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How To Keep Raccoons Away From Bird Feeders

How do you keep raccoons out of your bird feeder?

Baffle Them! – Adding a steel raccoon baffle to your feeder pole is the most effective way to stop raccoons. Squirrel baffles won’t do the job. Raccoon baffles are much larger, a full 10″ in diameter and about 2 feet tall, preventing the crafty critters from reaching over or “hugging” their way over it.

Will cayenne pepper keep raccoons away from bird feeders?

Birds can eat capsaicin all day long and feel no ill effects. So to take advantage, many bird foods add capsaicin as a powder coat, liquid coat, or as part of a suet mix to stop raccoons from eating. Using hot pepper sunflower seed in my bird feeders worked well to force the raccoon back to the ground.

How do you repel raccoons?

Raccoons have a strong sense of smell, which they use to find accessible food sources. You can take advantage of this trait by using scents they dislike, such as hot pepper, onion, garlic, peppermint oil and Epsom salt to repel them.

Can a raccoon climb PVC pipe?

(Note: some raccoons can climb up a 4″ diameter pipe, especially if they are really hungry.) A small (4″) diameter PVC one does not, as snakes (esp. Black Rat Snakes) may be able to coil around it, even when greased.

How do I keep raccoons from climbing my shepherds hook?

The best way to keep squirrels and raccoons off feeders is to use a pole or shepherds hook with pole baffles installed or hanging baffles installed above the feeder. We DO NOT recommend adding grease, oil or petroleum jelly to a pole or hanger to make it too slippery for squirrels and raccoons to climb.

How do I keep raccoons out of my protein feeder?

Put a dog proof trap out on every leg of your feeders. Then put a few around the pens. I use just cheap as I can get cat food and will catch multiple a night. I have had great success doing this.

How do you keep racoons out of a protein feeder?

Coonhood is an innovative device used to prevent raccoons, along with other varmints, from accessing protein in chute-style feeders. The patent pending design allows the unwanted animal’s weight to lower the hood blocking access to the feed.

Does cinnamon keep raccoons away?

The solution is spice. Laying spices can be a very effective way to prevent raccoons from the places you don’t want them. The main spices that people will usually recommend for this method include: Black pepper, garlic, red hot chili powder, and cinnamon.

What is the best racoon repellent?

As a general rule, the best raccoon repellents irritate the senses of a raccoon to keep them away. Peppermint essential oil, bright lights, coffee grounds, chili pepper, cayenne pepper, epsom salt, predator urine, ammonia, vinegar, loud noises and fragrant soaps all can repel raccoons.

Will vinegar keep raccoons away?

Raccoons hate the smell of apple cider vinegar (and so do some humans!). Soak a cloth in apple cider vinegar and place it in an aerated container near the den. The smell will deter them! Install a “scare light.” Having motion sensor lights that automatically turn on will scare away wandering raccoons.

What smell do raccoons hate?

Raccoons enjoy the dark, so a strategically placed flashlight can be a deterrent. Because they’re also put off by strange noises, playing a small radio may help keep them at bay. Finally, raccoons hate the smell of ammonia, so leave a saucer full of the stuff (or an ammonia-dipped rag) near the creatures’ entry point.

Does Irish Spring soap keep raccoons away?

Raccoons use their superb sense of smell to forage for food, and some scents are really effective at keeping them away. The ingredients in Irish Spring soap are generally effective in keeping raccoons and other small mammals out of your yard.

What smell keeps raccoons away?

Spices like cinnamon, black pepper or cayenne pepper bother a raccoon’s sense of smell, forcing it to relocate to a more livable area. By mixing cayenne pepper and onion in boiling water, you can create a natural raccoon repellant. You can add hot sauce to the mixture, as well.

Do moth balls repel raccoons?

The strong smell of moth balls is supposed to keep critters away. But because moth balls are made with chemicals that can be dangerous to people and pets, this isn’t a safe way to manage a raccoon problem. This home remedy was popular before people understood the dangers of extended exposure to pesticides.

How do I stop raccoons from climbing my feeder legs?

Simply greasing the legs of the deer feeders will make it so that raccoons and other animals won’t be able to climb it properly. This prevents them from being able to access the deer feeder, and the local deer won’t have a problem due to their height.

How do you make a raccoon baffle?

How To Build The Baffle Step 1: Drill Hole. Clamp the end cap firmly in a vise, or hold it with pliers. Step 2: Fit End Cap. Hook the stovepipe together, and fit it snugly inside the end cap. Step 3: Drill Pilot Holes. Step 4: Attach Screws. Step 5: Slip Baffle Over Pole. Step 6: Attach Hose Clamp. Step 7: Install Baffle.