Raccoons are nocturnal animals and are troublesome. They can get into anything and spread diseases. Raccoons can enter your house and surroundings and spread some dangerous diseases. Moreover, raccoons can destroy homes and outbuildings. Because they can do anything to get access to your house or area.
That’s why dealing with raccoons is difficult. Especially, when you are trying to get rid of raccoons, all processes might not be effective. So, you might be confused about whether vinegar can keep raccoons away or not. Well, vinegar is a well-known liquid to keep bugs and insects away. So, you have to know the effectiveness of vinegar in keeping raccoons away.
Will vinegar keep raccoons away?
Vinegar will keep raccoons away. Because raccoons don’t like the smell and taste of vinegar. In particular, apple cider vinegar works well as a natural repellent. So, you can spray vinegar around or soak a cloth in vinegar and keep it in an aerated container. This will keep the raccoons away.
Table of Contents
However, vinegar can be of different types. For example, white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are two types of vinegar. Each of the vinegar might have different effects on raccoons. Let’s see if vinegar can keep raccoons away.
White vinegar:
White vinegar is pretty common in cooking. But it can also help repel different bugs and insects. Generally, the ingredients in vinegar keep the raccoons away. You might know that vinegar is slightly caustic.
So, if you apply vinegar to keep raccoons away, it will work. You can choose two ways to do this. First, you can spray the white vinegar on the places where the raccoons can come. Moreover, the holes in your house need to be sprayed.
Otherwise, you can take a piece of cloth and soak it in white vinegar. Then you have to keep the cloth in an aerated place where the raccoons can smell the vinegar. This will effectively keep raccoons away.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV):
Apple cider vinegar is one of the best things to keep raccoons away. Raccoons dislike the caustic smell of apple cider vinegar. Even apple cider vinegar works better than white vinegar.
Generally, when raccoons come into your surroundings, they use their sense of smell. But the acetic acid solution makes it difficult for raccoons to smell other things. So, their sense of smell is affected.
So, if you can spray apple cider vinegar on the places where raccoons come, it will be effective. The strong scent of apple cider vinegar will keep raccoons away.
Does white vinegar deter raccoons? Does vinegar stop raccoons?
Yes, white vinegar can deter raccoons. Because white vinegar also has ingredients that help keep away raccoons. You might know that raccoons don’t like the strong scent of white vinegar.
White vinegar is made of acetic acid and water. So, the taste and smell of acetic acid are unpleasant for raccoons. That’s why when you apply white vinegar to your surroundings, raccoons will stay away from there.
Vinegar stops raccoons. If the vinegar is apple cider vinegar, it will work better to stop raccoons. Because apple cider vinegar has a stronger scent than white vinegar. The smell of vinegar stops the sense of smell of raccoons.
So, whenever the raccoons come close to the vinegar, they can’t smell other things. So, the main action of the raccoons gets hampered. That’s why raccoons dislike the smell of vinegar.
Three reasons why vinegar keeps raccoons away
Now that you know vinegar can keep raccoons away, you might want to know the reasons why. Let’s see why vinegar keeps raccoons away.
Strong scent:
The strongest factor in vinegar’s effectiveness is its smell. Vinegar has a strong scent that keeps the raccoons away. Besides, apple cider vinegar has a stronger smell than white vinegar. So, when you apply or keep vinegar near raccoons, they will dislike the smell and go away from that place.
Acetic acid:
Another reason is that vinegar has acetic acid in it. Raccoons dislike the smell and taste of acetic acid. Generally, vinegar is made of acetic acid and water. That’s why the nature of vinegar is also acidic.
When the raccoons come close to the vinegar, they can taste and smell the acetic acid. So, they will go away if they sense the smell of acetic acid.
Imbalance sense of smell:
When you put vinegar or apple cider vinegar to deter raccoons, it will help the raccoons go away. When the raccoons smell the vinegar or apple cider vinegar, it imbalances their sense of smell.
So, after smelling or tasting the vinegar, raccoons can’t smell other things. So, the main purpose of raccoons is not fulfilled. They can’t find the other things they have come for. So, finding no other way, raccoons stay away from that place.
For these reasons, whenever raccoons smell the scent of vinegar, they run away.
What vinegar works best to deter raccoons?
Apple cider vinegar works best to deter raccoons. Because apple cider vinegar has the ingredients and characteristics that help deter raccoons. Raccoons dislike apple cider vinegar so much that they will go away immediately after smelling it.
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid and other ingredients. These ingredients are very unpleasant for raccoons. Moreover, whenever raccoons smell or taste apple cider vinegar, they can’t smell other things.
Because the scent of apple cider vinegar is strong. Even the scent of apple cider vinegar is stronger than normal or white vinegar.
Moreover, apple cider vinegar is slightly different from white vinegar. It has stronger elements than white vinegar. So, when you apply apple cider vinegar to keep raccoons away, it works faster. That’s why apple cider vinegar works best for keeping raccoons away.
How to get rid of raccoons with vinegar?
However, vinegar is a proven liquid that can help keep raccoons away. So, if you want to use vinegar, you have to use it properly. Otherwise, the raccoons might not go away. Let’s see how you can get rid of raccoons with vinegar.
Locate Raccoons:
First, you have to locate the areas where raccoons can come. Because the smell of vinegar can be unpleasant for humans too. So, you can’t apply vinegar randomly in all the places.
Generally, raccoons come inside your house through holes and edges. Once you have found the places from where raccoons can come, you can step to the next.
Using vinegar:
Now you have to apply vinegar. You can use apple cider vinegar for a better result. You have to take a piece of cloth and soak the cloth in apple cider vinegar for a couple of minutes.
Once the cloth is wet completely, you have to keep the cloth in an open container. This will lead to the air spreading the smell of vinegar. When the raccoons smell vinegar, they will go away.
Spraying vinegar:
If the previous task has not worked, you can directly spray vinegar to keep the raccoons away. You can pour apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle. Then you have to spray the vinegar in the places where raccoons can come. This can be pretty effective at keeping raccoons away.
How do you make homemade raccoon repellent?
Many people use chemicals to keep raccoons away. But these commercial repellents can pollute the environment and can be unsafe. So, let’s see how you can make homemade raccoon repellent.
Dishwashing soap and pepper mixture:
This mixture can be an effective repellent to keep raccoons away. To make this, you have to add a bottle of pepper powder to a gallon of water. Then you have to add one teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap.
The dishwashing soap will help the ingredients adhere. Now you can pour the mixture into a spray bottle and use it as a raccoon repellent.
The mixture of jalapenos, peppers, and onions:
You can also make a mixture of jalapeno, pepper, and onion to make a homemade raccoon repellent. To make this, you have to mix one tablespoon of chopped jalapeno, one tablespoon of cayenne pepper, and one tablespoon of chopped yellow onion in boiling water.
You have to boil the mixture for 20 minutes. Then, after cooling the mixture, you can pour it into a spray bottle and spray it to keep raccoons away.
Final Thoughts
Vinegar is an excellent repellent for raccoons. In particular, apple cider vinegar is pretty effective for keeping raccoons away. Generally, vinegar has acetic acid and a strong scent. Raccoons despise this smell and taste. So, if you apply vinegar or apple cider vinegar, it will help repel raccoons.