Keeping a hungry raccoon away from your house or garden is not easy. They can wreak havoc in your garden or house by spilling your garbage cans, digging small holes in the ground, eating your chickens, destroy your crops and gardens.
Yes, raccoons eat hydrangeas. Usually, they Dig them off from the root, which causes ruining all the hard work you have put into the growth of the hydrangeas.
Raccoons are considered pests and are famous for damaging properties, destroying plants, causing noise and disturbance, and also spreading rabies and some other diseases. if you are here because these little creatures are causing harm to your plants, especially your hydrangeas.
Then this article will help you to get rid of them with the help of a few tips and tricks.
What Are Hydrangea Leaves?
Hydrangeas are flowering plants that are known for their large colorful blooms that can brighten any garden. They are popular for landscaping as well as indoor plants. Hydrangeas can survive in various environments with only well-drained soil, adequate sunlight, and occasional watering.
Types Of Hydrangea Plants
There are five main types of hydrangeas and they are available in an assortment of different colors, sizes, and growing conditions.
- Bigleaf Hydrangeas | Hydrangea macrophylla
- Mophead Hydrangeas | Hydrangea macrophylla
- Lacecap Hydrangeas | Hydrangea macrophylla normalis
- Mountain Hydrangeas | Hydrangea macrophylla Serrata
- Panicle hydrangeas | Hydrangea paniculata
- Smooth Hydrangeas | Hydrangea arborescens
- Oakleaf Hydrangeas | Hydrangea quercifolia
- Climbing Hydrangeas | Hydrangea petiolaris
Why Do Animals Like to Eat Hydrangea?
Hydrangeas are rich in pollen and nectar as well as very fragrant that why attract animals. Pests, bees, etc. love to eat hydrangea because they are full of energy and nutrients they need to survive.
Raccoons are also nocturnal creatures and mostly come out at night and cause damage to your hydrangeas to get all the essential nutrients and minerals.
What Is the Taste of Hydrangea Leaves?
Hydrangeas leaves are odorless, have a sweet taste, and are gray in color externally and internally. Fresh hydrangeas roots are very succulent and full of water, minerals, and proteins.
They can be used all around the world for their countless advantages to human health.
In different parts of the world, people use to make a “tea of heaven” by drying out hydrangea leaves. The tea made with hydrangea leaves is known as “tea of heaven” due to its health benefits like:
- It helps to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate
- Prevents the bladder and parasitic infections
- Helps in dissolving kidney and bladder stones
Do Raccoons Eat Hydrangeas?
Raccoons are considered to be pests and are famous for damaging properties, destroying plants, causing noise and disturbance, and also spreading rabies and some other diseases. They are known for swallowing anything on their site so it is not a surprise that raccoons can eat hydrangeas.
They will eat your hydrangeas by digging them off from the root ruining all the hard work you have put into the growth of the hydrangeas.
How To Keep Raccoons Away from The Hydrangea’s Plants?
Raccoons are known for eating a lot of things. They are also known for being excellent climbers and great at getting into tight spaces. This makes raccoons the perfect pest to invade a greenhouse.
Not only can they gain access to the hydrangeas through the vents, but they can also target the young hydrangea plants and eat them.
If you are also here because of these little creatures that are causing you trouble and you are thinking about killing them.
Then first try out these few tricks to keep them away from your garden.
1. Cat/Dog Hair
Raccoons are passive creatures and mostly scared of both cats and dogs and avoid the places where they smell both of them.
Just scatter your pet hairs in the area where you don’t want them and this smell will be enough to shoo them far away from your hydrangeas.
2. Garlic
Raccoons hate garlic because of its strong smell so it can be used as a natural repellent to keep them away from hydrangea plants. You can grow garlic in your garden or place it anywhere near the hydrangea and they will not come near it.
You can make a DIY garlic spray by mixing 2 tablespoons of freshly crushed garlic with one liter of hot water and allowing it to stand overnight and then spray it in your garden around the hydrangeas to keep raccoons away.
3. Ammonia
Ammonia has a noxious odor so it acts as a repellent against raccoons. They cannot stand the smell of ammonia.
Make a mixture of half ammonia and half water and spray it regularly in your garden or anywhere you see them.
Try to be careful while using ammonia, due to its high concentration it can be dangerous and life-threatening for raccoons, and also it can cause serious health issues in humans like lung damage, infections, and even death.
4. Grow Plants That Possums Hate
There are many non-toxic plants like chrysanthemums, agapanthus, citronella, lavender and rosemary bushes, peppermint, Goji berries, black pepper, and geraniums that can be used as a barrier in your garden to keep your hydrangeas safe and these wallabies away.
5. Setting A Trap
You can use motion-activated sprinklers or trapping cages. But be careful while using a trap. Remember a trap should not be too large as it can cause injury to them. You can use hydrangea leaves as bait to catch them in a trap.
6. Use Lights and Noise
Raccoons are nocturnal creatures that are scared of lights and come out when it is dark. So, use it as an advantage and place extra lights in your garden or around the area where hydrangeas plants are to keep them away.
As they hate noises and lights, so you can use a radio playing near your garden at night as they hate lights and avoid the places where there is light so you can use Christmas lights or fairy lights and it will be enough to keep them away and not cause any harm to your hydrangeas.
Conclusion
Raccoons are incredibly smart animals and can easily become comfortable with the sights and sounds of a house. The best way to keep raccoons away from your hydrangeas is to make sure that you are not attracting them to your house with food, water, or shelter.
If they are currently living on your property, you can make it less inviting by removing any trees that they are living in, making sure that your yard is not littered with food, and making sure that they cannot find any shelter underneath your home.
