Two-legged rats and skunks DO run from light. But something else makes them run away even faster. True story:

A friend of mine owned a tourist shop on a street that was being overrun by two-legged dumpster divers and panhandlers. It was hurting his business as tourists shopped more pleasant streets. The city couldn’t get rid of the divers. Every time the city tried to relocate them, the ACLU took them to court, successfully defending their right to sleep on the sidewalk and panhandle.

I don’t know what made my friend think of it, but he wired up a pair of stereo speakers outside his shop and played a one hour loop of opera arias. Quick as a bunny, the ne’re-do-wells vacated the sidewalk in front of his store. Other merchants saw this and did the same thing. Some tried playing Country Western music but that did not work. Neither did grunge, folk music or just instrumental classical music. It seems opera arias have some kind of supreme repellent quality among street people.

I don’t know if this would work upon raccoons.