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Raccoon Deterrents: What Actually Works on New Jersey's Trash Pandas
Raccoons have tiny hands, a mask, and a criminal record that includes your garbage, your pet food and possibly your chimney. They’re smart, strong and patient. Here’s what actually slows them down.
Raccoon deterrents, ranked
| Deterrent | Works? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Locking or strapped trash lids | ✅ Yes | Raccoons open regular lids like birthday presents. Bungee cords or locking lids end the party. See home remedies. |
| Pet food and bird seed inside | ✅ Yes | A bowl of cat food on the porch is a raccoon five-star review. |
| Chimney cap | ✅ Yes | The most important raccoon deterrent for your house. Chimney caps. |
| Steel screening under decks, sheds and porches | ✅ Yes | Bury it about a foot down with an L-shaped foot so they can’t dig under. |
| Motion lights | 🟡 Briefly | Startles them for a week. Then they use the light to see better. |
| Motion sprinklers | 🟡 Briefly | Good for gardens. Raccoons don’t like surprise showers. Who does? |
| Ammonia, predator urine, hot pepper | 🟡 Briefly | A smell won’t move a mother raccoon with kits out of your attic. |
| Radio playing in the attic | ❌ Rarely | Raccoons enjoy talk radio more than you’d think. |
Keeping raccoons out of the house
Raccoons get in by tearing open roof vents, soffits and chimney tops — they’re strong enough to rip shingles. Read how raccoons get into attics. If one already lives in your attic or chimney, it’s often a mother with babies in spring, so sealing it in is never the answer. We remove them humanely and seal with steel — that’s raccoon proofing.
Watch: how we seal animals out
What to look for
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- All pest questions, answered
Squirrel & raccoon guides
- Squirrels in the Attic: 9 Signs and What to Do
- Noises in the Attic: Squirrels, Rats, Mice or Raccoons?
- How Raccoons Get Into Attics (and How to Stop Them)
- Raccoon in the Chimney: What to Do (and What Not To)
- One-Way Doors: How Squirrel & Raccoon Exclusion Works
- Squirrel Damage to Soffits, Fascia, Vents and Wires
Our wildlife services
- Squirrel Proofing in New Jersey
- Raccoon Proofing in New Jersey
- Animal Proofing & Wildlife Exclusion in New Jersey
- Chimney Animal Proofing & Chimney Caps in New Jersey
- Wildlife Damage Repair in New Jersey
- Animal entry point sealing
Common questions
What is the best raccoon deterrent?
Taking away food and shelter: locking trash lids, pet food indoors, a chimney cap and steel screening on vents, decks and crawl spaces.
Do lights keep raccoons away?
Only for a short time. Raccoons get used to lights quickly.
What smell do raccoons hate?
Ammonia, hot pepper and predator urine bother them briefly, but no smell will move a raccoon with babies out of a den.
How do I keep raccoons out of my attic?
Have the roof vents, soffits and chimney sealed with steel after any raccoons inside are safely removed.
Schedule today
Call 973-510-2585, text us or request a free quote online. Silver Bullet Pest Control is licensed and insured in New Jersey.