High Frequency Sound Devices for Raccoons

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You will come across MANY sound devices that are designed to repel wild animals, particularly when you take a few minutes to have a look online. As well as being relatively cheap, starting off at $10-$20 and increasing dependent on the range covered and technology included, high frequency sound devices do seem like the ultimate perfect solution. The noise is meant to drive the raccoons away (because it is annoying and uncomfortable for them), leaving you with nothing else but to repair any damage it might have caused, clean up the mess, and make sure modifications have been put in place so that the raccoon can't come back.

If only life WERE that simple ...

There are a lot of things to take into consideration when using sound-based devices for keeping raccoons and other pest species at bay.

Cost

You can purchase cheaper devices, starting at around ten to twenty dollars or so, but these will usually be cheaply made, have a very short range to them, and may not even work at all to repel the raccoon.

More expensive devices will have a larger range and may also come with other advancements, such as better sound quality and also different operating options. The ones that require batteries will usually pack a less powerful punch than those that require being plugged into the mains. Those powered by solar energy will be cheaper to run, although might be a touch more expensive to buy to start with. You will also need to take into account the long-term running costs of these devices. One that requires mains-operation will bump up your energy bills, if only by a little bit.

Effectiveness

Various studies have been done into the actual effectiveness of these sound repellents for raccoons and it doesn't look as though the results are good. It most cases, high-pitch or high-frequency sound devices don't work at all. In some cases, they do work, but not for the animal that you are trying to repel; in this case, the raccoon. Many wildlife rehabilitators would be under the general understanding that they do not work enough to warrant using them as an effective method of pest control.

Inaudible?

These devices are often marketed in such a way that makes it sound as though humans can't hear the sound but mice, rodents, raccoons, skunks, opossums, moles, voles, and plenty of others, can. What they don't tell you is that some people can actually hear this noise, particularly those with a very good sense of hearing. Not only that, other animals can also hear the noises, meaning that the high-pitched sound will drive your cat or dog scatty, which will, in turn, then drive you scatty. You must remember that many of these animals, including raccoons, are nocturnal. These devices must be used at night if you want the animal to be repelled. People who CAN hear the sound given off by the device won't be happy about it for long. They'll soon be knocking on your door and begging you to take it away.

Zero Control

When you repel animals using something such as sound, lights, taste or smell, you have zero control over where they end up. When you have a raccoon in a trap, you know where it is once it has been caught in that trap, right up until the point at which you release it back into the wild. Even with exclusion devices you have some idea of what's going on - the creature can get out, but it won't be able to get back in again. As long as that's the ONLY hole they were using to gain access, you might not know where they'll end up, but at least you'll have some idea of where they won't end up - inside your building again.

With repellents, you have none of this control. In fact, you have absolutely no control at all. The sound devices that DO work may move those raccoons along for a while. It might move them along permanently, or even not at all. What it won't do; however, is encourage the animal to move out. It'll just encourage it to find somewhere else to hide - somewhere the noise can't get to. If you have a large enough building or property, you'll find that there are many more opportunities for this raccoon to make a cosy nesting spot than just that one now-protected space alone.

What happens if you just encourage that animal to delve in even deeper?

Range: Too short

Point number 4 actually brings us nicely to point number 5 - the range of one device will usually not be enough to cover the entire home. Most of these devices will only cover a short range with the noise, meaning that you will require more than one device to effectively protect your home. The more devices you have, the higher the chance of keeping those critters at bay. At the same time; however, you're running the risk of increasing the chances that someone HUMAN will hear those noises too. If they can, you'll need to turn them off and not use them. That's just a waste of your hard-earned cash. We're right back to point number 1!

High Frequency Sound Devices for Raccoons - Conclusion

In SOME cases, these high-pitched sound devices can work to get rid of some pests, but not all. They have had varying degrees of success in a number of tests, with more studies showing that they don't work.

A costly mistake to make, raccoon damage can run into the thousands of dollars to repair, especially in advanced cases - where the raccoon(s) has been around for some time and has been allowed to wreak havoc on the spaces it invades. The longer you wait for a repellent to work, the more time and opportunity you are giving this animal to cause damage all over the place, starting from the back yard and heading right into your home, potentially even opening up your attic to far more than just the odd raccoon visitor.

If you DO use a sound-based repellent and it doesn't seem to show any effectiveness in a week or so, its time to look at another approach. The longer you leave it; the more expensive it will end up being.

Go back to the Raccoon Removal page, or learn tips to do it yourself with my How to Get Rid of Raccoons guide.