Are you bothered by coyotes in your place? Do you know how to get rid of them? The coyote is actually a member of the dog family. It is a medium-size animal that resembles a German shepherd or a collie because of their drooping bushy tail, pointed ears, and slender muzzle. Most coyotes are grayish-brown with reddish tinged behind the ears and around the face although some are silver-gray to black.
What are Coyotes?
Have you seen a coyote? Coyotes can be best described as feral dogs. They have distinctive howl that can disturb you at night. That is why it is important to know how to get rid of coyotes that are roaming within your property.
Nuisance coyote noises are used when hunting for food. However, since they live almost near humans, they have developed more of their scavenging skills and will forage leftovers. This is when urban coyotes become a problem as they rely on humans even for shelter.
Coyotes prefer to live in open areas like the prairie or in a desert. They usually avoid residential and industrial areas but will use any resemblance of their habitat fragments like parks and golf courses as their homes.
Why do Coyotes co-exist with humans?
Are you smelling coyote urine all over your yard? As the coyote population grows and their natural habitat decreases, they get closer to humans where they can find food and shelter. This is when coyote problems also arise. Learning how to get rid of coyotes will help you control these pest species from making constant mess of checking the trash for food.
These wild dogs are normally cautious of human presence. However, once they start to notice that humans are more afraid of them, this is when they start to attack. Coyotes pose a threat to pets and livestock. Coyote attacks mostly a chicken coop once opportunity allows them. They can conveniently find their way into chicken coops that is why protecting livestock is a must. Since these nuisance wildlife are active at night and their howling is loud, people make the effort on how to get rid of coyotes as soon as their presence is felt.
Different Ways to Get Rid of Coyotes
Did you ever think about coyote control? You can learn how to get of coyotes to be able to control them causing a mess in your property and attacking your livestock and plants. Learn the simple ways below abouf coyote deterrent.
Take Away Food Sources including Pet food
Are there leftover food scattered outside your dumpster? Proper waste disposal, especially with leftovers, is a must to get rid of coyotes. As mentioned earlier, these food wastes are their top source of food so you have to ensure proper waste disposal. You should also stop feeding your pets outside your house. If you’re serious to get rid of coyotes, any food that they feed on should be kept indoors. This includes pet food stash that can be stolen if you leave it unattended on the porch at night.
You should also keep your pets indoors. If they are not big enough to deter a coyote, then chances are coyotes preying on them will be highly possible. Another coyote problem is their nasty habit of scavenging trash cans. That is why you have to tightly cover your trash or secure your garbage disposal areas.
Fallen fruit from trees can also food sources. This can cause you more coyote problem if you don’t take care of fallen fruits on the ground. Neighborhood coyotes would take the fruits on the ground as a signal that more food is present in the area.
Keep your rodent population in check since rats are one of the coyote’s favorite foods. Be sure to maintain your garbage cans and get these cleaned often as more rodents mean available food sources for the wild dogs to lurk around to feed.
Deter Coyotes’ Possible Shelter
Are you enjoying learning how to get rid of coyotes? If you are, then here are more tips!
They will not stay in a place during the day that does not give them the security of a shelter. Maintain your yard by keeping the grass short and trim your bushes and trees. In this way, they will not find anything that can serve as their hiding spot near your home. If bushes or grasses are short, you can administer coyote control as they will not stay in an area where they can be spotted easily.
Use Fences
Did you know that building a tall fence around your house does wonders? You can do coyote control by reinforcing existing fences at home. Check for any gaps where coyotes can get through. If you have short fences, then you can increase the height a few feet. Having a fence surrounding your area can discourage them from checking out your yard. After all, tall fences work to protect and secure your property.
Fencing coyotes out can make them dig the ground to get in your property as they are skilled diggers. In this case, combine an underground fence and barb wire to prevent coyotes from digging in.
Good farm fences can reduce the predation of livestock by the coyotes. Take note to keep taller fences as these work as a preventive measure. With the development of fencing design and equipment, you can effectively eliminate coyotes from hunting in your area. Here are some types of fences you can use to keep coyotes at bay:
- Net wire fences – make sure that the horizontal spacing of the mesh is less than six inches and vertical spacing is less than four inches.
- Electric fences – wire charging fences should have thirteen strands for an ideal coyote removal and also for other animals that can prey on your sheep and other live stocks.
Lights affect coyote behavior
Can light affect a coyote’s behavior? Yes, so install outdoor motion sensor lights to scare the coyotes away. They are most unlikely to attack if your area gas bright lights. A coyote can feel vulnerable being seen. They will stay away from areas that offer no covering and more exposure.
A motion sensor can scare away coyotes but if they are hungry enough, they might not be deterred by the lights. The best bet is to keep your pets inside the safety of your house and your livestock in a secured location not accessible by coyotes.
Create Loud Noises
Still wondering how to get rid of coyotes? Try creating loud noises!
Coyotes wandering in your yard may mean they are getting comfortable being in your area. You need to find a way to shock them and let them know your territory is not theirs to loiter around. Creating loud noise by shouting, stomping your feet, jumping or even imitating a baby crying can get their attention. You have to try your best to be scary enough to shock the lurking coyotes around your yard.
Use whistles, bells, and horns to create more noise. Coyotes do not like loud sounds. If they are not deterred by your efforts and stay put on your property, approaching them while making loud noise will make them run. This can also be an effective method on how to get rid of coyotes.
Hurl Projectiles
How can you get these animals away? Use sticks, rocks, balls, or any plastic container that you can throw in the location of the coyote to scare them off your property. Using a spray bottle with water and vinegar mixture can also help. You can also get a sprinkler system installed to further scare a coyote away.
Coyotes are sensitive to strong smells and will leave a whiff of strong odor they dislike. You can spray ammonia or put ammonia soaked rags inside a bottle and leave it around your property. This can be an effective way that can act as coyote repellant.
Get a Guard Dog
Do you have a guard dog at home? If you have livestock roaming freely in your premises, a good guard dog can keep them safe away from predators like coyotes. Guard animals can intimidate coyotes by their looks alone. Some dogs are bred to protect livestock. Although they may not necessarily fight coyotes, they can frighten them to stay away. A well-trained dog can help reduce predation on farms.
Haze Coyotes
Have you heard of coyote hazing? The hazing method can help maintain the coyote’s fear of humans and will prevent them from going into human space like backyards or playgrounds. If you encounter a coyote, approach it while yelling and waving your arms.
Coyotes who have been hazed before may not run immediately. Continue walking towards the animal while increasing the intensity of your hazing. If you have pot and pans at hand, use this to increase the loudness of your hazing. Use a water hose if available to ensure that it will be frightened enough not to return. Do not go too close to the animal to ensure your safety.
Use a Trap
Have you ever considered using a trap? Using coyote traps to get the animal can be the last resort you can take as they are extremely cautious animals. Be sure to wear latex gloves when placing coyote trappers. Also, wash the trap before using it to remove your scent. Place meat inside it to eventually catch coyotes. Most of the trapped coyotes will be disposed using lethal methods, or in other words get killed the less brutal way through euthanasia. If this is not your cup of tea, you might as well ask for a professional to remove the animal.
Call a Professional Coyote Removal Service
If the problem with coyotes is getting bigger, you might as well call in the professionals to control coyotes or eventually remove them. Their years of experience can help save your time and money as they will know the ways to repel coyotes. They will be able to solve the problem without killing coyotes.
Frequently Asked Questions about Coyote Removal
What keeps away coyotes?
Coyotes will lurk in areas that can potentially give them what they need to survive like food and water. If your property has all that they need, they will be your constant unwanted visitors that will check your garbage and may prey on your pets. To keep them away and protect your property and family, you need to be proactive and take some of these steps:
- Build a solid fence where they cannot pass through. It should be high enough so they cannot jump in and out of your perimeter.
- Keep your property clean. They will associate your house with food if you always have available leftovers lying around after a backyard party or fruits that were left on the ground after falling from your trees. Your pet’s food is situated outside your house in clear view of the coyote can also be a magnet that will invite them to lurk and feed at night. Secure your garbage bins as well.
What is a natural way to get rid of coyotes?
Coyotes will stay in an area that can give them shelter and food. If you have a yard, keep your plants and shrubberies trimmed down. Tall grasses should be mowed and any potential food source like chicken coops, fallen fruits from trees, and even garbage bins should be secured. Your area should not provide the potential of being a shelter and den for coyotes to hide during the day.
- Install motion detect/activated flashing lights around your property to deter coyotes from inspecting your yard. There are available products in the market that are solar powered that do not require a lot of maintenance.
- Use guarding dogs to protect your property. Choose the animal breed that can serve this purpose. Most ranchers use this method to protect their livestock.
- Hazing is another method to get rid of coyotes. This is done by using multisensory deterrents like loud sounds, light, and motion. If coyotes are within your property, be as loud as possible by yelling and waving your hands. Use any available props like pot and pans, air horn, a can filled with pennies or marbles to create noise. Turn on your sprinklers to scare them away. You can also throw some stones or balls for added measure.
How do I keep coyotes away from my property?
Coyotes are not strictly nocturnal animals that feed at night.They can be seen during the day but they are active after sunset. They like to build a den during pup season. Their ideal den can be a hollowed-out tree stump, rock outcrop, or raccoon burrows. They are capable of digging out their den in areas with covering such as bushes or trees.
Maintaining your yard by trimming undergrowth and tall grasses where they love to hide can help in keeping them off your area. Keeping this area clean will send a message that this is not a potential food source for them. Food and garbage that are accessible can keep them coming to your property. Check your perimeter for any structure that can serve as their potential hiding place and secure it.
Can I kill coyotes on my property?
Depending on the regulations in your state, coyotes can be considered non-game animals which means they can be eliminated without limit any time of the year. Coyotes are predators and their population has grown exponentially over the years.
These are adaptive and resourceful wild animals, capable of migrating to areas that can provide them with a potential food source. Eliminating them can be your best chance to protect your property as well as the other wildlife in your area. The methods may differ in eliminating them but the frontline in managing the coyote population lies in the hunters that take their time and effort to manage the coyote situation.
