Generally, raccoons and other wild animals are attracted to your backyard for food, water, or shelter. When you host a barbeque or other outdoor party in your backyard, you run the risk of attracting wild critters. These tips will help you reduce the risk of hosting a wild animal afterparty in your backyard.
Cleaning Up the Backyard
It is important to clean up any food and drink mess after your party. Food and drinks left out can attract wild animals. Raccoons, pigeons, mice, and more can flock to unattended food for a free meal. This includes food and water you put out for pets during the party. Don’t forget to clean the barbeque itself. You may also want to spray down high-use areas with a hose if need be.
Secure the Trash Cans
After a BBQ, your trash cans are likely filled with all sorts of food and drink garbage. Be sure to secure your trash cans with tight-fitting, locking lids. This will help prevent animals from accessing the scraps within.
Secure Potential Backyard Dens
Pest animals like to live close to where there is plentiful food. They like to hide under decks, patios, and overgrown bushes. Install barriers around your deck or patio to prevent wild animals from taking residence. Trimming back overgrown plants can help too. Because animals will feel exposed if they don’t have a place to hide, trimming back plants can limit these hiding places.
Anti-Animal Countermeasures
There are a number of additional ways to prevent pest animals from accessing your backyard. Adding an owl statue to a nearby tree or other high places in your backyard can deter smaller animals such as mice and squirrels. Just be sure to change its position on occasion to keep it effective. Motion sensor lights can be helpful when parties go into the night, but they can also deter wild animals looking to sneak around for a meal.