Get yourself a Havahart trap and catch that little sucker. We had the same problem on our porch for a long time. They can sure make a mess. We caught A LOT of them one summer and let them go miles away. Lately though, as much as I love animals, we've been saying "bye, bye" another way. Especially after they destroyed a bunch of my fairy gardens I was growing to sell.....grrrrrrr! Why can't they stay in the woods? And they COULD be polite enough to leave their little dumplin' piles somewhere except on my porch where I walk out the front door. Now that is just rubbin it in my face. Cute as they may be......they're ornery.
Arlene

Donna, I 'm so sorry that you had so much destruction. Racoons are the juvenile delinquents of the animal world!
kathy

Would keeping a dog in your yard be a problem? I never had a squirrel problem until my dog died. They used to harass him all the time, but he never allowed them to come near the house. Now they're trying to take over since he's no longer around. If there's one raccoon, there a more....

Wow, I'm sorry you're having raccoon trouble! They can be VERY destructive. We had one get into our fish food and the pond. We did trap the little sucker and took him for a very long ride.....Hope you get him soon!

Ya'll ask Kirk what he does. He recently posted a picture of two on his decking.

I have ancestors who I'm sure didn't have a problem with Coon-skin hats and Racoon stew. But check to see if they are protected first.

The guard dog would be the way to go. Get a female because males think that Totems are just fancy fire plugs.

My neighbors in Alabama hit a large turtle crossing the road and stopped and brought him home and cooked him. Yes, I laughed at them. But if times get really tough economically it's people like that who will survive. Me, I'll probably starve to death if McDonalds closed. LOL

Susie

Thanks for all the help friends, can't have a dog cause I have 3 cats, plus I don't want to have to clean up after one. Have a small back yard and its just for me and my garden junk. I will try to catch the little sucker and take him for a long, long ride. If he comes back, he's dinner!

Donna in Florida

If you trap him, I hope the long, long ride refers to extermination not releasing him "in the wild" where he becomes a nuisance for some other person. I live in the country and people are always dropping off their unwanted pets, varmints and even trashed lawnmowers and appliances. Please be responsible for getting rid of him and not foisting him off on someone else, not that a garden junker would ever do such a thing.

Here s to you!
we were trying to nab a naughty bobcat. But got these two

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then this one
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then fat boy
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They were all released. Still havent got that duck eating bobcat!

re;janoels post
It is illegal in our state to transport wild critters. Dh could not kill these furry varmints but that is what fish and wildlife told us to do. When we get the bobcat,,,,, I will call them again. Bobcats like cats and dogs too and I do not live in the stix and am afraid for grandkids and neighbor children. He is not afraid to come out in public.I like my wildlife preserve but don't want the top of the food chain
Being in Hurricane territory i don't have any totems but im sure its aggravating

Wow Goldenpond, you really had a round-up. I couldn't kill one either but a friend told me to put some anti-freeze out for them. My cats are inside so wouldn't have to worry about that and my yard has a privacy fence so wouldn't have to worry about another animal getting in to it. Might be worth a try.

boy goldenpond, you scored big... we had a trap and the county guy came out and took them away. We got racoons, skunks, and possums...was trying for the racoons because they kill chickens... skunks do too, but the racoons were the most aggressive. We had to pay also for them to come and get 'em...$10 a pop.. finally when I was up to $50 I stopped...

We have had them as a problem on and off through the years. They invade our birdfeeders. So, when we eliminated their food source, they went away. It also helps that neighbors down the road put food out for wild animals! :o) They left here for there!!! I hear what so many are saying...if you transport them to another area, they become someone else's problem. The Dept. of Wildlife here told us that. I love animals and couldn't kill the varmints so let them go to the neighbor's house! No food here! Bear Hugs! Kirk

PLEASE READ THIS
I must ABSOLUTELY disagree with the use of antifreeze. Let me tell you what changed my mind to any poisons in my garden(except AAMDRO which the fireants drag into their underground palace!)
When taking my Master Gardener course they had us disesct
owl pellets. As you may know owls gobble up a creature and later pop out a pellet full of non digestable stuff. Bones feathers, you know. Any way we had to put all the bones back (we had diagrams) as I was putting my little fellow back together I came upon a Hersheys kiss pull paper, intact.I was so excited and the instructor was too.He used it to explain that when the mice and squirrels and other critters eat things like poison peanuts it not only effects them but raptors also. Owls,hawks etc.
The mouse ate the Hershey kiss, the owl ate the mouse.
So ,if the mouse eats a poison and the owl or hawk eats the mouse they too are ingesting the deadly stuff!
Antifreeze is sweet and animals and kids often like its taste but from what I understand(correct me if Im wrong)it is an AWFUL death due to kidney shut down.
Mothballs are another NO-NO!There is just no way we can be positive a child or neighbors pet won't find them and think they are a treat.
And all God's creatures said AMEN!

Years ago I had a roof rat driving me crazy & dad said just put some rat pellets under the eaves where birds won't get it & the rat will eat it all up,I had to weight it with a rock, couple days later I went to step out on patio, I about got sick, a rat covered with ants & shaking, called my dad & he came over, I was so freaked out. It's a slow painfully death, I thought it would be quick, dad finished him & buried him deep. I would never use that again. My problem is 6 in. gophers they dig all over. 1 hole was so big I crawled in & dad put plywood over & I couldn't see any light. I'm afraid 1 day I will walk out &ground will sink because the little twirps take the dirt somewhere else, I have to find someone putting up a block wall & ask if I can take some of the extra dirt, they are so glad to get rid of it they fill my 5 gallon buckets & load it up. I have to take it out in smaller amounts!! Critters can be a pain, We have racoons but only evidence they leave is very neat pile of orange peel, they always peel the orange, I've never seen 1 but neighbors used to feed them yrs ago. I used to wish they would visit, now after this I think not!! Possums are pain also, poop stinks & I get sick of cleaning up after them!! Jan

Goldenpond be careful as they will kill adults!! We had couple of joggers out here ! 1 died & I think same yr. 2 women were mauled & bitten pretty bad. Be careful! You live in a zoo I guess!! YOu didn't know those ducks were going to attract so many critters or did you have most of them before? Hope you get the bobcat & it gets taken to a good area away from people! Jan

Wow, I'm just reading about all the pests! I agree with Kirk, take away a raccoon's feeding source and you'll get rid of him or her. They are resourceful buggers, extremely intelligent and great climbers so even 6' fences don't seem to deter them. Plus they are one of the top carriers of rabies!

Years ago at my mother's old house, I was taking out her garbage one night. I saw something HUGE in her neighbor's yard. I looked and saw what I thought was a black bear but knew one wouldn't be roaming around in the middle of the city. A better look revealed it was one gigantic raccoon! When he hissed at me and bared his teeth, I decided he was the king of the neighborhood and got back into the house quick!

I agree with others regarding not using anti-freeze as a deterrent. It definitely effects the food chain. Plus raccoons are protected as fur-bearing animals in some states so it is against the law to kill them. Removing their food source (including securing garbage cans and putting away pet food kept outside), water source (you can put mesh over your pond to prevent them from getting into it and keep pet water dishes indoors at night) and putting up metal guards 5'-6' off the ground on trees will prevent them from climbing to get into your house, garage and shed. I read putting cayenne pepper on your lawn and garden will prevent them from digging around to eat the grubs. Some other suggestions were to keep a waterproof radio on a talk radio station near your garbage so they think humans are nearby and sprinkling ammonia around your garbage to ward them off.

Good luck!

Thank goodness they aren't protected here. They are considered pests. I have no food or water source out and they still come. They seem to think the food is in the bottom of my potted plants, so they empty them out looking. I guess they like the soft dirt of potting soil?
Arlene

I have a shocking GRUB problem. Can I RENT a raccoon for a week or two? I promise to return him.

Susie

"Racoons are the juvenile delinquents of the animal world!" ... well said Kathy! I totally agree. They act like little punks!

Racoons (and armadillos) are the reason I'll never ever beach camp again, Donna and Goldenpond, I don't know what part of Fla you're from, but we beach camped on the gulf coast one year St Andrews I think and it was a trip to h*ll lol... give me a condo on the beach instead! Those racoons have pawlike hands with little fingers, and they can do almost anything a human can with them. We had to put our cooler in the trunk of the car. They know how to undo tape! We taped the cooler up and they still got it open. And they're very agressive, I've been hissed at by them too lol. Little meanies!

Same with squirrels ... loved them until I became a gardener. They're so destructive. Hubby calls them tree rats. They always eat my pink mandivilla blooms just before they open! errrrrr. We were growing tomatoes in containers, and they prey upon them. Even eat half of a green tomato and then throw it down onto the deck. So we spent $40 on this gardening web netting that's supposed to keep them out. Forget it. They can chew through your home and run in the attic if they want to. My mom had that problem and they messed up her wiring. So destructive!

But they're nature's creatures, and we all have our place. As we build more and more subdivsions and strip malls, we invade the wildlife's habitat. Hopefully we can balance this problem more in the future. Otherwise, it's hard to control them. I stopped growing tomatoes it was such a problem. Fought them for years, and I lost! They dig in my pots outside too. I use attractive stones and rocks as mulch sometimes, or broken pot pieces. They helps keep them from digging into your potted plants. Heavier rocks are best. They're strong too!

Oh well ... sigh .... on to a better subject but I did appreciate venting lol ~ holiday hugs ~tenderlee

Maybe some animal birth control???????

I understand what you all are saying about the anti-freeze and other poisons. But doing away with my bird feeders isn't something I want to do either. I love all my feathered friends. And even when the bird food isn't there, he still is digging all my potted plants. At this point, I don't know what to do. I have always cherished my little backyard and now it looks like a cyclone hit it. Guess I'll just have to pray for devine intervention or something. LOL

It's illegal to transport wild animals in my state too.
Setting out antifreeze is dangerous and illegal. It is a nonspecific poison. If a neighbor's pet gets into it and dies, as it will, you would be held responsible if it's determined that you were at fault. And heaven forbid one of your pets accidentally gets out and finds it.
Re: animal birth control
It's available. Talk to a vet or your animal control department.

Raccoons are territorial, as are squirrels. If you remove one from a nice habitat another will eventually move in.
The best thing you can do is remove the attractions, at least temporarily.

My main concern here is with rabies. It's endemic in raccoons, foxes and possums in the US and is worse east of the Mississippi. In semi tropical climates such as Florida (and where I live) it is present year round. Since it's not cold enough for extended periods there's no winter down time for the disease. Add to that the fact that most of the animals that carry it stay active all year, no sleeping through big storms or snows, you have the possibility of constant exposure.
An animal in the early stages of the disease is just as dangerous as a fully "mad" one. It often won't show any classic symptoms either. This alone might lull you into a false sense of security when dealing with the critters.

I hope you can resolve the problem but most importantly BE SAFE!!!
Good luck.

hey donna I just realized you are in zone 9 in Florida too,I was wondering.
Have you tried hot pepper/garlic sprays?
There are dozens of organic recipes to make animals leave your stuff alone. Maybe that would deter the varmint. Ive used it on squirrels before.You can google it or check the organic forums.They dont seem to bother my garden junk but I have a pond they would rather play in. Once though I left a gallon of fish emulsion at my back door. The next day it was on it side, empty. I imagine the raccoons smelled it and had a drinking party that night!

Hi Goldenpond, I'm in Jacksonville and I will goodle the organic stuff. I'll try anthing at this point. Just so people will understand about the antifreeze thing. I didn't say I was going to use it, I said a friend suggested it. I have privacy fencing around my yard anyway, so no people's pets come in my yard. I don't really even have a problem with squirrels because I put pepper in my bird seed. But this little coon is ruining my plants! Thanks for the help though I appreciate it.

Donna in Florida

Where I live, all trapped raccoons are euthanized when the Fulton County (Atlanta) animal control picks them up after being trapped. A HUGE percentage have been found to be carriers of rabies. On the other hand, trapped possums are released - into an area of the county where they won't be a nuisance. Long post short, please, contact your local animal control re their policies. I now live in Gwinnett County, GA - don't know what they do to the raccoons but do know they will pick them up, transferred from your trap to theirs.

Be safe,
Rosie, in Sugar Hill, GA

Pretty much the same policy here in Chattanooga I think Rosie. If we trap an animal, or our pet dies, they come and pick it up when we call the city 311. We haven't done that, but it's hard to loose expensive landscaping plants or other things because of the pests. So far I just stay with the plants they don't bother now, and try to ignore the pesty squirrels. They're the varmits that eat my tomatoes & flower blossoms! UGH!!!

Even though we live less than a mile from downtown, I've seen all kinds of critters in our yard or the surrounding wooded properties. Possums, chipmunks, green snakes, and 2 kinds of rattlesnakes. Yep, it's good ol rock top, rocky top tennessee lol yeeeehawww ~tenderlee

I hope I didnt sound accusing mz forgive me if I did.
I just didnt want others to try it knowing what I know.
Have you actually seen the coons in flower pots? I have seen squirrels dig and bury stuff in pots i just never saw coons do it.I guess you must never use bone or blood meal.that attracts all kinds of critters mainly DOGS!
Good Luck De-Cooning your place!

"Where I live, all trapped raccoons are euthanized when the Fulton County (Atlanta) animal control picks them up after being trapped. A HUGE percentage have been found to be carriers of rabies. On the other hand, trapped possums are released - into an area of the county where they won't be a nuisance."

Opossums are not usually considered as possibly rabid.

"Opossums, like most other animals, are susceptible to infection by the rabies virus; however, very few rabid wild opossums have been documented. Extremely high doses of the virus have been required to experimentally infect opossums as they seem to be highly resistant to the disease. Even though they do not often carry rabies, opossums can still deliver a nasty bite."

Here is a link that might be useful: Quote is from this article.

No Goldenpond, your fine. Yes I have seen this critter digging in my potted plants. This started happening after I took in all the birdseed. I guess maybe he thinks he can get to some grubs or worms or something. I don't really know. Have a great Holiday though. Thanks

I just read your message and thought I'd just add my 2 cents. Be careful. I think they are one of the most adorable and curious creatures around. I could sit and watch the little ones for hours. A friend of my husband warned me a few years back that they can carry parasites that can be transmitted to other animals and humans very easily. I'm not saying they all do but???? I am attaching an article about 1 particular type of parasite http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/baylisascaris/factsht_baylisascaris.htm
It's also in their feces, so if you have to pick up their poo, be careful. Some people I know who had quite a problem shot them (much to my dismay)but I understand what is a person going to do? Others have trapped them and taken them to state parks. Whatever you decide, Take Care.

here is an interesting link that I just found .
I am definitely bookmarking this one for future use !

http://critter911.com/raccoons.html

Here is a link that might be useful: critter911

thanks for the 911 info/ Got a Christmas coon in the trap!
My neighbor had been awakened one night and was horrified to see a coon in her home eating out of the dog dish. It had come through the doggie door!

Mz, I agree with Luvs..a trap is a very good idea. Perhaps there's a wildlife sanctuary in your area that would be willing to take them ? In regards to antifreeze.. it's my understanding that the component that had the most detrimental effect on animals has been removed.. the makers claim your pets ( thereby incl non-pet animals ) can safely drink the stuff. There's also another solution that may be a little bit more viable for you. It sounds disgusting.. but most sporting goods stores carry a lot of varieties of bottled animal urine ( I know..ewwww ). Perhaps you could spray or pour it around your property line it would help deter the little pests from coming into your yard. My ex was an avid hunter... so I know all about this stuff...lol. Maybe if the little bandits smelled a "predator" in the area they would leave for parts unknown.Seems like I actually saw bottled bobcat or mountain lion urine in one of the hunting catalogs he used to get. At any rate... good luck and hopefully you'll find something that will work.

Susan

I was fighting with raccoons for a long time using different means. It's illegal in our state to relocate raccons and it's expensive to have trapped raccoon to be taken away (they actually put them to sleep but it's $50 per raccoon).
Couple years ago we took hardware clause, cut in 14' strips with one side having wires exposed and placed this wire on top of the fence that we have around backyard. Raccoons stoped coming to backyard after that. I stil see them in frontyard that is not fenced, but at least not in my veggie garden.
Another thing that helps - plastic. Raccoons hate to step on plastic. They have very sensitive feet.

Okay, you can laugh at this one!

To keep raccoons away from my birdhouses when there are baby birds in them, I go around in the evening and spray the grass and area around the trees with room deodorant. It seems to throw them off the birdie scent! LOL

~Sandy~

Room deodorant, now that's a new one. Any particular scent or does it matter?
: )

Something's been digging up my planters for the last few days. Not a squirrel as the holes are huge and deep - ten inches or so, and many of the plants are ripped out and tossed on the ground which is something squirrels do not do. Nothing appears to be eaten. Perhaps the creature is after the worms which live in them?

I think it's a raccoon as we have seen a big one in our barn some evenings. I am trying several strategies, none of which might work. I sprayed the pots on and near my porch with deer repellent spray hoping it won't like the aroma, and sunk tall bamboo sticks in the ones at the barn hoping they would be a digging deterrent. They won't be easy to dig around or out. Or, so I hope.

If these methods don't work, I will have to set the Havaheart. If it's a male, I will drop him off at one of several local nature preserves. All are over ten miles away. If it's a female, she's probably nursing, so I will be forced to let her go and find some other way to keep her out of those planters. Any ideas?

We've had a problem with coons, skunks, and possum also. We tried traps (which the coon let him/herself out of), antifreeze (they never touched it); fly pellets (like used in horse barns to keep the flies down--which you mix with pop because the critters LOVE sweets). Nothing worked, so DH stopped at the local hunting and fishing store and the man sold us "Fox" scent. Critters will attack anything, but for some reason they're all scared of fox. We put it around the edge of the barn, porch and anywhere else we saw signs of critters; and after 3 days of using it haven't had any more problems. And it's been almost a year.