Bait For Uninvited Guests Of The Raccoon Variety
Raccoons can wreak havoc on a property. If you have a raccoon problem, then you know the kind of damage they can do. However, just because a raccoon tips over your trashcans and tears up your property does not mean that your no-so-friendly, neighborhood raccoon deserves the death sentence. If you are looking for a way to get rid of your raccoon problem, finding a good tap is only half of the problem. Choosing the right bait is just as if not more important than choosing the right cage.
Marshmallows, Anyone?
To choose a goof bait for a raccoon, you have to know a little bit about a raccoon's natural habitat. Raccoons are scavengers. They are not really big enough to make their own kills, but they are really good at robbing their neighbors. In a forest, they are likely to go after eggs. What do eggs look like? Round, white, and marshmallow-sized. Marshmallows have one added advantage over eggs—they're sweet. Putting marshmallows in a cage is not enough. You need to make sure that raccoons can't get them out easily. Putting marshmallows in a can and then zip-tieing that can to the cage will create a puzzle that will keep the raccoon busy long enough for the cage to close.
That Fishy Smell
As scavengers, raccoons are not afraid to go after dead bodies. In fact, raccoons see the smell of rotting fresh as a sign that a meal is on the way. Raccoons also like fish. If you combine fish with rotting flesh, you have a bait that will drive raccoons wild. Just as is the case with marshmallows, though, you need to make sure that your raccoon can't easily pull the can out of your trap. Poking holes in the bottom of a tuna fish or sardine can will allow you to thread a zip tie through the can and connecting it to the cage will give the trap time to work before the raccoon gets out.
Trying to catch a raccoon alive so that you can relocate it is a noble effort. After all, raccoons serve a necessary purpose in their natural habitat. It's only when they cross paths with humans that they become a nuisance. If you want your trap to be effective, however, you need to make sure that you carefully bait your trap. The key to a good raccoon relocation effort is knowing your raccoons well enough to choose a good bait.