Will Vinegar Keep Raccoons Away? [This Guide Will Tell You]

Raccoons are tiny animals that may look cute because of the distinct color on their faces, making them look like old-fashioned thieves. While cute is something I could use to describe them, I could also describe them as unwelcomed guests. Lots of homeowners often have problems keeping raccoons away.

The issue with raccoons is their presence and the fact that they can carry diseases like rabies. This disease can spread among people and animals and can, in some cases, be fatal. So, this is another reason why you might not want to keep raccoons around.

But how do you repel these animals? Can vinegar be the solution? This is what this guide will tell you. So, if you want to learn more about the most effective raccoon-repelling options, I urge you to stick around for the entirety of this guide.

Will Vinegar Keep Raccoons Away?

Many people choose to stop raccoons from entering their yards and houses using chemical repellents. They must not know that there is no better repellent than the natural repellent that is vinegar. These nocturnal animals cannot stand it and will never want to approach it.

There are others smells that one can use to get rid of raccoons. But for the time being, let’s look into the different types of vinegar and how effective they can be as raccoon repellents.

White Vinegar

White vinegar is a mixture of water and acetic acid. This acid gives the vinegar its strong acidic smell that even people might be unable to stand. The smell is one raccoon's dislike, so you can use that to your advantage. Get some white vinegar, spray it around the spots where you usually encounter raccoons, and they will surely leave you alone.

Apple Cider Vinegar

While white vinegar is a great raccoon repellent, apple cider vinegar is even better. This type of vinegar has a very strong smell that raccoons cannot stand. Even if you use a few drops of it, it is bound to keep raccoons away from you.

If you want to prevent raccoons from approaching your property, I recommend making a homemade raccoon repellent. All you will need is a spray bottle and some apple cider vinegar. Add the vinegar with a bit of water into the bottle. Then, use the spray bottle to spray the mixture wherever needed.

The pungent smell will keep raccoons as well as other animals away from your property. You will have a clear conscience knowing that you are not using harsh chemicals to repel animals, but you are still able to keep them far away.

Reasons Why Vinegar Keeps Raccoons Away

There are a few reasons why vinegar can repel raccoons. It is a great raccoon deterrent because of its obvious strong smell. While raccoons are not known for being picky about smells or the food they eat, they do not want to get anywhere near vinegar. So, you can use it to keep the raccoons away.

The thing about vinegar is that it affects the sense of smell in the raccoon. It makes the raccoon unable to smell anything else, while it also impairs their sense of taste. This will affect their ability to find and eat food, so their entire trip and effort would have been for nothing.

So, one point for you and zero for the raccoon!

While acetic acid in vinegar is great for repelling, you also need to be mindful of how you tend to your house and yard. After all, there must be something that invites raccoons to your property. If you remove that something, you might get rid of the raccoons before they even get there.

One of the things that you can do is always make sure that your trash cans are sealed shut. Occasionally, raccoons can smell the leftover food you throw in the can and go after it. So, instead of dealing with tipped-over garbage cans or garbage all over your yard, seal the cans shut and keep the raccoons away.

Another thing you should try doing is keeping your food in airtight containers and stored away. Even if you have a pet, make sure that you clean after them and never leave any food out in the open. Raccoons not only love pet food but might also try to attack your pet if they are hungry. So, do not give them a reason to do that – protect your pet by keeping the food stored away.

If you have fruit trees in your yard or some vegetables you have been growing, make sure that you do not leave them to rot in the yard. Once they are ripe, you should take them inside and store them away so that raccoons cannot pick up the smell. Otherwise, they will surely make your garden their new home.

As a final note, I want also to add that you need to protect your chimney as well as other places that you think raccoons might use to get inside your house. Yes, repelling them before they get the chance to get inside the home is best. But if you did not get the chance to repel up until now, do your best to correct that mistake afterward.

How to Get Rid of Raccoons with Vinegar?

Trying to repel raccoons can be difficult and time-consuming unless you have the right ingredient. I have mentioned how apple cider vinegar is the best raccoon repellent you can use. Now, it is time for me to tell you how you should use it. So, let us get right into that!

The first thing to do is find where the raccoons are coming from – have they dug an opening under your fence, or are they using a window you leave open? Try your best to figure this out. If you cannot do this on your own, you can use motion detectors and cameras to trace them.

Once you have that figured out, you can make your homemade raccoon repellent using apple cider vinegar and a bit of water. If you want to, you can mix some other ingredients that act as repellents. You can go for peppermint oil, Epson salt, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, or some ammonia.

I recommend that you put the mixture into a spray bottle and use it to spray all over the raccoons’ homes. Then, get clothes you do not need, dip them into the repellent, and place them in various spots all over your property. Since raccoons hate all these smells, they will avoid coming to your house again.

Wrap-Up

You need to know everything about deterring raccoons using apple cider vinegar. As one of the best natural repellents, I recommend you use it to keep curious or hungry raccoons away from your property. If you follow the instructions above, I do not doubt you will succeed in repelling these small mammals.

Do you know any other effective ways to stop raccoons from coming to your home or yard? If you do, share them in the comments below so that other readers can try them out too!