A tipped garbage bin, muddy hand-shaped tracks on the deck, and a loud thump in the attic after dark are not small annoyances. They are signs a raccoon has found a reliable food source or shelter on your property. The best ways to keep raccoons away are not about one magic spray or scare device. They involve removing what attracts them, blocking access points, and staying consistent long enough that the animal moves on.
Raccoons are smart, adaptable, and strong enough to turn a loose lid or weak vent cover into an open invitation. In Toronto and throughout Ontario, they are especially active around homes, restaurants, apartment buildings, and commercial dumpsters where food is easy to find. Real talk: if a raccoon keeps coming back, something on the property is paying off for it.
Best Ways to Keep Raccoons Away From Your Property
1. Make garbage difficult to access
Garbage is the number-one raccoon attractant around most homes and businesses. Use sturdy bins with locking or tight-fitting lids, and keep them in a garage, shed, or secured enclosure whenever possible. If collection day is the only time bins must sit outside, put them out as close to pickup as you can instead of leaving them curbside overnight.
Do not rely on a bungee cord alone. A determined raccoon can work around it. Commercial properties should also inspect dumpster lids, gates, and surrounding areas. Overflowing bags beside a dumpster feed raccoons just as effectively as an open container.
2. Remove easy food sources around the yard
Raccoons are opportunistic eaters. Pet food left on a porch, fallen fruit beneath a tree, bird seed scattered under feeders, and food scraps in an uncovered compost pile can all bring them in.
Feed pets indoors, especially at night. Pick up fallen fruit regularly, clean barbecue grates after use, and use a compost bin with a secure lid. Bird feeders do not always need to disappear, but they may need to be moved away from roofs, fences, and railings that raccoons can climb. Clean spilled seed below them often.
3. Protect gardens, ponds, and chicken coops
A productive garden can become a late-night buffet. Raccoons may dig up newly planted seeds, eat corn and melons, raid fish ponds, or target backyard hens and eggs. Basic fencing helps, but lightweight garden mesh alone often is not enough.
For gardens and coops, a properly installed electric fence can be highly effective when used safely and according to local rules. It should be set up before damage becomes routine, not after a raccoon has already learned the easiest route in. Cover small ponds with secure netting when practical, and remove any food left for fish overnight.
4. Seal access to attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces
A raccoon does not need a wide opening to get into a building. Damaged soffits, loose roof vents, uncapped chimneys, gaps under decks, and broken lattice are common entry points. Once inside an attic or wall void, a raccoon can damage insulation, wiring, ductwork, and roofing materials. A female may also use the space as a den for her young.
Walk around the exterior during daylight and look for bent vent covers, dark rub marks, torn screening, loose shingles, and openings near the roofline. Secure vulnerable vents with heavy-gauge, wildlife-resistant material. Chimney caps should be professionally fitted so they protect the opening without creating a fire or ventilation issue.
Do not seal an active entry hole until you are sure no animal, especially babies, remains inside. Trapping a mother out while young are inside can create a more serious animal welfare and odor problem. This is one of the situations where professional inspection matters.
5. Remove hiding places close to the building
Raccoons prefer cover. Dense shrubs against the foundation, stacked lumber, clutter under a porch, and open areas beneath decks can all provide a safe resting spot before they move toward food.
Trim back branches that touch or hang close to the roof. Keep brush, firewood, and stored materials organized and raised off the ground when possible. If raccoons are using the area beneath a deck or shed, exclusion barriers can stop future access, but only after confirming the space is empty.
6. Use motion-activated deterrents strategically
Motion-activated lights and sprinklers can make a yard less comfortable for a passing raccoon. They work best as a supporting measure, particularly near trash storage, garden beds, decks, or side yards where activity is occurring.
The trade-off is that raccoons can get used to predictable deterrents. A light that switches on every night may stop being impressive after a while. Change the placement occasionally, and pair deterrents with food removal and exclusion. The goal is to make the entire property unrewarding, not merely startle the animal for a few seconds.
7. Keep doors, windows, and pet entrances secure
An open garage, damaged screen door, pet door, or basement window can give a raccoon direct access to your building. Check window screens and garage door seals, particularly if you have seen raccoons near the structure. Pet doors should be locked at night or replaced with a model that only opens for your pet’s collar or microchip.
For restaurants, retail locations, and multifamily properties, staff should be trained not to prop open rear doors during garbage handling or deliveries. One open service entrance can lead to contamination concerns, property damage, and repeat visits from wildlife.
8. Avoid DIY methods that create bigger problems
Mothballs, bleach, ammonia, poison, and other harsh chemicals are not reliable raccoon solutions. They can be dangerous to children, pets, wildlife, and the environment. Poison also creates the risk of an animal dying inside a wall, attic, or inaccessible area.
Live trapping is not a simple fix either. Wildlife laws, relocation restrictions, and the possibility of separating a mother from her babies make it a poor DIY choice in many cases. A raccoon that has been removed without fixing the entry point or food source is often replaced by another one.
9. Act quickly when raccoons are inside
A raccoon in the yard is different from a raccoon in the attic. If you hear heavy movement overhead at night, find droppings in a crawl space, notice a strong odor, or see roof damage, do not wait for the issue to resolve itself. The longer an animal remains inside, the more extensive the cleanup and repair can become.
Licensed wildlife professionals can identify entry points, determine whether young are present, carry out humane removal where permitted, and install exclusion measures designed to prevent re-entry. At City Pest Control Inc, inspections focus on the full problem: what brought the raccoon in, where it is getting access, and what needs to change to keep it from returning.
When a Raccoon May Be a Health or Safety Concern
Most raccoons avoid people, but keep your distance if one appears sick, disoriented, unusually aggressive, or active in an unusual location during the day. Daytime activity alone does not automatically mean rabies, especially when a mother is feeding young, but abnormal behavior should be treated cautiously.
Never try to handle a raccoon, corner it, or allow pets to confront it. Keep children and animals indoors, and contact the appropriate local animal control or wildlife authority if the animal appears injured or dangerous. If a raccoon has entered your home or business, professional help is the safer route.
A clean yard and secure garbage bins go a long way, but prevention works best when it is maintained week after week. Make the property harder to feed in, harder to hide in, and impossible to enter. That gives raccoons a simple reason to find somewhere else to spend the night.