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I don't think the cayenne is going to do any good.....I used to sprinkle ground up (red) hot chili peppers.....bought a huge container at Costco or somewhere....the kind you sprinkle on pizza, spaghetti, etc. The trouble with all the costly chemical stuff, (and the home made ideas, too), is that when sprinklers go on, or you have a few mornings with dew or rain......the deterrent dissipates..... Anyway, it didn't make the destructive rabbits go away at all.....
Racoons are extremely smart,stone cold killers.If your pets are still alive you are in an extreme minority.............
Yes, good point. Years ago my SIL had purchased a rabbit for a pet for my neice & nephews and they kept it in their backyard hutch in a major metro area. At night racoon(s) would attack the rabbits feet from below pulling off their toes and, eventually, a leg, killing the poor pet rabbit.
I used a Mustang fence charger and three close strands of hot wire. Never lost an ear of corn. A single strand is worthless. I put it up for dogs and it worked on coons too. 115 volt jolts make them look for easier diggings.
Are your neighbors seriously going to out you to city authorties if you place a farm grade solar charger for an electric fence around your garden? I realize these things are against many local ordinances but rarely is it enfoced it if does not pose a danger to others. Is garden not already contained in a fenced yard? Or, is this some type of balcony garden or on open property easily accessible to others?
Well, I had a racoon get himself stuck in an un-baited Havaheart trap last week. He was big and he was spitting . There was no way I was going near him in that trap. Soooooo......I called a local farmer whom I knew to "coon hunt". He expedited the critter to the afterlife and sold his pelt and meat.
Works for me!
When we caught skunks, the exterminator would throw a tarp on the trap so that the skunk couldn't see him.....this enabled the exterminator to pick up the trap, take it far away from my house and then let it loose....(we caught so many that I think he trained them to be homing pigeons and told them my address.....heck, at $50.00 a pop, it got expensive!) Skunks have poor eyesight, so they wait until their victims are very close....that is why lots of animals get sprayed right in the face.... The skunks sprayed the tarp a time or two, too.....so maybe $50.00 wasn't so much...
A few weeks ago I was walking down at the harbor...close to dark....there was a huge shrub by a restaurant.....a coon ran out from under the shrub and came at me...growling, snarling, showing teeth....it was so unexpected.....I nearly had a heart attack....maybe it was protecting babies, I dunno. They're definitely aggressive.....
You really find out just how big they (coons) are when they are standing by your patio window on their back legs....growling at your dog who is inside, wagging a tail, thinking 'oh boy, a new playmate!' I had big avocado trees at the house that had the skunks.....the coons came to eat them, too.
And yes, I agree with a previous poster, they can carry rabies.....
I think it would be best to trap them and exterminate or relocate them based on your preferences. Be sure to check your state wildlife laws. In some states you may have to have a license (or hire a licensed professional) to set traps for them. Call your Fish & Game to find out, and if you plan to release them ask very specific questions, IE, is it legal for you to transport the live raccoons and where should you release them if so? If you plan to exterminate them, ask if you need a hunting/trapping license to do so. The Fish & Game may actually be able to come in and remove them for you. I recommend talking directly to G&F (in addition to looking up state lawson their website) because of a news story I read. Someone live trapped a skunk and was en route to release it when he got pulled over. It was against the law in his state to transport any live wildlife without a permit, and he was charged with a felony. We live in a time of heavy regulation when it comes to wildlife, and it can be frustrating because each state can have completely different laws, and on top of that there are also federal laws which effect all states.
A few notes about raccoons- although they are adorable and fun to watch, they carry many diseases and also a host of parasites that can be extremely dangerous to humans & pets. Keep pets away from them (don't let cats or dogs play with or interact with them), and never, ever touch or handle a live or dead raccoon if at all possible. It's better toleave that to professionals. However, if you end up trapping them yourself, wear thick leather gloves and handle the cage/coon as little as possible. Wash your hands thoroughly. If bitten or scratched, go ASAP to the doc and get rabies shots, even if the animal looked 100% healthy. If you do not seek treatment and later contract the disease from the wound, it is almost always 100% fatal.
If you dispatch them, be sure to double glove (I reccomend nitril gloves by playtex, underneth the playtex anti-microbial tripple layer gloves, the ones that cover your arm to about the elbow). Avoid touching the animal's face especially- rabies can be transmitted through the saliva/mucus membranes (eyes, nose, mouth), as well as the brain and spinal tissue. Rabies is not transmitted through the blood, urine or feces. Dispose of the animal at the city dump in the proper area. Do not touch your face at all, and once finished dispose of the gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
However you decide to keep these critters from your garden, good luck. Raccoons are driven by constant curiosity, which is why they tend to get into everything. I hope you find a soulution that works best for you and the raccoons, and that you can find a place to relocate them rather than dispatching them if you decide to trap.
It says you can live trap them and kill them without a permit. Unfortunatly you cannot relocate them unless you release them on the same property. It looks like the Florida G&F offers support to people who have raccoon problems though, maybe you can contact them & ask about other ideas.
well the critters at the cottage love coffee, every time we arrive home they are digging in the un(secured) trash bins,they can undo anything. well one day i went out to put in a bag of trash, lifted the lid and lo and behold, 3 racoons were sitting in the bin having lunch, i almost had a stroke, dropped the trash and ran screaming into the house, almost forgot to open the screen door. my husband and kids were laughing at me, they said they never saw me move so fast. it was dark out so my hubby went out to be sure the trash was in the bin, didn't want those darn racoons ripping it up. well a few seconds later he comes tearing in the house, like a banshee and slams the door, we are all now wondering what went on. well apparantly what i say was not racoons, but baby bears and momma had come to get them, needless to say, i have poor eyesight in the dark and my husband can run fast. still love those racoons, and still get teased about not knowing the difference between a racoon and a bear, just a city girl at heart.
I've got that in quite a few areas on my property.......it doesn't deter rabbits, that's for sure.....
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my racoon story.
