How do you keep a raccoon out of the garbage?

Question

He comes out at night when we are all asleep, then he goes to the trash can and gets inside and I usually have a mess to clean up when I wake up. The raccoon knows how to lifts the lid to get in.

Answer 1

Cayenne pepper.  Sprinkle it on and around your can.

Answer 2

Bungie cord across the top.  Soak rag in ammonia, stuff in old sock and hang from can.  Your problem's easy.  My friend had her garbage can taken by a bear.

Answer 3

My brother had this problem just a couple of weeks ago. Use rat poison. If you have any fish (they love fish) try covering a few cutlets in rat poison and leaving it exposed, perhaps sitting on the outside of the bag.

Don't just leave it sitting on the lid though, the raccoon knows you aren't just giving it food, so it will realize something's 'fishy' and won't go for the trap. You have to make sure it is still somewhere inside the can.

Good luck!

Answer 4

put a miley cyrus doll next to the trash can. the racoon will be so scared!

Answer 5

Please don't kill the raccoons.  Try leaving a bowl of dog food out for them.  They'll eat that instead of garbage (hopefully; it worked for me last summer, anyway).