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For more information visit: www.urbanwildliferescue.org or Division of Wildlife (303) 297-1192 Raccoons can breed anytime from December to June, but most of them breed around February. At about 8 weeks old, the young usually leave the den and follow the mother to a new location. Young are weaned at about 12 weeks and disperse in the fall or early winter; or they may stay with the mother until the following spring. Raccoons are nocturnal animals, and they live throughout the city. When eviction techniques are used, do not expect the raccoon to leave until well after dark. RACCOON REPELLANTS Hot Pepper Repellant Recipe You need: 1. One chopped yellow onion 2. One chopped Jalapeno pepper 3. One tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper Boil ingredients for 20 minutes in two quarts of water. Then let it cool and strain the mixture through cheesecloth. You can apply this with a pesticide sprayer or a spray bottle. This will deter just about any animal from an area where it is applied. The only draw back is that it only lasts for three to five days. Note: Raccoons are very intelligent animals, so these exclusion tactics usually work quite well. If a raccoon tries to get food or shelter and not only can't get to it, but also feels uncomfortable, then after a couple of attempts, they will stay away and find an alternative source. RACCOONS ON THE PREMISES Be sure to eliminate all outside food sources, such as pet food, birdseed, etc. in the evening. If your pets must be fed outside, then remove all food at night. Use metal or heavy plastic trash containers. Keep the lids securely fastened to prevent odors from escaping. If needed, secure lids with bungee cords, ropes, etc. that have been soaked in Tabasco sauce® or the commercial repellant, Ropel®, available at garden, hardware, pet or feed stores. If they still get in, you can pour about one cup of ammonia in the trash can every week, after the trash has been picked up. Rubbermaid makes a trash can with a screw on the lid. You should always try to store trash in a garage or a shed. Repel® Granules, which is a dog and cat repellant, can be sprinkled around any area where the raccoons gather, be it roof, attic, trash area etc. Keep BBQ grills clean or stored in a secure place. When you see a raccoon in the yard, turn on the lights, run outside yelling and swinging a broom and scaring them off. You can also spray them with a hose. CAUTION: Do not corner a raccoon, thereby forcing them to defend themselves. Use an electric fence around the perimeter of the premises. Run the wire around the tops of all fences. If the raccoons can go under the fence, you will need to run a wire along the bottoms of the fence as well. The electric fence should be high voltage, low amperage, so that no harm can be done to any animal or person. We recommend the Fido Shock Electric Fence®. It comes in a kit with everything you need and it is very versatile and easy to set up. It is available at many pet and hardware stores. Use a Scarecrow Use the Hot Pepper Recipe ---PAGE BREAK---