Hi Laura, I was trying to remember whether we tried Liquid Fence there or not, so I asked my husband. He thinks we probably didn't try it, as, as he believes the non-vegetarian racoons would probably find the stinky rotten egg smell attractive, the same way they like Fish emulsion. But we've not tried it, so I can't say for certain that it wouldn't work. You can use bone meal successfully, Laura. You just have to keep it at the bottom of the planting hole, not up, say, to within 6 or 8 inches of the top. We put a lot at the very bottom of all of our holes and have only had the digging problem with the one new planter where I think we added some a little closer to the top. Compost ought to work out really well for your roses and anything else you want to grow wherever you want to put it--in the holes and on top too. You don't have to go the extra step to make compost tea and carry around that heavy water if you don't want to; if you just scatter it on top of the mulch when it rains off and on, the compost will gradually dissolve into the ground and the plants will be able to gradually use its nutrients that way just fine. (Note: this method depends on leaving your mulch in place on top of the ground, and replenishing it with more mulch on top of that as it becomes necessary. The partially depleted mulch contains the nitrogen the new mulch will need to begin the breakdown process all over again without having to take much from the soil to accomplish that.) I'd not personally recommend the use of non-organic fertilizers, as their use changes the natural balance of the soil's microbia. Plants have evolved over the centuries to coexist with and benefit from the naturally-occurring soil organisms, not a soil whose microbia have become wildy unbalanced. I briefly used superphosphate (in the Dark Ages) on my rhododendrons until reading a research-based article about the long-range unhealthy soil effects of using superphosphate. Plants will be much healthier in the long run if you can use only organic fertilizers like compost. To take for example the plants we've had the longest experience with, our rhododendrons absolutely love cottonseed meal, judging from their generous, gorgeous blooming on reasonably healthy plants (with no spray at all) for the past 35 years. We haven't used regular commercial fertilizers of any kind anywhere in our yard, including superphosphate, for all that time. We just throw cottonseed meal out on top of the mulch and let it get washed down into the soil with the rain. It gradually decomposes, consistently furnishing its nutrients to the rhododendrons. In noticing our large healthy rhododendrons, surprised people around here have said that they can't grow rhododendrons in their own yards, including even some landscapers who ought to know how to grow them. But the key is in the soil health and that's the difference in what we do compared to what they tried that didn't work. Organically based stuff is all you ever need to successfully grow rhododendrons; anything else, like commercial regular fertilizers, sets the plant up for diseases to a much more crippling extent than it would likely have had to deal with in a natural setting. Since starting with roses, we've put lots of good organic stuff into the planting holes, but cottonseed meal and banana peels are the main thing they'll ever get on the top, other than tree leaves and mulch. It seems to work well for roses thus far; our roses were heavily budded up this spring and looking quite healthy until Rose Rosette Disease swept through the yard. Regarding your dog, well, if he/she starts barking wildly after dark, you might get out your flashlight and take a look in the front yard. We've done that a few times, and sure enough, there was a racoon. We gave up bothering to fuss at the racoon, though, since we noticed it had no effect whatsoever. They might saunter off a little, but as soon as you go back inside, they come right back. They don't seem to care the least bit what people think of their digging! Pesky little critters... Well, good luck with your critters. Best wishes, Mary

dav4.. we never said amccour had to run around and make excuses.. Only trying to help if asked. amccour, I understand what you are saying. If your not comfortable, than dont. Hour.. yuck. ya, not really worth the gas right now. by the way.. some phones have features that you can turn off the shutter noise and it will look like you just using your phone.. with no noise who knows.. he he... not to mention accidents happen. I have tons of pics of the inside of my purse, and hubby has taken plenty of the jeep door from seat belt hitting the phone. ROFL! hint.. if your ever there again. :) whatever you decide.. Good luck and maybe someone here can narrow it down from descriptions. JoJo

A picture? Well, I'm certainly an avid photographer, so I'll try. But the one I saw the other day didn't land, and I haven't seen one since. Re the European hornet, I'm in the east. And my critters had striped markings on the abdomen. But that "wasp waist" is putting me off. I recall them as having a thick, torpedo shape. Of course, I'm talking about 1991, so my memory may be a little clouded. But I tend to be observant about insects and the like. The info on the nesting habits fits perfectly. I read further and found this statement on another site: "The European hornet resembles the cicada killer wasp but is more robust." Would that mean they're thicker in appearance? This site described the nest that we saw, and said it is abandoned at the end of the year, which this one was. But it also said the European hornet grows to a length of one inch, and ours were definitely larger. No mention was made of fruit eating, which was something we observed all the time with apples rotting on the ground. The night flying and attraction to light fits as well. Do you suppose in 15 years they have grown a millimeter or two in my memory? Still, I saw one just recently, and fairly closeup, and I'm sure it was larger than an inch. The site you directed me to mentioned 1.5 inches. That might do it, so the European Hornet is a distinct possibility. I'll try to find more images...and get a photo of my own as soon as the opportunity presents itself. But honestly, I hope it doesn't. :-) Thanks! Susan

petz2 where are you? It could have been raccoons or ring-tailed cats (coatis)Bassarius astutus. Coatis only live out west & S America. I think raccoons appear everywhere in the US. I've never seen a coati but the site I googled said they make soumds similar to raccoons & I have heard 'coons fighting that sounded like something from a sci-fi movie. They are loud, make long growly sounds & screech like a wildcat.HTH Susan