There are several approaches to this, but we will give our take which we feel is the easiest. If you place a motion activated sprinkler in the area of your garbage cans, that will do the trick.
Animals do not like being startled with motion, noise and water when they don't expect it. Along with this, the cans should have tight fitting lids if they will be getting wet from your motion activated sprinkler.
There are 3 popular methods of deterring raccoons.
An electric fence can be implemented and these will do the job. They are similar to what a farmer uses to keep livestock in a certain area.
The second method is to use a live trap. Bait is placed in the trap and the coon will enter for the bait and the trap mechanism will trigger and trap the animal.
Lastly, there are motion detector sprinklers which we feel would be the first choice for us, knowing what we know. There is no electric to have to deal with and you do not have to worry about what to do with a live animal in a trap.
There are several methods that are pitched to deter dogs. We have found that some of these methods are not so good. Under the right circumstances, they can even be dangerous, as they involve chemicals.
The best deterrents are an invisible fence used along with training and the motion sensor sprinkler. With the invisible fence, the dog must wear a receiver apparatus around it's neck, so it will not take care of dogs not wearing it.
A motion detector sprinkler will trigger when it detects the dog in it's range and blast the dog with a short burst of water. Works like a charm - every time!
I do not want to end my good relationship with my neighbors over their cats. Are there any deterrents for cats that will not harm them? Thanks for any help on this.
Our Opinion
While there are many choices here, it has been our experience that a motion activated sprinkler comes in first. They are a little more expensive and you have to hook up a hose to them, but they are proven to be the most effective.
