Combine These Two Kitchen Staples To Keep Coyotes Out Of Your Yard

Raccoons, rats, and other scavengers can be hard to evict from your yard because they'll eat almost anything. Coyotes aren't much different. These hungry howlers are drawn to fruit that's fallen off of trees, easy-to-access garbage cans, and food scraps in compost piles. Small, unleashed dogs and wandering cats are also at risk of becoming a coyote's dinner. If you suspect that a coyote has been scoping out your property, nip the problem in the bud before the animal adds your yard to its list of favorite scavenging spots. Two of the best tools for banishing coyotes might already be in your pantry. These ingredients are vinegar and Tabasco sauce.

To make a repellant strong enough to boot coyotes from your yard, combine an entire bottle of Tabasco sauce with an entire bottle of distilled white vine vinegar. The amount of vinegar isn't as important as the potency. Make sure it contains at least 5% acetic acid. Avoid getting Tabasco sauce on your skin or in your eyes as it's likely to sting. To be on the safe side, you might want to wear gloves and goggles while preparing this solution. Once your concoction is ready, spray it near trash bins and other areas that coyotes might be visiting in their quest to find food. While you're at it, remove food and secure trash can lids to make your yard less appealing to coyotes. If you see a coyote, do not panic – instead, scare it off by shouting at it and waving your arms.

Tabasco sauce and distilled white vinegar pack quite a punch when mixed together and sprayed in areas that coyotes frequent. The Tabasco sauce triggers a burning sensation if a coyote touches it. Meanwhile, the vinegar emits an odor that unleashes several problems these creatures would rather avoid.

The acetic acid in the vinegar produces a powerful scent that bothers coyotes' noses. It's so pungent that it can hide the smells of prey and other food sources. Tabasco sauce and other products that incorporate hot peppers are effective at deterring many pests. That's because they contain capsaicin, a compound that produces a hot, stinging feeling when touched or consumed. It's especially irritating to mucous membranes, airways, and skin. This is what makes pepper spray so debilitating for humans. Capsaicin is also a common component of commercial bear repellants, and many people use capsaicin-rich cayenne pepper to banish rabbits from their gardens. Whether a rabbit, raccoon, or coyote encounters this substance, discomfort follows. More often than not, it's enough to send the pest packing. Capsaicin can even kill insects. 

Since capsaicin is so irritating, it's important to handle Tabasco sauce with care and keep it away from kids and pets. If anyone in your household has asthma, be extra cautious. If respiratory ailments are a concern, you may want to avoid capsaicin altogether because it can inflame lung tissue. Also consider the well-being of your pets, pollinators, and other living things you'd like to attract to your yard. For example, though Tabasco sauce rids yards of yellowjackets, you should use it selectively because it harms garden-helping insects too.