What can you put around your house to keep raccoons away?

• <div><p>Although raccoons aren’t particularly picky regarding food, certain sounds, metals, and smells bother them. You can place these items around your home to keep raccoons away:</p><ul><li><p>Place wire mesh screens around and underneath decks and porches to prevent raccoons from nesting. </p></li><li><p>Put metal sheeting around the edges of your roof or at the base of trees to deter raccoons from coming close. </p></li><li><p>Place a loud battery-operated radio near the raccoon’s den to keep them from nesting.</p></li><li><p>Keep a bowl of cider vinegar on your deck or porch.</p></li><li><p>Remove old raccoon scents by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting underneath porches and decks.</p></li></ul><p></p></div>

Do bats in the attic cause damage?

• <div><p>Yes, bats can cause quite a bit of damage to the attic. Their weight and movement from flying around can damage insulation, and they can chew through wiring and the walls. As if this isn’t enough, they leave their droppings throughout, which carry harmful bacteria and is dangerous for humans to breathe in, not to mention the extremely foul-smelling odor.</p></div>

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Q: What is the best time of day to trap a groundhog?

• <div><p>You&rsquo;ll find groundhogs are most active during the morning hours and late afternoon, but they want to avoid humans at all costs. If you do set a trap, you can set it out the night before so it&rsquo;s waiting on them the next morning, and try to remove any human scent when setting it out.</p></div>

Q: What can you put around your house to keep raccoons away?

• <div><p>Although raccoons aren&rsquo;t particularly picky regarding food, certain sounds, metals, and smells bother them. You can place these items around your home to keep raccoons away:</p><ul><li><p>Place wire mesh screens around and underneath decks and porches to prevent raccoons from nesting. </p></li><li><p>Put metal sheeting around the edges of your roof or at the base of trees to deter raccoons from coming close. </p></li><li><p>Place a loud battery-operated radio near the raccoon&rsquo;s den to keep them from nesting.</p></li><li><p>Keep a bowl of cider vinegar on your deck or porch.</p></li><li><p>Remove old raccoon scents by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting underneath porches and decks.</p></li></ul><p></p></div>

Q: What should I do if a coyote comes toward me?

• <div><p>If a coyote approaches you, never run away, even if it goes against your natural instinct. Make yourself look big, shout loudly, and throw something in the coyote's direction. Be persistent and continue these scare tactics until they move away. Then, you should move away slowly, always facing the coyote.</p></div>

Q: Is it better to have a mouse or a rat in your house?

• <div><p>It may be better to have a mouse in your house than a rat. Rats are larger, more aggressive, and more difficult to eradicate once settled. One rat can cause more damage than one mouse. However, both animals pose a danger in that they can spread bacteria and contaminate food, so you&rsquo;ll want to contact an exterminator as soon as you detect an infestation of either animal.</p></div>

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Verified Reviews for Pest Control pros in Lovington, IL

*The Angi rating for Pest Control companies in Lovington, IL is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Pest Control needs.

*The HomeAdvisor rating for Pest Control companies in Lovington, IL is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Pest Control needs.

Last update on August 26, 2025

Reviewed in August 2025
Marvon Construction is an amazing company to work with. They are very efficient and knowledgeable about what we needed done. We didn’t know a lot about what needed done and how to do it but they were very helpful at walking us through the project and the best way to do it. We will for sure be...
Marvon Construction, LLC
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Reviewed in August 2025
Apex installed a Whole Farm generator for my horse farm. They were very professional when they came to determine the size generator I needed and the quote was quite reasonable. The installation and hook up was completed in a timely manner. I now have peace of mind knowing that in the event...
Apex Electrical Solutions
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Reviewed in December 2024
He repaired my storm door after I thought we'd have to replace it. It works perfectly. Love it. I would definitely use him if needed and would highly recommend him to others
1600 Contracting LLC
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Reviewed in July 2024
We love the expertise and value that is offered. We think they do an excellent job and we have hired them to take care of our driveway until we leave our home in the future someday. They will be keeping our driveway looking excellent.
Joeye Newell Asphalt
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Reviewed in November 2023
Thomas and his team did a pretty good job in my landscaping area. They were very kind and professional and would recommend them if you have a project to do in your house.
Scenic services LLC
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Reviewed in February 2023
Courteous and informative. They provided additional services to ensure my fireplace is safe to use.
L.D. Phillips Company
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Reviewed in February 2023
We have used Brook's Creek on two different fencing jobs. The first was an aluminum fence for our dog 40' x 100' in the back. The second was a cedar fence down the property line. The crew chief was the same on both jobs and he, as well as the workers, were very professional as well as working...
Brooks Creek Cedar
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Reviewed in January 2023
They did great work on my stone siding. Efficient time management with their work. Great attention to detail and you can tell they take pride in their handy work. Friendly demeanor and always on time. I would recommend them for any kind of stone or brick work. Competitive prices that suit...
Dan and The Man
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Reviewed in August 2022
They were very helpful and up front with us!!
Brick House Roofing Company, PLLC
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Reviewed in June 2022
We hired Apex for a cedar fence install. The guys did a great job. Great quality and customer service. Would hire again.
Apex Carpentry & Construction
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Terminix® Pest Control

4.3(

)

Pest Control - Bugs and InsectsPest Control - RodentsPest Control - Termite+6 more

Serving Lovington, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 1927

Free estimates

Warranties offered

"Very knowledgeable guy who seem to know what he’s doing. Don’t know results of spraying. Have had much rain since. Will have to see if it worked. Terminex will spray again the beginning of next month."

64 neighbors recently requested a quote

Serving Lovington, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 1974

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"Service representative was very knowledgeable about lawn, shrub, and pest control."

Recommended by100%of homeowners

Pest Control - Bed BugsPest Control - Bugs and InsectsPest Control - Termite

Serving Lovington, IL and surrounding areas

In business since 1927

"Communicated with us clearly and timely. Professional, experienced. Bought a package to help control any pests year round. Great pricing, offered to come back soon if any problems exsisted. I like that! Dan was a great person to deal with."

Response time6 days

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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American Home Shield – Home Warranty

3.5(

5,688

)

Mosquito ControlPest Control - Bed BugsPest Control - Bugs and Insects+3 more

Serving Lovington, IL and surrounding areas

In business since 1971

Credit card accepted

"United Air Temp was able to procure a replacement furnace controller board in a couple of days and Zachary was out within 4 days of the initial visit. The furnace now works very well."

Recommended by65%of homeowners

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Pest Control questions, answered by experts

You’ll find groundhogs are most active during the morning hours and late afternoon, but they want to avoid humans at all costs. If you do set a trap, you can set it out the night before so it’s waiting on them the next morning, and try to remove any human scent when setting it out.

Although raccoons aren’t particularly picky regarding food, certain sounds, metals, and smells bother them. You can place these items around your home to keep raccoons away:

Place wire mesh screens around and underneath decks and porches to prevent raccoons from nesting.
Put metal sheeting around the edges of your roof or at the base of trees to deter raccoons from coming close.
Place a loud battery-operated radio near the raccoon’s den to keep them from nesting.
Keep a bowl of cider vinegar on your deck or porch.
Remove old raccoon scents by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting underneath porches and decks.

If a coyote approaches you, never run away, even if it goes against your natural instinct. Make yourself look big, shout loudly, and throw something in the coyote's direction. Be persistent and continue these scare tactics until they move away. Then, you should move away slowly, always facing the coyote.

It may be better to have a mouse in your house than a rat. Rats are larger, more aggressive, and more difficult to eradicate once settled. One rat can cause more damage than one mouse. However, both animals pose a danger in that they can spread bacteria and contaminate food, so you’ll want to contact an exterminator as soon as you detect an infestation of either animal.

Yes, bats can cause quite a bit of damage to the attic. Their weight and movement from flying around can damage insulation, and they can chew through wiring and the walls. As if this isn’t enough, they leave their droppings throughout, which carry harmful bacteria and is dangerous for humans to breathe in, not to mention the extremely foul-smelling odor.

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