The Kitchen Condiment That'll Send Coyotes Running

Coyotes are an important part of the animal kingdom, but that doesn't mean we want to see them roaming in our yards. While they're not prone to attacking people unless threatened, they still pose a risk. In addition to that, they can mistake your small pets for prey, leading to a dangerous situation for your furry friends. If you want your property to be a worry-free zone without any potential predators, then you can use a combination of vinegar and Tabasco sauce to keep them from wandering in. They dislike its pungent odor, so they will steer clear of the space. Both exterminators and wildlife removal experts tout its success, so it's worth a try if you keep seeing coyotes wandering into your yard in search of food. 

This is a great hack to try because it uses two items you already likely have in your pantry: white vinegar and Tabasco sauce. All you need to do is mix them together and put your pest problem to rest. It's also a effective way to deter the small animals and pests from your yard without hurting them with traps or poisons. If you want something convenient, humane, and eco-friendly, this is the hack to try. Here's how to pull it off. 

To keep coyotes away for good, you will need a lot of both ingredients for this to work. It's not enough to pour a bit of vinegar into a spray bottle and top it off with a few drops of Tabasco sauce. You want to create a super strong aroma for it to deter the small predators, so aim to mix 1 gallon of white distilled vinegar with a whole bottle of Tabasco sauce. Once done, you can pour this mixture into buckets and leave them in key points around your yard, or pour it into a spray bottle and saturate those same areas. Examples include an opening in your hedges or fence, near your patio or deck, or your gate entryway. Since the liquid can eventually lose its potency or be washed away by the rain, it's important to either keep reapplying or replenishing the mixture.

This hack works because coyotes don't like the smell of these two ingredients. Vinegar is made out of acetic acid, which has a sharp and stinging scent. Tabasco sauce is also quite pungent, and it has the added benefit of having capsaicin, which is the compound that makes it spicy. This will aggravate the coyote's sensitive sense of smell. Both of these can also cover the scent of possible prey, making it difficult and confusing for the coyote to hunt for food in your yard. Rather than trying to battle through the competing smells, they will wander into an area where it's easier to source food.

Since you're using hot sauce for this hack, there are a few safety caveats to keep in mind. Ensure you don't get any on your hands since it can cause irritation if you make contact with your eyes later. You can remedy this issue by wearing disposable gloves while making your mixture and washing your hands thoroughly afterward. If you have children, make sure you don't let them into the yard unattended so they don't accidentally get into the mixture either. 

This can also be unsafe if you have dogs or cats that you let out into your yard unsupervised. Garlic and onion are often included in hot sauce, and according to Bloorcourt Veterinary Clinic, both are highly toxic to pets. This can lead to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping, and weakness. Because of this, you either want to skip this hack if you have pets, or watch them closely when you let them outside.