What You Can Do

“Make your yard inhospitable to raccoons”

• Remove all pet food, accumulated trash, and overhanging vegetation.
• Top bushes at least 24 inches below the roofline.
• Repair any damaged vent screens using half-inch hardware cloth.
• Install spark arresters on chimneys.
• Secure pet doors at night.
• Store garbage in metal or tough plastic cans with tight fitting lids.
• Close off all open areas leading under decks using half-inch hardware cloth, which covers the open areas & extends 1 foot below soil level and 1 foot outward.
• Throw rocks to scare them away.
• Electric fence.
• Use beneficial nematodes in the spring to kill grubs in lawn areas.

What You Can’t Do

• State law prohibits poisoning raccoons.
• If an animal is causing depredation or poses a health risk, call Vector Control District to evaluate the problem. 408-792-5010 or 1-800-675-1155
• Law prohibits trapping and relocating ANY wild animal without approval from California Fish & Game. 831-479-9389 or 831-649-2870.

Resources

• UC Pest Note on Raccoons
  
• Raccoons: The Humane Society
• UC Pest Note: TurfGrass Masked Chafers (White Grubs) Digging by vertebrate predators, such as crows, raccoons, skunks, and coyotes, is a common indication of high grub populations