Can Vanilla Extract Really Help Keep Raccoons Out Of Trash Cans?

Raccoons are never a welcome addition to your yard or garden. They can wreak havoc in your garbage cans, scare your pets and children, and even get into your house. The best way to ensure they don't loiter on your premises is to deter them. Using scent repellents is one proven way to deter raccoons, and while some believe that vanilla extract can keep raccoons out of your yard, it's not effective.

Though some think these little bandit-looking mammals are rodents, they aren't. They belong to the Carnivora order which is shared by bears, wolves, and cats. Yet, even though they can be cute, raccoons can also carry rabies. The United States government has been trying to eradicate rabies in raccoons for thirty years. Rabies can be fatal for humans and pets that aren't protected by the vaccine. Once symptoms show, it is almost always fatal. Consequently, keeping them away from your home is not only helpful for avoiding the mess they can make with your trash, but it's also a necessary safety precaution.

Though it may be a favorite and welcome scent to humans, many believe that raccoons do not like the scent of vanilla. Some people think that vanilla can help repel raccoons from the yard and recommend that vanilla be placed in areas where raccoons may gather. However, it's not quite as simple as it may seem.

A strong-smelling vanilla extract concoction can indeed mask the odors of other more pungent foods, much in the same way vanilla can be used to repel mosquitos. Dialing down the scent of foods that raccoons love, like cat food, tuna, and bacon can be one strategy since these mammals have a heightened sense of smell.

However, some raccoons will eat foods with vanilla in them. Vanilla is actually present in certain raccoon baits. Part of the government's efforts to eliminate rabies in raccoons included vanilla. They created two types of oral rabies vaccines. One vaccine is vanilla-flavored, and the other is tuna-flavored.

To keep raccoons off your premises, you need to choose scents that they absolutely hate. Luckily, a lot of these scents are natural and easy to obtain. You may even have many of them right in your kitchen cabinets, and they are more humane ways to keep raccoons at bay rather than resorting to chemical pesticides. Garlic is one scent that raccoons detest. It is intensely pungent, and even more so when crushed. You can leave peeled garlic cloves sprinkled around your yard.

Another solution is to add them to a spray bottle filled with warm water and let them sit for a while. Once the water absorbs the odor, you can spray it all around the outside of your home and yard area. Black pepper and cayenne pepper are other known raccoon repellents. They can irritate a raccoon's respiratory tract if inhaled. Peppermint oil is another known detractor. Its intense menthol smell can also aggravate a raccoon's system and may even cause a burning sensation.

Ammonia can cause burning and irritate a raccoon's respiratory system too. It can also mask the scent of food sources, as can vinegar. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and add some water to create a powerful spray deterrent.