How to Keep Pests and Raccoons Out of Your Trash Cans

Why pests love your bins

Pests are after two things: food and smell. Food residue stuck to the inside of a can is a buffet for flies and rodents, and the odor is a dinner bell raccoons can smell from a distance.

Keep the lid secured

A loose lid is an open invitation. Use a bin with a tight-fitting lid, and for determined raccoons, a bungee cord or lid lock across the top works well. Storing cans in a garage or shed until trash morning helps too.

Cut off the food and smell

Bag and tie all waste, especially food and meat scraps, and rinse out anything that leaks. The less smell escaping the bin, the less attention it draws.

Clean the can itself

Even a secured, bagged bin builds up residue that flies lay eggs in and that keeps drawing pests. The real fix is removing that residue — a hot water cleaning and sanitizing clears out the food source and the eggs, so the maggots and the smell do not come back. It is the easiest long-term pest deterrent there is.

Ready to stop dealing with it yourself? See how Bin Busters can help — or get started with your first month for just $25.