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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.

It’s not fast, but you can tightly seal items and store them away for at least a few months, preferably an entire year. Bed bugs can’t survive that long without eating. However, this method takes significantly longer than other common eradication methods like heat treatments, steaming, or fumigation, so it’s not a first choice for homeowners.

Fruit flies are more common during warm-weather months and may go away on their own in late fall once temperatures drop. However, they can survive year-round indoors as long as there's food available, so you'll likely want to take a proactive approach to get rid of them and stop the spread of bacteria.

Squirrels have a strong sense of smell and can be deterred by various scents they dislike. Effective options include peppermint oil, rosemary, garlic, cinnamon, white vinegar, coffee grounds, and predator urine. Squirrels also have a strong aversion to capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers hot, making capsaicin-based repellents a good choice for protecting specific areas like gardens or bird feeders. For a DIY solution, you can create a garlic and vinegar spray and apply it daily. Additionally, placing strong-smelling items like certain soaps or dryer sheets near where squirrels frequent can also be effective.