Does Irish Spring Soap Keep Raccoons Away [Tested Tips]

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Are you fed up with raccoons nest on your property? You must have considered how to get rid of them. The most prevalent way to keep raccoons away is to prevent or kill them. So, does Irish spring soap keep raccoons away?

Yes, Irish Spring soap can keep the raccoons away, but this is not the most effective way to keep them away. Some scents, such as Irish spring soap, are disliked by raccoons. Since Irish Spring soap is highly scented, it is likely to keep raccoons away from your property.

To learn more about it, keep reading the article further.

Do Raccoons Eat Irish Spring Soap?

Irish-Spring-Soap

No, Raccoons don’t usually eat Irish spring soap, but as we know, Raccoons are extremely curious and will try new foods. They will even consume glue or soap if it contains animal fat. Irish Spring Soap poisons most animals.  

Regarding raccoons, rats, or mice, soap is toxic to them, but only in large quantities. Small quantities will not harm or repel them. As a result, using detergent as a repellent will not produce any positive results.

Raccoons have been reported to resent the smell and taste of this soap. As a critical symptom pesticide, floating soap bars in your orchard will appear different.

Raccoons forage for food using their keen sense of smell, and some scents are particularly useful in keeping them at bay. Irish Spring soap’s ingredients are generally efficient at keeping raccoons and rodents out of your property.

Will Irish Spring Soap Repel Raccoons Long Term?

Since there are no scientific studies or proof to support deterring raccoons with Irish Spring soap, who can only determine its efficiency through trial and error, the issue with using smells as a long-term solution is that the fragrance will fade over time, or the raccoon will become accustomed to it through repeated exposure.

Raccoons are brilliant and adaptable to their surroundings, and they will quickly determine whether something is risky or not. When a raccoon realizes the scent of the soap will not harm it, it may choose to ignore it.

There’s one more critical point to make here. People believe that Irish Spring soap will attract a raccoon’s keen sense of smell. It’s important to remember that if the aroma of the nearby region overcomes the smell of the soap, it’ll be hard to keep pests away.

[3] Benefits Of Using Irish Spring Soap As A Raccoon Deterrent

There is no scientific proof that using Irish Spring soap to deter raccoons works. However, the soap is far gentler on the surroundings than synthetic insecticides and sprays and is far less costly. Here are three benefits of using Irish spring soap as a raccoon deterrent

No Harm To Non-Target Species

The best advantage of using Irish Spring soap to prevent raccoons is that there is no risk of harming non-target species. This can occur using alternate solution deterrents, including chemical repellants or raccoon-specific traps.

 According to the University of Southern California GIS Research Laboratory, Using live-animal traps to catch raccoons will not make distinctions between capturing raccoons and other organisms such as house cats, great Danes, foxes, raccoons, hares, skunks, partridges, blackbirds, lynxes, and badgers.

Alternative Raccoon Deterring Solutions

Combining and over one deterrent method is never a bad idea. This dramatically improves the chances of repelling raccoons and keeping them away permanently.

 If you have a raccoon problem, there’s a reason why they come by so frequently. They may well be drawn to the scent of trash, pet food, or a cozy corner of your attic in furthermore to your rare and valuable vegetables as a sweet treat.

 Maintain your garbage can lids closed. This will prevent raccoons from obtaining yet another easy snack they will return for.

Use Scents

There are numerous scents that raccoons despise that you can use to your advantage. Essential oils like garlic and cinnamon have been shown to repel raccoons. The use of predator urine has also been shown to repel or scare raccoons away from your yard.

 As previously stated, anything new in your garden can be utilized as a raccoon scare tactic. Wind chimes, pinwheels, and a brand-new birdbath, anything new or different.

 However, this is not a long-term solution because the raccoon will eventually become accustomed to the new object and realize it will not harm them.

How To Deter Raccoons With Irish Spring Soap?

The undesirable peppery and chemical-like odor of Irish Spring soap may deter them. However, you must carefully plan its placement in your lawn to keep raccoons away from your plants and trees. Here’s how you can accomplish it:

Split The Soap Into Flakes

Split-The-Soap-Into-Flakes

 

Sprinkle or tear the Irish Spring soap into chips. Then, scatter these chunks or bits around the garden near the trees and plants to keep raccoons down due to the unpleasant odor. Its aroma warns raccoons that the soap is unpleasant or dangerous to them, and they avoid the lawn.

In hot weather, avoid allowing the soap to run down the tree’s trunk. This can cause insects to be drawn to the fragrance.

To Hang The Soap On The Trees

To-Hang-The-Soap-On-The-Trees

Cut the Irish soap in half and make a hole in each half. Connect the soap to the trees with a single strand, cables, or rope to efficiently disperse the fragrance and deter raccoons from the trees and yard. 

Under a study conducted by the University of Vermont Department of Plant and Soil Science, the soap should be hung 3 feet from the ground for optimal outcomes.

Hanging the soap bars three feet away from the trunk will create a tiny barrier around the tree, repelling raccoons and other small rodents who may mistake your tree for a decent meal.

Put The Soap In A Storage Bag

Put-The-Soap-In-A-Storage-Bag

If you’re concerned about the soap leaking, place the halved bars in a mesh bag and hang the bag from the tree rather.

 You can put the clumps of Irish Spring soap in mesh bags and distribute them evenly throughout the grass. Because the soap will still be efficient, this is an excellent way to avoid making a soapy mess everywhere.

 The effect of the Irish Spring soap lasts approximately four weeks. The strong odor will eventually fade after four weeks. We suggest that you replace the soap chunks every 4 weeks to avoid raccoons invading your yard.

Conclusion

Items that smell nice to us, like herbs, fennel, and mint, frequently send warn people to signal to raccoons and other mammals.

 These scents have an unpleasant taste and smell. Irish Spring soap works in the same way, signaling to the animal that it is uneatable and unappealing and should be avoided. Whether you use Irish Spring soap bars or not, it’s always a good idea to use a combination of methods to keep raccoons out of your yard.

While Irish Spring soap will not keep raccoons away, there are a few natural alternatives, two of which are also explained above.