After a long cold winter many homeowners look forward to starting their gardens. Yards adorned with home grown flowers, vegetables, fruit… and raccoons. Why are raccoons attracted to flower and garden beds? What can be done to deter their destruction?
Raccoons are the quintessential definition of omnivores. Raccoons will eat anything from marshmallows to anchovies and pet food. Grubs are also a favorite.
Grubs are larvae from Japanese beetles and other beetles. They are laid underground at varying times through the year. Raccoons are equipped with a terrific sense of smell and are drawn to soil enriched with grubs. In the process of extracting the grubs from the soil (grubbing), flower and garden beds are sacrificed.
There are many deterrents sold on the market to caution raccoons from a property. Most deterrents utilize negative reinforcement. Motion activated lights, sprinklers and alarms can be purchased to deter wildlife. While some homeowners experience varying levels of success with those products, most homeowners report short lived results. Raccoons are known to acclimate to their environments. Over time they may ignore or endure the bright light, sprinkler or noises produced by deterrents.
Knowing that raccoons are drawn to grubs in the soil is great information for deterring grubbing. There are many products on the market that can be purchased to mitigate grubs. By removing the tasty grubs from the soil the appeal to grub/shred those areas diminishes. Exclusions are also a fine option.
Exclusions focus on excluding wildlife from areas to prevent them from damaging property. It can be difficult to exclude an entire yard from wildlife. However, building fences with “tops” around flower and garden beds has proven to be effective in mitigating grubbing.
Gardening takes time and effort. It’s unfortunate to see the work shredded and torn up in the morning. By removing the grubs from the soil one removes the reward associated with grubbing. If the situation allows exclusions can be created to fence and screen off areas from wildlife. For more information on grubbing and raccoon habits contact the wildlife professionals at Critter Evictors!