Homeowners in Canada, particularly in larger Ontario cities like Scarborough, Toronto, and Vaughan, are familiar with the local wildlife and the challenges it presents within the home. Keeping your household safe requires homeowners to continuously maintain and repair the crucial areas inside and outside the house to keep wildlife like raccoons out and far away.
In many cases, homeowners will seek out raccoon removal services when they come in contact with these animals in their attic, basement, or backyard deck. The basement, in particular, is becoming a more common hiding spot for these small creatures.
Check Your Pipes
Basements aren’t as uncommon as you might think when it comes to finding raccoons and other small wildlife. Raccoons, in particular, are known for seeking out dry and warm shelter for various reasons — including nesting and hiding from predators.
The pipes around the home are often gateways into your home’s foundation, particularly within your basement. The professionals at Wildlife Shield have seen their fair share of basement raccoons, and they recommend taking precautions around the foundation to ensure raccoons are unable to enter.
When pipelines and utility cables run through your foundation, they can create small gaps that raccoons will claw at until the opening is large enough to fit inside. From there, it’s much easier for them to find shelter in your basement.
Maintain Cleanliness
Raccoons are known to scavenge for food, which is why the areas in and around your basement should be regularly cleaned. Leaving food out or leaving your trash cans unsealed acts as an invitation to many small wildlife, which will lead them to look for additional food sources — this means they’re more likely to find those gaps and openings in your foundation or on your roof and make their way inside.
Create Your Own Repellant
Raccoons are known for their strong sense of smell, which means there may be merit in developing a simple DIY repellant to spray around the basement — from the baseboards to outside around windows and pipes. Hot peppers are a popular deterrent. A simple water & pepper spray can help keep animals away from the perimeter of your home, discouraging them from looking for entry points inside. Black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon are also widely-used spices to deter raccoons.
Eliminate Foundational Cracks
Since raccoons can use their claws to widen small cracks in the foundation of a home, ensuring these points are sealed is one of the most important preventional measures homeowners can take. This may take more time and patients than anticipated, depending on the construction of your home, but it’s worth the investment. If you can take steps to ensure your foundation is solid, you’ve eliminated a significant resource that raccoons will often use to find their way inside your home.
Raccoon prevention comes down to taking the time to inspect your home and eliminate as many points of entry as possible. If you can deter wildlife from your property, you can safely enjoy your basement and the rest of your home without worry.
