Pest Control: Raccoon Trapping
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With hyper sensitive paws that have vibrissae hairs on them, which enable them to sense objects before they touch them, raccoons are excellent climbers and can scale almost any object. This quality makes them especially aggravating as they can invade your attic or terrorize your yard with ease. Despite this, homeowners can use this to their advantage as raccoons are undeterred by ambiguous objects such as traps that are lined with food. Raccoon trapping is a safe and effective alternative to the expensive bills charged by pest control companies. Raccoon traps can either be purchased at your local Home Depot or be made from household materials. Attempting to make one yourself can never hurt as it can be easily made, and relatively free. All that you require is a garbage bin, a well-balanced wooden board, a table of any kind and some considerably odorous bait.
Fill a garbage bin or barrel one-third with water and place it by a table. A picnic table or patio furniture will work as long as the water containing apparatus is slightly lower than the top of the table. Lay the wooden board so that the end of the board is halfway to the center of the garbage bin. Place the bait on the end of the wooden board at the side that is over the water. When the raccoon makes its way toward the bait, the weight of the raccoon will unbalance the wooden board and fall into the bin of water.
Some tips for this homemade trap will ensure that the raccoon goes for the bait and stays in the bin once it falls. Use bait that is odorous such as fish or fruit. Raccoons have a sense of smell far more powerful than humans, so by using bait that has a strong odour will be tempting and irresistible to the raccoon. Additionally, make sure the garbage bin or barrel you use does not have holes or drains in it as most garbage bins do. The water is important because it will prevent the raccoon from climbing out of the bin once it falls in. Make an easy path for the raccoon to navigate onto the table so it will view the bait as an easy target.
If this method continually fails, cheap raccoon traps can be purchased for $60 to $100, which is a steal compared to the hundreds of dollars you may be charged by private pest control companies.
For more ideas, check out: How To Get Rid of Raccoons
