A bold pack of 5 or 6 raccoons has been wandering into my suburban patio the last few nights. They've been facing down my cat at the French doors, and pretty much ignoring me. When I bang on the window they come over to investigate. I guess I don't spit or hiss well enough, and they show no fear. Maybe I need to practice making my hair stand up and puffing out my cheeks. :)

I'm worried they'll try to get in, and possibly succeed. There is no outside access to the attic, but there is a chimney which hasn't been used in years. More worrisome are the basement windows which are at ground level.

There's a creek nearby so they have water. Only food around is a squirrel proof bird feeder I maintain, though I don't think they've been getting into it yet, and its currently empty. My vegetables haven't been touched. Don't know where they're from, maybe up the creek, though its possible they ate the groundhog under the shed and have taken up residence there.

My plan is to use shake-away, dried blood, cayenne pepper, cloths soaked in ammonia. Not sure what else I can do, any suggestions? How about those sonar repellent devices, so they work? I'd hire a pro but its likely they don't live anywhere in the yard, unless maybe they're under the shed. Haven't seen that groundhog for a while.