Ideas for Keeping Critters Out of Your Trash
No matter where you live, a critter—or critters—is probably interested in getting into your trash. It could be rats, bears, wasps, or raccoons, but the fact is, they’re out there and ready to rip into your garbage and strew it about. This isn’t just unsightly; it’s also unhygienic, and it’s not good for the animals, either. Here are a few ideas for keeping critters out of your trash.
Don’t Skimp on Trash Bags
The world has too much plastic in it, that’s for sure. But if you want to ensure your trash remains uninvaded, you need to invest in heavy-duty trash bags that tie off and, if necessary, that are scented. We may hate the smell of garbage, but for the beasts out there, it smells like a smorgasbord. However, animals aren’t interested in food they can’t smell, so the more cover you provide for all that disposed-of food, the better. Cut off the scents, and you cut off the critters.
If you want to stay greener, buy biodegradable bags that you can seal.
Use Several Lines of Defense
Once you’ve tossed your trash, close the lid, seal the can, or otherwise ensure that anything lacking thumbs can’t open the receptacle. That should be obvious, but sometimes people forget. Think of it as a series of gates: the trash bags are tied off, and the receptacle is shut. Add one more line of defense with a wooden trash enclosure. It not only protects your trash from nimbler and stronger animals such as raccoon and bears but also looks great, adding visual appeal to your home.
Keep It Clean
After trash collection day, rinse out your garbage containers with a hose. Next, add a solution of dishwasher soap or bleach and water and slosh it around to get rid of any stinky scents. If you have a brush on a pole, give the containers a good scrub to remove grease, oils, and other stains. Give them another rinse afterward and let them dry out in the sun.
As a side note, before you recycle cans, bottles, and so forth, give them a quick soapy rinse as well. They don’t have to be perfectly clean, but they do need to lose the smell of food.
Light It Up
Here’s one last idea for keeping critters out of your trash. Animals mostly raid at night. If you keep your trash in a dark area, add lights to dissuade nocturnal critters from approaching. For an extra fright factor, add motion-detector lights that activate when something gets to close. Many animals connect sudden lights with approaching humans. Plus, sudden exposure also makes them better targets for nocturnal hunters such as owls. Keeping lights trained on your trash is bright idea.
