Raccoons are very versatile animals that have adapted very well to urban and suburban environments. When raccoons think there are tasty bugs living under your freshly laid sod, they will dig up and deface your lawn.
The following are effective ways to prevent raccoons from damaging your sod:
1. Install a Protective Net
Raccoons are intelligent and can get around most traps you set for them. Protective nets can be pegged into the ground, making it difficult for raccoons to forage. Keep the mesh net on the grass for up to three weeks until the lawn is ready for cutting. That way, the roots have also become firm enough to protect the sod from being dug up.
2. Use of Lighting
While raccoons are not strictly nocturnal, they prefer to forage once the night falls. You can deter raccoons with a motion-activated light. After a while, they’ll learn to stay away from your beautiful, healthy lawn.
3. Timed Sprinkler System
While it’s not always recommended to wet your grass at night, a timed sprinkler system can be an excellent deterrent against raccoons. Peak raccoon hours are 12:00a.m. to 3a.m. so having your sprinkler intermittently spray during this time window will be a great deterrent.
4. Moth Balls Along the Lawn Edges
Moth balls are a cheap yet effective way to deter many pests. Raccoons get very irritated in the presence of moth balls. Additionally, snakes are repelled quite effectively by moth balls as they rely heavily on their sense of smell.
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