Raccoon repellent

[Flatbedford]

Rocky has been dining on my garbage lately. I have the cans tied so they won't fall over, and bungied closed, but he still keeps trying. The dog cornered it under the deck last night. It looks like the critter is almost a as big as my Lab! Well, maybe not. Short of camping out with the .22 what can I do to make Rocky go to the neighbor's house and leave us alone. I don't want the dog to have a run in with this thing!

 

[peakbagger]

I have never tried it, but a former coworker used the leftover fluid from an ammonia based blueprint machine poured into his sealed trash bags. It was very strong stuff and the critters only seemed to need to sample it once.

 

[Later]

Bobcat urine works well.

 

[JustWood]

Once they find a free meal not much will deter them. They are fearless when it comes to food. Good luck.

 

[fossil]

When we lived in Virginia, we had frequent visits from raccoons. We had to really be careful about them, because all too often in that area they were rabid. Especially if you see one out in broad daylight or it's exhibiting sort of "fearless" or aggressive behavior, keep your animals (and yourself) clear of them. Don't leave pet food outside, or anything else that might attract them. Rick

 

[billb3]

I've had a big old raccoon untie knots of ropes holding the covers on.
I used chain (lawn swing) and shackles with pins and it learned how to unscrew the pin.
Replaced the shackle with a lock.

For several weeks I had to listen to rattling of cans (I had to chain the cans to the deck because it would knock the whole can over and down the stairs).
It finally found easier pickings somewhere else.

They certainly are hungry persistant little buggers.

 

[Jags]

Live trap and relocate. If you use marshmallows in the trap, if you DON'T have coons, you WILL.

 

[mulkick]

Jags has it right.
Live trap and relocate. I use cat food in the can, works great. I'll try the marshmallow next time as my girl friend likes marshmallows and I don't have a cat. ;-)
I've had problems with coons time and time again. With me though, they rip the siding off my house and get in the attic to have their young.
I've never found a deterrent that worked.
I've read you must take them over 10 miles from where you trap 'em or they come back. And they do come back.
Coons are bad news. Keep your dog away from it.

 

[dvellone]

If your dog isn't keeping the raccoon away a run-in is likely, and the dog will get torn up plenty. By relocating it you're passing on a fearless and troublesome problem to someone else. I'm all for coexistence with nature's critters until they cross the line onto my immediate territory and pose a threat. Then it sometimes pays to be as aggressive towards them as they'd be towards you if you invaded their den. Raccoons can be pretty nasty when they've gotten too bold and they're confronted.

 

[gpcollen1]

We trapped racoons with Hav-a-heart type traps back in field ecology. If you do use a live trap, just be damn careful when releasing that thing.

 

[Metal]

I agree with trapping them and relocating them in a lake, you can then release them later with no problems.

 

[BrotherBart]

I have a box of 240 grain hollow point tranquilizer darts. If I get that one that is terrorizing my outside cat into the Hav-A-Hart there will be no trouble when I take him out of it.

 

[Gooserider]

I would point out that, in some places at least, it can be ILLEGAL to relocate wildlife w/o getting permission from the appropriate gov't agency... Also it means you are giving your problem to someone else...

When I hear about this though, I'm always reminded of one that I heard years back - think it might have been one of those Readers Digest blurbs... Family moved into new home in burbs, were frequently woken in wee hours by rattling cans... Assumed it was racoons. Tried putting weights on lids, hot sauce on garbage, tieing them down, etc. Nothing worked... Finally figured they'd get the robber, and rigged lid to trigger cascade of stones, buckets of water, etc. onto the can. Wanting to catch perpetrators reaction, they also rigged Polaroid camera. Wee hours came, loud racket ensued as all the booby traps went off - went out the next morning and found that the camera had gotten a wonderful shot of their dedicated, but rather startled garbage man. Subsequently trash piled up for WEEKS.....

Gooserider

 

[drizler]

2 Years back I trapped and relocated 17 of the damned things. They are cute until they start coming into the house, AND THEY WILL. Torn screens, ripped up bags, garbage cans knoced over and everything spread all over the place they are as bad as bears. Likely worse than bears as when you shoo them off they tend to stay gone. Not Rocky the Coon though, he will be right back . I never saw one get agressive except with each other though and they never bothered my cats at all. Just live trap em put them in the truck and take them 5 miles. Not one of mine came back and line of sight they only went about 3 miles. Just watch it when you release them as they can get a tad nasty about then.

 

[Flatbedford]

We've kept the trash can closed with a bungee on the handles, and a rope around the cans to keep them upright. There hasn't been evidence of another visit, so far. I think it was a combination of making it too difficult to get the garbage and cornering and terrorizing the darn thing under the deck with the dog the other night that has made Rocky move on the somebody else's garbage. We'll see how long he stays away...

 

[SlyFerret]

Around here, if you trap a raccoon, you only have two options:
1) Kill it
2) Release it where you trapped it

You're not allowed to relocate raccoons around here.

Maybe, instead of trying to make your trash less desirable, you could try making your neighbors trash more attractive?

-SF

 

[skinnykid]

FUNNY how you guys are having these problems with coons. Sometimes at night we will be out in the yard and hear them climbing up or down a tree. We put the light on them and they just kinda have that "what are you looking at look"

Sometimes even tho we are out, they still climb down and go about their business, even tho the dog is barking at them.
Never had a problem with them getting into our trash.

Now the crows on the other hand will rip apart a trash bag in no time!

 

[Shari]

No coons here - just coyotes getting into garbage cans......... Our 7-1/2 lb. dog isn't allowed out for long periods at night....

Shari

 

[mrurbplanner]

A radio program on racoons getting into garbage suggested putting a bag of dirty dapers or used cat litter at the top of the garbage can. Apparently the racoons did not like to encounter this when they were looking for a free feast.

 

[Flatbedford]

I'd rather have the racoon than what I would need for a supply of dirty diapers or used cat litter.

 

[woodsman23]

round here we shoot them. If all else fails then try to detur them by placing a heavy brick on top of the cans so they cannot get in. Maybe even a motion light near the cans.

 

[HeatsTwice]

Live trap and relocate. If you use marshmallows in the trap, if you DON'T have coons, you WILL.

As insidious as this sounds, now that we know they like sweets, leaving a pan of antifreeze out may cure this population problem.

I have also seen them eat whole boxes of rat poisen hours after I set it out to solve a mouse problem. There was nothing I could do to chase the things away from it.

 

[rustynut]

now how would you "release" guys like it if I released my coons in your driveway ?
;-)
rn

 

[Beanscoot]

Ummm how about throwing the food waste in the woodstove to deprive the coons of their food source?

 

[Gooserider]

Ummm how about throwing the food waste in the woodstove to deprive the coons of their food source?

After a while the stove gets kind of full and stinky during the summer time.... %-P

More to the point, most stove makers will tell you not to burn garbage, and in practice, most food waste has enough moisture that it won't burn well, and will often put out enough odors to make the neighbors unhappy....

We DON'T recommend burning garbage on the Hearth, as it is the kind of practice that if overdone, contributes to the bad reputation problem, and subsequent gov't harassment issues that all to many of the rest of us have to deal with....

Gooserider