Raccoon rampage!

[Trailblazer]

I have been meaning to post this for some time, but given what my friend @Truthseeker9 asked me today, now is good as a time as any. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Around my house anything is possible!

What are the raccoons doing to you?

Besides eating me out of house and home they are scaring my squirrels away and knocking down the bird-feeders. I spend more money on dog food to feed the raccoons than I spend on people food or even cat food. But If I don't feed them they reap havoc. Right about now about ten raccoons are lounging on the back deck. Only when they are lounging can I feed the squirrels bird food on the front deck without the raccoons pilfering their bird seed.

I just love squirrels. We have gray squirrels and brown squirrels (smaller). We also see chipmunks on occasion. They are the cutest animals. We have so many trees now and the squirrels climb all over the trees and hop from branch to branch.

Sometimes as many as 20 raccoons show up on the back deck all at once. It is really scary. Needless to say I cannot let the cats out in the yard anymore even though there is still a fence there because it is too dangerous since the raccoons can climb trees and get into the fenced area.

Sure, the raccoons look really innocent sitting up in the trees, innocent till proven guilty of numerous crimes!

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

you seriously need to stop being an unending source of food for them--stop catering to them. Birds might be unhappy at first if you cut back on feeding them, but they will eventually not have the bandito competition for their food.

There are repellents available at hardware and gardening stores.

You may want to contact your local animal control department...They can be carries of rabies and can be considered a threat to public health...

 

[Stevicus]

I have been meaning to post this for some time, but given what my friend @Truthseeker9 asked me today, now is good as a time as any. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Around my house anything is possible!

Besides eating me out of house and home they are scaring my squirrels away and knocking down the bird-feeders. I spend more money on dog food to feed the raccoons than I spend on people food or even cat food. But If I don't feed them they reap havoc. Right about now about ten raccoons are lounging on the back deck. Only when they are lounging can I feed the squirrels bird food on the front deck without the raccoons pilfering their bird seed.

I just love squirrels. We have gray squirrels and brown squirrels (smaller). We also see chipmunks on occasion. They are the cutest animals. We have so many trees now and the squirrels climb all over the trees and hop from branch to branch.

Sometimes as many as 20 raccoons show up on the back deck all at once. It is really scary. Needless to say I cannot let the cats out in the yard anymore even though there is still a fence there because it is too dangerous since the raccoons can climb trees and get into the fenced area.

Sure, the raccoons look really innocent sitting up in the trees, innocent till proven guilty of numerous crimes!

I wonder what @Valjean would think about this.

 

[Trailblazer]

you seriously need to stop being an unending source of food for them--stop catering to them. Birds might be unhappy at first if you cut back on feeding them, but they will eventually not have the bandito competition for their food.

There are repellents available at hardware and gardening stores.

You may want to contact your local animal control department...They can be carries of rabies and can be considered a threat to public health...

I called the State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife yesterday and they told me about the sprays I can get that mimic large predators but they are probably too smart for that.

I would be happy to pay a trapper to trap and relocate them but I found out that is illegal in my state so a trapper would have to euthanize them. There is no way I am going to allow that so my only real solution is to stop feeding them and hope they go away, although I honestly do not think they will go away.

I am trying to cut back on how much I feed them and that works to some extent, because if I don't feed them they do go away, for a while... but then they show up again because they have figured out that I am a sap so I will feel sorry for them.

 

[pearl]

We have a racoon nest in our backyard tree. Last year she had 4 babies climbing with them through the branches, with our dog at the bottom of the tree just waiting for the fall.

 

[We Never Know]

I called the State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife yesterday and they told me about the sprays I can get that mimic large predators but they are probably too smart for that.

I would be happy to pay a trapper to trap and relocate them but I found out that is illegal in my state so a trapper would have to euthanize them. There is no way I am going to allow that so my only real solution is to stop feeding them and hope they go away, although I honestly do not think they will go away.

I am trying to cut back on how much I feed them and that works to some extent, because if I don't feed them they do go away, for a while... but then they show up again because they have figured out that I am a sap so I will feel sorry for them.

Adopt a dog. At least while eating less of your dog food it will keep them away

 

[Trailblazer]

We have a racoon nest in our backyard tree. Last year she had 4 babies climbing with them through the branches, with our dog at the bottom of the tree just waiting for the fall.

Having one family of raccoons is no big deal. It is when the babies start having babies and then you have several families all at once, and then the babies have more babies, that it becomes problematic!

 

[Trailblazer]

Adopt a dog. At least while eating less of your dog food it will keep them away

I never thought of that. If I thought it would keep them away I would do it in a heartbeat. It would sure be a lot cheaper to feed one dog than all these racks, but since we have cats it would have to be an outdoor-only dog.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I have been meaning to post this for some time, but given what my friend @Truthseeker9 asked me today, now is good as a time as any. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Around my house anything is possible!

Besides eating me out of house and home they are scaring my squirrels away and knocking down the bird-feeders. I spend more money on dog food to feed the raccoons than I spend on people food or even cat food. But If I don't feed them they reap havoc. Right about now about ten raccoons are lounging on the back deck. Only when they are lounging can I feed the squirrels bird food on the front deck without the raccoons pilfering their bird seed.

I just love squirrels. We have gray squirrels and brown squirrels (smaller). We also see chipmunks on occasion. They are the cutest animals. We have so many trees now and the squirrels climb all over the trees and hop from branch to branch.

Sometimes as many as 20 raccoons show up on the back deck all at once. It is really scary. Needless to say I cannot let the cats out in the yard anymore even though there is still a fence there because it is too dangerous since the raccoons can climb trees and get into the fenced area.

Sure, the raccoons look really innocent sitting up in the trees, innocent till proven guilty of numerous crimes!

You need the racoon whisperer.

 

[We Never Know]

You need the racoon whisperer.

Those are some fat little rascals lol

 

[Twilight Hue]

Those are some fat little rascals lol

No doubt! He's great though.

Lot better than bears.

 

[Trailblazer]

You need the racoon whisperer.

That looks like my deck.... I did not think there was anybody as crazy as me.
Grapes and hot dogs? I would not be brave enough to sit out there with all those racks!

 

[John53]

Don't feed them seems to be the answer to your problem, eventually they'll go do whatever it is raccoons do.

 

[Twilight Hue]

That looks like my deck.... I did not think there was anybody as crazy as me.
Grapes and hot dogs? I would not be brave enough to sit out there with all those racks!

He's not as dumb as Timothy Treadwell though.

He dosent hang out with powerful predators.

Raccoons don't typically take down humans although they can be vicious if they feel threatened.

I remember one that got into my Florida room.

I started barking like a mad dog at the critter and he just looked at me like I was crazy and then casual like walked out the door back outside.

Memories.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Don't feed them seems to be the answer to your problem, eventually they'll go do whatever it is raccoons do.

That really all one has to do. Remove the food source and they naturally go away.

 

[Trailblazer]

He's not as dumb as Timothy Treadwell though.

He dosent hang out with powerful predators.

Raccoons don't typically take down humans although they can be vicious if they feel threatened.

I remember one that got into my Florida room.

I started barking like a mad dog at the critter and he just looked at me like I was crazy and then casual like walked out the door back outside.

Memories.

Years ago, a raccoon dug under the cat fence and got in the house through the pet door and there were cats in that part of the house. I did not see anything but the aftermath. I knew a raccoon had gotten in the house because of the hole under the fence and the cat food and waters bowls were empty an dirty. However no cats were harmed.

It was after that that I started feeding the raccoons because the cats were going in the yard back then and I was worried the racks would get in the fenced area if I did not feed them.

 

[Trailblazer]

That really all one has to do. Remove the food source and they naturally go away.

If I only had the heart to do it. And there would still be bird food on the deck unless I replaced all the bird feeders with spill proof ones.

When watching that video I was glad to hear what he said, that some of them will naturally move on to another territory when more are born.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I have been meaning to post this for some time, but given what my friend @Truthseeker9 asked me today, now is good as a time as any. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Around my house anything is possible!

Besides eating me out of house and home they are scaring my squirrels away and knocking down the bird-feeders. I spend more money on dog food to feed the raccoons than I spend on people food or even cat food. But If I don't feed them they reap havoc. Right about now about ten raccoons are lounging on the back deck. Only when they are lounging can I feed the squirrels bird food on the front deck without the raccoons pilfering their bird seed.

I just love squirrels. We have gray squirrels and brown squirrels (smaller). We also see chipmunks on occasion. They are the cutest animals. We have so many trees now and the squirrels climb all over the trees and hop from branch to branch.

Sometimes as many as 20 raccoons show up on the back deck all at once. It is really scary. Needless to say I cannot let the cats out in the yard anymore even though there is still a fence there because it is too dangerous since the raccoons can climb trees and get into the fenced area.

Sure, the raccoons look really innocent sitting up in the trees, innocent till proven guilty of numerous crimes!

Your garden sounds more like a Zoo than a family home. And maybe you would benefit from letting people come here to see the animals? Maybe you could have a tiny fee so the food you have to buy will be more or less paid by others who come to look at animals

In one sense you doing good for the animals and that is a good virtue, but it has gotten out of control. and that is when you would need some form of help to control it I think.

 

[John53]

Years ago, a raccoon dug under the cat fence and got in the house through the pet door and there were cats in that part of the house. I did not see anything but the aftermath. I knew a raccoon had gotten in the house because of the hole under the fence and the cat food and waters bowls were empty an dirty. However no cats were harmed.

It was after that that I started feeding the raccoons because the cats were going in the yard back then and I was worried the racks would get in the fenced area if I did not feed them.

Fortunately we're raccoon free here but I did have one decide to come and die in the yard of a house I was staying at in California years ago. The neighbour called the county who came and got it, apparently they can carry rabies. Stupid me was poking it with a stick to see if it was really dead.

 

[Valjean]

Years ago, a raccoon dug under the cat fence and got in the house through the pet door and there were cats in that part of the house. I did not see anything but the aftermath. I knew a raccoon had gotten in the house because of the hole under the fence and the cat food and waters bowls were empty an dirty. However no cats were harmed.

It was after that that I started feeding the raccoons because the cats were going in the yard back then and I was worried the racks would get in the fenced area if I did not feed them.

Unlimited food and no predators? They're going to breed like rabbits, and what motivation will the kids have to disperse, when they grow up?
I'd stay right in the neighborhood, with the free food; maybe put up a hammock on your porch.