Anyone who has ever found a yard filled with trash from the garbage can understand the need for critter proof garbage cans. Such containers protect the trash from stray dogs, raccoons and other critters that might thing your garbage is its next meal ticket.
These cans prevent occupants from having to deal with spread garbage and protect animals from the dangers that could be found in the trash.
There are three basic approaches to prevent critters from tipping the trash can.
One can make the can itself inaccessible, make it unattractive in smell or provide a lid the dog or raccoon cannot open, using a specially designed garbage can. Dog proof garbagecans those made to deter raccoons may differ slightly as these animals have different ways of opening the can.
Making the can inaccessible does not raccoon proof the cans, but simply places the can in a place the raccoon cannot access.
This could include storing the can in the garage or a shed, locked away from the access by the raccoon or dog. Beware that raccoons are very tricky and if they can get into the garage, you are likely to have garbage all over the garage.
If dogs are the problem, it may be possible to build a simple frame that keeps the garbage upright until it is picked up by the trash service.
A second option to prevent the problem is to use odor to make them smell less appealing. While garbage may smell bad to humans, to dogs and raccoons, the rotting material smells like food.
Adding moth balls or a small amount of ammonia to the can or placing hot pepper sauce on the exterior of the can may repel the critters. However, they can still knock the can over and spread garbage.
A third method is to choose cans that have lids that lock so the animals cannot open them. Dog proof garbagecans or raccoon proof garbage cans can provide effective means of keeping the trash inside the can. In addition, these cans are designed so they keep the contents inside the can even if an animal knocks the can over, preventing the mess of spilled garbage.
With critter proof containers, the owner should inspect the device regularly. Raccoons sometimes chew through straps or plastic cans if they want what is inside bad enough. In some cases, it may be necessary to change units once the critter figures out how to open the locks that keep the garbage secure inside.
Unless you buy a bearicuda bin