Will repellents get a wild animal out of the attic?

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If you want to turn to repellents and deterrents to get rid of wild animals in spaces such as the attic, we suggest that you only look at using eviction fluid. In our experience, and the experience of many homeowners who turn to us after all other methods have been exhausted, most other repellents simply do not work. You can try pieces of rope to repel snakes, but they’ll still come into your yard. You can use cayenne pepper to try and deter rats, but they still keep leaving feces and chewed marks all over the place. You can even use light or sound machines in a bid to keep those wild critters at bay, but they generally don't work that well either. The animals still come into your yard and you're just woken up every five minutes by the beaming light that radiates through your window every time.



Eviction fluid, on the other, mimics the scent of natural predators to animals such as raccoons, skunks, opossums, rats and mice. As a general rule, we would only suggest using eviction fluid alongside other methods of wild animal control, and only when you're up against raccoons, skunks, and opossums. These are the animals the fluid seems to have the most effect on.

The fluid itself is made up of a combination of ingredients, but they all come from predatory male foxes. These males will eat anything it can overpower, and that means plenty of scavenger babies — the young of opossums, skunks, raccoons, etc., in a nest.

If you were to spray eviction fluid around your attic, and keep applying it, the female raccoon might grab her babies and run to another nesting spot. Why? Because she thinks that a male fox is hanging around. The fluid is generally made up o the urine and gland secretions of the predatory male, and when she smells that, she gets scared.

Is there a fox around?
Will the fox eat her young?
Is the nest safe?

There is a chance that she will pick her babies and move along, to a spot that doesn't smell like a male fox.

Of course, eviction fluid only works when you take other action at the same time. This will include sealing up the hole and repairing the damage that allowed the animal to gain access to your home in the first place. Otherwise, when you stop spraying the eviction fluid around, the animal will think that the threat is gone and there's a good chance that she will come back, and she'll bring her youngsters too.

As well as sealing up the holes that allowed the animal to get in, you will also need to ensure that your home is now reinforced. Branches and trees will need to be cut back to stop easy access to vulnerable spots, just like your attic. You should ensure that low-lying shrubs are protected, and any plating areas are fenced off, with a double layer of hardware cloth or chicken wire, plus a regular fence.

The more you protect your home and your land, the less of a chance that these creatures will be able to break through your barriers and wreak havoc. Although eviction fluid is a kind of repellent or deterrent that you might have success with, you will only have success when you use it alongside other methods. Sadly, there is no magic trick to solving this problem, and it certainly doesn't require a one-size-fits-all quick fix!

For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How To Guide: Who should I hire? - What questions to ask, to look for, who NOT to hire.
How To Guide: do it yourself! - Advice on saving money by doing wildlife removal yourself.
Guide: How much does wildlife removal cost? - Analysis of wildlife control prices.
animals in the attic
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