I began to see a lot of people, on forums and such, wondering if human urine acts as a repellent to keep raccoons away. So, I decided to do a little research to see if this is true.
After human urine is older than 24hrs, the urea turns into what’s called ammonia, a smell that raccoons can’t stand. And since raccoons process urine in a similar fashion, they dislike the smell of ammonia and don’t urinate near their dens or around their food. So in theory, yes, human urine does keep raccoons away.
Lol, I’d suggest using something other than urine as a raccoon repellent though, here’s a cool ultrasonic raccoon repellent on Amazon or scroll to the bottom of this article for a DIY pepper spray repellent.
What is Ammonia
Ammonia (NH3) exists naturally in humans and in the environment. And in fact, it is one of the most commonly produced industrial chemicals in the United States! Ammonia is also produced naturally from the decomposition of plants, animals and animal wastes. And while ammonia is much more complex, the basic description of ammonia is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell. Read more about ammonia here on Wikipedia.com.
The Science Behind Human Urine as a Raccoon Repellent
When human urine is fresh, it is sterile and because of this free from bacteria. At this point, the urine doesn’t contain any ammonia because the liver converted the ammonia into urea since this is less toxic of a substance while being stored inside the human body. Once outside the human body, the urea in the urine begins to turn back into ammonia.
Since raccoons process urine in a similar fashion, they dislike the smell of ammonia. This makes ammonia an extremely versatile raccoon repellent. But don’t worry, you don’t have to use actual urine for this, below I’ll go over a few household products, you probably already have these, that contain ammonia and can have the same great effect against those pesky raccoons.
Simple Household Products that Contain Ammonia
You might not have known it, but many common household cleaners contain ammonia. In fact, you probably have these cleaners on hand right now. A few of them are below.
These following suggestions are for educational purposes only and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Window/Glass Cleaners
Since Ammonia works wonders for cleaning glass, it’s a very popular substance found in window and glass cleaners.
Multipurpose Cleaners
A lot of multipurpose cleaners, such as the very popular cleaner Mr. Clean, will contain ammonia.
Shining Waxes
Many people are surprised that even shining waxes contain ammonia.
Straight/Diluted Ammonia (Be very cautious)
Some people use diluted ammonia as a raccoon repellent. Here’s some on Amazon.
Don’t want to mess around with Ammonia? Here are 3 Inexpensive Outdoor Raccoon Repellents
If you’re not wanting to mess around with cleaners or ammonia, here are some basic, yet effective repellents to keep raccoons away.
Solar Powered Waterproof Repeller with Motion Sensor – View the price on Amazon.
This raccoon is extremely unique since it doesn’t contain any chemicals of any kind. This repeller holds an ultrasonic speaker that emits a tone that people cannot hear but chases away raccoons. It’s simple, easy to use, and gets the job done!
Rodent Sheriff Pest Control Spray – View the price on Amazon.
If you’re worried about chemicals, then you’ll love this repellent. Since it’s made with all-natural peppermint oil, it’s safe to use around pets and children but rodents hate it! It’s also safe to spray in your home or garden as well!
Spicy World Crushed Pepper Chilli Flakes – View the price on Amazon.
Raccoons have a very canny sense of smell. And because of this, they hate the smell of pepper. This makes for a very affordable, simple, and effective raccoon repellent that is not harmful in any way.
DIY Pepper Repellent for when Camping Near Raccoons
To make pepper repellent, get some pepper, preferably cayenne pepper, and a large container.
STEP #1
Fill a large container with water and then add the pepper.
STEP #2
Stir the mixture, and then add a few drops of biodegradable soap. This will help the repellent stay where you spray it.
STEP #3
Fill a small spray bottle with your new raccoon repellent and store the rest for later. Spray the pepper repellent around your campsite and anywhere you don’t want raccoons to bother you. The pepper will lose its scent after a few days, so re-spray as necessary.
I hope this helped you! If this article provided you any value, be sure to share it!
