Why Raccoons Tear Up Sod

I love Disney’s The Lion King. I’ve seen it in the movie theater, own the DVD and have even seen the musical! And my favorite scene is where Timon and Pumba introduce the young Simba to the wonderful world of grubs! Remember how you felt when Simba tried this “Slimy, yet satisfying!” treat? Yeah, so do I! I think that there was a collective groan in the New York theater.



Well, it is this wonderful treat that may be causing the Nassau County raccoons to tear up your yard. Just because you and I don’t see the nutritional value in a plate full of grubs, doesn’t mean that the New York raccoons don’t. What could be better than fresh sod, water and all those delicious grubs? How else are the raccoon parents going to teach their babies to find the treat of treats unless they tear your yard to shreds?

So, now I ask you, who is really to blame here? This poor little Nassau County raccoon that’s just trying to make a living? No! It is the….GRUBS! After all, if the grubs had not infested your yard, there would be no raccoons and raccoon babies digging up all your beautiful grass. So the way to get rid of the New York raccoons is to get rid of the grubs.

Look under the sod and into the dirt. If you see these white, wiggly, icky things, chances are you have grubs. They have to go and there are things that you can do to keep them from coming back. Start with mowing the grass fairly short, about 3 inches and make sure you don’t leave the clippings on the lawn. Rake them up and throw them away. Next, you need to get rid of the grubs and this can be done in one of two ways. An insecticide specifically to get rid of grubs or microscopic worms called nematodes. These worms eat the grubs, kind of like the raccoons but without all the damage. Once your remedy is applied, water the grass, but not too much. Grubs like water, so be careful here.

If this doesn’t get rid of the Nassau County raccoon problem, then there are some things that you can do. You can soak rags in ammonia and put them in cans around your yard. New York raccoons don’t like the smell and shouldn’t come around it. Also, you can use cayenne pepper as a natural deterrent. It works very well along with the ammonia and the mommies won’t bring the kids around it!

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