Keep Raccoon's Away From Your Garbage With These Tips
It's disheartening to look out your window on garbage day and see the garbage cans, which you'd placed at the curb the night before, turned over and your trash strewn around your yard. Yep, the raccoon's paid a visit to your neighborhood last night. Picking up your household garbage and rebagging it costs you precious time in the morning, especially if you're already scrambling to get out the door. A more proactive approach is to take steps to reduce the likelihood of raccoon's finding your trash so appealing, which will mean no more inconveniences on garbage day. Here are some steps you can take.
Take Out Your Garbage In the Morning
It's no secret that raccoon's are nocturnal creatures, which means you're more likely to encounter a problem if you take your garbage to the curb in the evening, just hours before critters begin roaming the neighborhood. Instead, collect the garbage from your home's waste baskets in the evening, assemble it in the garage and wait until morning to take everything to the curb. While it's true that this approach adds an extra few minutes to your morning routine, it also saves the lengthy cleanup efforts that can result from taking out the garbage 12 hours earlier.
Secure Your Cans
If it's absolutely necessary for you to take your garbage to the curb in the evening, it's imperative that you use something to keep the garbage cans secured. Depending on the style of can you use, you can opt for a specialized clamp or you can take the simple approach of a bungee cord. For the latter, clip each end of the cord to the can's handles and run the cord over the top of the can. For extra durability, double up on the cords.
Make Your Garbage Unappealing
Sure, your garbage is plenty unappealing to humans, but the scent of food scraps makes it irresistible to raccoon's. An effective strategy is to add products that repel raccoon's. A few drops of ammonia on a rag tossed into the top of the can will often make raccoon's seek food elsewhere, while moth balls, moth crystals or Epsom salts can also serve as useful repellents.
Just Add Light
Because of raccoon's nocturnal nature, these creatures prefer to keep in the shadows. Keeping your garbage illuminated at night can be an adequate deterrent. Although this project can be labor intensive, consider installing a light post at the end of your driveway. If you aren't adept with electrical work, it's possible to buy solar-powered light posts that are relatively easy to install.
To learn more about garbage disposal, contact a company like B-P Trucking Inc.