Raccoons Getting Uppity

I have an edible landscape and the raccoons seem to have discovered it. I live in an urban area where raccoons have "ghetto" attitude. They're not afraid of humans at all. I just spotted a crop of raccoon young'ns in the back yard and am afraid the depredations will get even worse. I can't think of any natural raccoon predators we have around here except any pit bulls that irresponsible owners might let roam loose on occasion. There's a slim chance there are coyotes....

I'm trying to be cool about things I don't like being in my garden, realizing it's all part of the circle of life, but it's hard when our urban environment means we're low on predators that are high enough on the food chain to be a threat to humans (though they're more often a threat to things like raccoons). I just looked on the city's website and they offer no traps or support to folks unless you're dealing with a rabid animal. How do other folks deal with raccoons? If I trap one, relocating it won't work. I don't have the stomach or equipment to kill one once I've trapped it. I just want them to stay away and hang out somewhere else.

Here in L.A. animal control will come get them.
There are possums here at night.No racoons.

They live in empty buildings and sheds.

We use a harts trap then call the animal control guys to pick it up.
I think they charge $65.00 if you rent a trap from them.Cheeper to buy a trap.
They usually come out pretty fast-within an hour.
I think why they come that fast is because it's better than scraping up freeway roadkill or messing with someones junkyard dog.
Possums are easy,you don't need a trap.
You just scare them and they play dead.You just grab their tail and toss them in an empty trash can till animal control comes and gets them.
Don't grab them while they are awake or for too long.
They can tear you up with their nasty looking teeth and their claws are very sharp.
Shy Ann killed one that was as big as her one time.
She had a couple cuts from it's claws.Looked like she had been cut with a razor.Luckily they weren't deep at all or big.
I don't think I'd try messing with one in the wild though.
They are probably meaner-not used to people.
I don't think they would faint as easily.
City ones are probably wimped out.

Don't get too close to them either when they are awake.
They spray musk.
It doesn't smell as bad as a skunk but it stinks pretty bad and lasts 3 or so days no matter how many baths you give your dog.

Good luck with your Racoons.
If you use a trap try and secure it shut once ones in it.
They are really good at getting out with those hand like paws.
When I was in Truckee Joe had Coons in his attic and crawlspace...
He'd seal up the holes and they made new ones.
They didn't care about his 3 hounds(1 bloodhound and 2 German Short hairs) either.
The hounds learned real quick to tree the coons not try and catch them.

A couple trips to the Vet and they finaly learned-Tree them and then let Joe mess with them.

He trapped the young ones easily and the female but had to shoot the male.
It was untrapable-it saw the rest get caught and wouldn't go near the trap.
Once the family was gone the male found another young female in a week or so.
The new female ran off and didn't come back..


Googled this:

Berkeley East Bay Humane Society
2700 9th St
Berkeley, CA 94710-2606
(510) 845-7735

City of Berkeley Animal Shelter
2013 Second Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 644-6755
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/animalservices/

I can't beleive with all the tree huggers up Berkeley way there aren't a ton of wildlife rescue type programs that could help you.
L.A. has a bunch of wildlife rescue places.
Maybe we have more critters.

I saw on the animal control site it has a letter saying they don't rent traps anymore or pickup critters.

Give it an alka seltzer and call animal control saying it has rabies.Foaming at the mouth...

Maybe the university has a program.

The humane society might have helpful info if you haven't already called them.Might know of a private org. that takes care of wild critters.

Get out the alka seltzer.LOL

Put it in an animal shipping crate and send it to someone you don't like.Put a return address of someone else you don't like on it.
Kill two birds with one stone.
Have them returning it to each other forever.

I was told your supposed to let them go at least ten miles away from where you trapped it or it'll come back.










This message was edited Sep 13, 2007 2:37 AM

Hi spidra! We live in relative harmony with raccoons, although it is annoying when they dig holes in the lawn looking for grubs. We take the bird feeders indoors at night, to prevent them being trashed by morning. Any new plantings in the garden are at risk because the loose soil suggests to the raccoons that there may be something edible buried there, so I sprinkle hot paprika around to deter them from digging. Keeping them off the vegetables is pretty much impossible, unless you plant stuff they don't like. They left the pole beans, bell peppers, and tomatillos alone this year.

Trapping and relocating is not very effective, as other raccoons will soon move into the vacated territory, and it is traumatic to the relocated animal, which is suddenly unable to find its normal food sources and also may have been separated from its kits. Also, it may be illegal to relocate raccons if local laws have been enacted to prevent the spread of diseases like rabies.

If you remove food sources, the raccoons will not come around so often. However, there are some folks who like to watch raccoons and feed them. Take a look at the "Heidi" raccoon thread on the wildlife forum!

Yes, I enjoy scutler's threads quite a bit. Unfortunately, I am dedicated to having a food garden whereas scutler has a cottage garden. Although scutler has a bird feeder and I don't so I guess we're relatively even in raccoon attraction.

Yep, the raccoons have been digging up my expensive no-mow lawn. And I worry about the population growing. Honestly, we have way more raccoons here than is natural...because they have few predators in this urban area. So nature can't balance it out.

Thanks for the hot paprika advice.

I tried lots of things to discourage raccoons from eating all the fish in my pond. Including an electric fence(which worked by the way except that I kept shocking myself lol) The people of ace hardware told me to put some moth balls around the yard and that would keep them away. I don't know much about moth balls so don't know if they are toxic or not. I didn't try them, I just build a deeper pond lol
Linda

A couple of high pressure hosings helped get the "stay-out-of-here" message across. I've got much the same situation as you, in that the only predators seem to be pit bulls and cars. However, for some reason, they've never been really interested in my fruit or vegetables. Ditto on the possums. They seem to only go after the strawberries. Maybe my crops aren't as fresh & tasty.

Now the roof rat is another story. I had an entire tree full of pomegranates cleared out this year, and the race is on for the oranges. The neighborhood cats have been stalking it unsuccessfully for months now.