Cohabitating with Coyotes in Suburban Neighborhoods

Overview

The idea for this project started when we moved to a new neighborhood with high coyote activity, and needed to find a solution to help keep the neighborhood pets safe. The research question under investigation was, “How do different deterrents affect coyote presence as measured by the number of coyote sightings in suburban backyards?” The background research suggested using hazing methods if encountered by a coyote, but no specific guidance was available for deterring coyotes from suburban areas. Thus, I wanted to investigate if coyotes could be deterred from areas frequented by humans (e.g., home backyards, public spaces) using humane methods. My hypothesis was that using deterrents that cause a negative sensory experience for the coyotes would lead to a decrease in the number of coyote sightings in the area where such a deterrent is applied. An Arlo camera was placed in the backyard to count the number of coyote sightings. A baseline average of 0.8 coyotes per day was seen in the first 54 days with no deterrents. Using vision and auditory (bright light and siren) deterrents showed a reduction of coyote sightings from an average of 0.8 to 0.1 per day, over a 102-day period, with the number of coyote sightings increasing towards the end of that time period. A smell-based deterrent led to zero coyote sightings in the first week, but then the coyote sightings spiked to an average of 1.8 as the coyotes countered the smell with their own feces. Halloween-inspired jumpscare deterrents led to coyote sightings decreasing to an average of 0.5 per day, over the course of 51 days. This study showed that vision and auditory deterrents were most effective in reducing the number of coyote sightings, while olfactory surprisingly increased their presence. The data also showed a dip in coyote activity when new deterrents were introduced, followed by a gradual increase as coyotes adapted. Since coyotes can learn and adapt to the deterrent, an intelligent system that adjusts the deterrent scheme based on coyote sightings should be investigated, as it is expected to be most effective.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Zoology (Junior Division) · Entry J-20-16

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