also always contact a professional company like A&D Construction Plus if you need immediate help keeping a raccoon away from your property. Otherwise, you can use the following scents that raccoons hate the most to get these animals off your property.

1. Peppermint

Peppermint is something that will repel raccoons instantly. The sharp scent of peppermint tends to ward off raccoons and keep your home safe. But how can you use this scent to get rid of raccoons? In particular, you want to use peppermint essential oil. The scent of this essential oil is potent and safe to spray around wildlife. Some people even utilize the essential oil by itself in a spray bottle. But you can also dilute the peppermint oil with water to get a strong scent and conserve money.

2. Hot Pepper

Hot pepper is one of the most effective scents that can be used against raccoons, even more so than peppermint, because hot peppers burn and irritate the nasal passages of raccoons. Hot peppers come in a few different varieties and can be applied in several different ways. Cayenne pepper is easy to find and blends with water and other scents, as you can mix a combination of hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and water in a bottle. Shake up the mixture and then spray it where the raccoon is roaming most often. You can also use dry cayenne pepper powder and place it around your trash can and property. But make sure to keep replacing the powder as it loses potency over time.

3. Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is another scent that raccoons hate. You can use Epsom salt in solid form and place it in a few different areas of your home such as sprinkling the salt near your trash can and around your yard. Also, Epsom salt can be placed on adjacent plants and crops to keep raccoons away. However, you want to make sure that you replace the Epsom salt on rainy days and a few times throughout the week. This way that Epsom salt stays fresh and does not dissolve right away.

4. Onion

Onion is another strong scent that raccoons generally hate. You can use it in combination with hot pepper for a more potent effect; as hot pepper is good, but some raccoons can be persistent and won't leave with hot pepper alone. This is where onion scent can be helpful. Peel your onion and get your pepper ready, then place your ingredients in boiling water to concentrate the smell. After the mixture boils, you can put it in a spray bottle and start raccoon-proofing your property. Respray after a few days and keep spraying around your home for a good two weeks.

5. Garlic

Finally, garlic is another pungent smell that should get raccoons off your property. In particular, you may wish to use garlic juice to keep raccoons away since garlic juice has a strong scent and is more concentrated to get the job done. You can use a spray bottle to spread this scent effectively.