5 Tips to Prevent Raccoons From Climbing Your Downspouts

Raccoons are a nuisance in that they can gain access to your roof and turn it into their shelter and breeding ground. In fact, they climb your downspouts to get up there, often leaving a trail of dirty paw prints that are easy to identify. To keep these critters from using your downspouts to reach your roof and attic, make sure you keep these tips in mind:

1. Clean up roofing and attic clutter. Raccoons use the debris on roofs and in attics as their shelter where they can raise their young and store food. Additionally, it provides them with the ideal cover to escape. Raccoons may enter your attic less frequently if you clean up the clutter and debris on your roof.

2. Use animal-safe scent repellents. Natural ingredients like black pepper, onion, peppermint and other natural aromas that deter raccoons are typically used to make animal-safe fragrance repellents. Scents that are safe for animals can be created at home or purchased at stores.

3. Use metal screens and pest guards. Your soffit vents can be equipped with metal screens and pest guards to keep out pests and animals. These screens are composed of a sturdy reinforced screen material that makes it impossible to damage without the right tools.

4. Trim tree limbs. Tree limbs that are already touching your roof must be pruned. They serve as the raccoons’ access points to your roof. Additionally, doing this prevents leaves, twigs and other debris from building up on your roof and in your gutters and clogging them.

5. Install pest spikes. Raccoons cling to downspouts as they climb. Prevent them from doing so at the outset by gluing pest spikes on three sides of your downspouts. The spikes are supposed to stop birds from landing, but they also stop raccoons.

The Badger Company is a full-service roofing contractor serving the entire southern Wisconsin area. We provide superior residential and commercial roofing services as well as professional expertise in siding, gutters, insulation and other home improvements. Give us a call today at (608) 850-6282, or fill out our contact form to schedule your free consultation.

Kris Laufenberg