Best At Home Tips to Get Rid of Raccoon With Ammonia

If you have been searching for organic methods to get rid of raccoons, you might have come across recommendations involving mothballs or the use of ammonia. Getting rid of a raccoon with Ammonia may seem like something that won’t work. With the right information on how to use it, you are sending all the raccoons that have invaded your properties away.

Does Ammonia Keep Raccoons Away?

The presence of ammonia could signal to raccoons that an area or food source has been compromised. However, raccoons might either avoid the scent or remove any ammonia-soaked materials. If ammonia is placed in a garage or shed, raccoons may inhabit areas furthest from the smell. Generally, this method may only deter raccoons temporarily, if at all, until they acclimate to the scent or it dissipates.

The simple answer to this question is Yes. Ammonia can be an effective remedy to get rid of raccoons. Here are some important things to know about getting rid of raccoon with ammonia from your yards or property:

1. Ammonia has a pungent and unpleasant smell to raccoons. Its strong smell overwhelms their sensitive noses, making an area sprayed with ammonia uncomfortable for them.
2. You can make an ammonia solution by mixing 1 part household ammonia with 3 parts water. Put this diluted ammonia solution into a spray bottle and apply it around the potential places the raccoon dwells, like their entry points like attic vents, holes, or the base of doors. Reapply this solution every few days or after heavy rain.
3. Soaking cotton balls in ammonia and placing them around the areas you want to protect can also help deter raccoons with their unpleasant smell as the ammonia evaporates.
4. Never spray pure, undiluted ammonia as that is unsafe. Use the diluted solution.
5. Ammonia is not a guaranteed permanent solution. Determined raccoons may still enter an ammonia-sprayed area if they have an incentive like accessible food waste or a nesting space. So be sure to also address what might be attracting them.

Do Racoons Like the Smell of Ammonia?

Ammonia is known as a colourless gas with its pungent, suffocating odour, that poses a significant health risk and demands cautious handling. Inhalation of substantial amounts can lead to respiratory problems, while skin or eye contact may cause burns and irritations.

Nevertheless, due to its resemblance to urine odour, ammonia is suggested as a strategic tool for deterring raccoons, simulating predators marking territory in targeted zones around your residence.

The odour of ammonia is highly repulsive to raccoons, reminiscent of urine to their sensitive noses, and it prompts them to vacate the area. To get rid of raccoons with Ammonia, make use of various methods like saturating 5-6 tennis balls with ammonia and tossing them near their suspected habitat; then place a small dish of ammonia close to garbage containers; or insert ammonia-soaked clothes inside trash cans to maintain the potency much longer. Additionally, spray areas are frequently used by raccoons to discourage their presence.

How do You Get Rid of a Raccoon ASAP?

Dealing with raccoons can be particularly difficult due to their relentless determination and persistence. Once raccoons find a spot that offers them reliable food or shelter, they will keep coming back. If you come across raccoons either indoors or on your premises, you must take proactive measures to remove them and prevent future visits once they’re gone. Asides from getting rid of raccoon with ammonia here are some other ways to get rid of raccoons from your propery:

1. Raccoon Trap

An effective approach to get rid of raccoons involves the use of traps. Various types of traps exist, including body grip traps, paw hold traps, and live cage traps. However, trapping raccoons can be challenging and potentially hazardous. If you’re experiencing raccoon issues and contemplating trapping, it’s advisable to seek guidance from a professional before attempting to capture them independently.

2. Take all Food Sources Away

The presence of food is a major motivator for raccoons to visit your property. As an omnivorous animal, raccoons have a wide range of diets and will consume almost anything within their reach. They are drawn to various food sources around your premises, foods of your pets can draw them to your yard.

3. Close up all Openings in Your House

The initial and crucial action to prevent raccoons from coming into your yard and property is eliminating any form of attraction that may lure them in. Find a way to install barriers to separate raccoons from your area. It’s also important to regularly check these barriers to ensure they remain tightly sealed and secure.

How to Get Rid of Raccoon With Ammonia Home Remedies

The idea of using ammonia to get rid of raccoons may come from their aversion to areas contaminated with the urine of other male raccoons or potential predators. Because urine shares similarities with ammonia in terms of odour, some believe it may have a similar repellent effect on raccoons. 

1. Soaking rags in ammonia and placing them around the areas where raccoons are getting into your home. The strong odour can deter raccoons from coming around. However, inhaling ammonia fumes can be very dangerous for people and pets.
2. Mixing ammonia with other liquids like vinegar or hot sauce and spraying it around entry points. Again, the fumes could be hazardous.

On the other hand, you can try taking a more humane approach that doesn’t put you at risk for your health:

1. Identify how the raccoons are getting onto your property or into areas of your home. Seal up any holes, cracks or openings so they no longer have access.
2. Use motion sensor lights and sounds to startle raccoons away from your home. Strategically place these deterrents near common entry points.
3. Clean up any outdoor food sources or spilt trash that could attract raccoons to your property. Securing trash in sealed containers also helps.
4. If there are mother raccoons with babies getting into an attic or garage, call animal control or wildlife rehabilitators for humane removal instead of trying ammonia yourself. Never attempt to separate a mother from her young.

It’s important to note that there are no registered repellents specifically designed for raccoons. Furthermore, visual or sound-based repellents are often ineffective. This is because raccoons can become familiar with them once they realize there’s no physical threat.