Living with Raccoons

Living With Raccoons
Sauganash is a very special area, and part of that
uniqueness is the rural setting with its abundance of
wildlife. Dealing with wildlife can be a mixed blessing,
with raccoons being one of the most mischievous
blessings. Here are some hints to make living with
them easier:
•
Begin by examining the outside of your house.
Seal up ALL holes, gaps, splits and crawlspaces.
If you see signs of gnawing around holes, use
mothballs, rags soaked in ammonia or wood
preservatives to deter animals from trying again.
Also, placing steel wool in the holes will keep
little rodents from entering.
•
Always close your garage door, as its an open invitation to move in and "party".
•
Check outside vents to appliances such as dryers and fans. Make sure they are screened.
•
Trim all tree branches that could provide access to your roof.
•
Check gutters and ventilation grills for openings and seal them with heavy screening. Use a
chimney cap or heavy screening firmly bolted down to seal the chimney.
•
Cover basement window wells with grills or plastic covers.
•
Keep garbage in tightly sealed cans and, if possible, store your garbage in the garage until pick-up
day. Straps, rubber tie-downs or weights on lids often discourage uninvited guests. Please do not
overfill cans. In some situations where assaults cannot be otherwise stopped, an inch of ammonia
poured in the bottom of a garbage can will discourage visitors. Ammonia soaked rags may also
work.
Raccoons has have the annoying habit of digging up lawns looking for grubs. There are several ways to
rid your lawn of the white grubs and consequently, the unwanted diners. Several years of treatments
may be required to convince the raccoons that the grubs are gone.
We recommend that you purchase parasitic nematodes to rid your lawn of grubs from a garden center
like Gethsemane Garden Center, 5801 Clark Street in Chicago or Chalet Nursery and Garden Center,
3132 Lake Avenue in Wilmette.
•
Nematodes are mixed with water and sprayed on the lawn. They kill grubs without harming any
beneficial insects.
•
Sprinkle lawns or planters with cayenned pepper to discourage grub hunters inlcuding raccoons,
skunks and opposums.
•
Control grub population with an organic product called Grub Attack.
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•
If you must use a chemical, use the least toxic one called "Neem" (Bio Neem) which is an extract
from the Neem tree. It repels adult beetles, as well as kills white grubs. NEVER use Diazinon
because of its extreme toxicity to both humans and animals. The EPA has banned the use of
Diazinon on sod farms and golf courses for this very reason.
•
A generic recipe for keeping critters off the lawn is 8 ounces of dish soap and 6 ounces of castor
oil. Shake this mixture up and put in a hose end sprayer. Then spray the area you want to keep the
critters off of. The spray penetrates the soil and makes the animal uncomfortable.
Trapping raccoons or other wildlife should not be done. It merely provides temporary relief since
another animal only comes to fill the vacated territory. It is also important to note that Chicago Animal
Control's policy for trapped animals is euthanasia.
Here are several places that will accept injured or sick raccoons and often other wildlife. Donations are
not required but are welcomed!
1. Paws Critter Crossing
Dwight / David Uhter
Chicago Heights
708-758-2761
2. Merrick Animal Hospital
Marianne Kasper DVM
Berwyn IL
Work phone: 708-485-6500
3. Irene Riehert
Wonder Lake, IL
815-228-1232
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