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Once the animals and their young are out of the house, remove the nest and locate any entry points. Some may be difficult to find because some animals can fit through very small holes. Once you’ve located as many entry points as possible, use materials such as metal or masonry to block off the entry. Ideally, you should choose materials that most animals cannot chew through. Create a one-way door or flap to allow animals to leave but not return. Additional methods include using repellants designed to make an area unappealing to the types of animals that find your home so inviting. 

Groundhogs have a strong aversion to powerful scents, including garlic, ammonia, vinegar, hot peppers like cayenne, and predator urine. Various herbs such as rosemary, lavender, basil, mint, sage, thyme, and oregano can also act as deterrents. You can strategically use these odors around your property by planting these crops near your garden and by the entrances to groundhog burrows. Commercially available repellents offer another option, and for best results, scent-based deterrents should be used alongside other preventive measures.

If you’re an animal lover and want to support biodiversity, consider letting a possum live peacefully in your yard. Possums rarely contract rabies or behave aggressively, and they can keep problematic rat, mouse, cockroach, slug, snail, and tick populations down. You might just want to make some modifications to prevent them from making a home in your attic, chimney, or crawl spaces.

Raccoons can spread viruses and bacteria to humans and pets, including rabies, canine and feline distemper, parvovirus, Salmonella, and leptospirosis. These can all cause a range of illnesses.