Prevent Climbing. You can try putting a portable radio by your trash. Rather than building own nests, they occupy ready burrows, nests, furnished them to their liking. How to keep raccoons out of garden areas. If there isn't an Outdoor World nearby you could always cook yourself up a nice rare steak, wait a couple hours & pee on your tree. Conflicts with raccoons come in many shapes and sizes, but all can be resolved humanely. From the Christmas presents, the Christmas parties, the Christmas cookies, and the Christmas trees, it's no wonder it's considered "the most wonderful season of all. If you are using our modular Advanced Pole System (photo at right), one baffle can protect many feeders at the same time. Not only will this keep squirrels out of your yard, but it will help to eliminate other pests like chipmunks and raccoons from taking up residence. Play loud noises in the attic. This investment is a great long-term solution for keeping out raccoons and other wildlife. Tried coyote urine, didn't phase the coons one bit. Apart from bird feeders, they are also attracted to our homes by the site of deer feeders . Check your property for hollow tree trunks or holes into an attic or shed. Last year they climbed over the fence when I was sleeping late at night and stole every single apple off my tree the exact night before I was going to pick them all. A very effective way of keeping roof rats, possums, & raccoons off our bird feeder has been a large galvanized steel cone made out of sheet metal purchased from a big box hardware store. "But with all those good things come situations that test our merrymaking mettle. The Christmas lights have been hung with care, but apparently one of the tiny fuses has blown. There was a diagram of a metal baffle or metal wrap, the kind you see around LA to keep rats from nesting in the Beverly Hills palms. They are opportunistic, and like most nuisance animals, do not want to work too hard for a meal. Raccoons enjoy a nice, dark place to sleep, especially if it’s close to an easy food source. Keep an eye on the edges of your lawn – the jet stream may be too weak if placed too far away, and will not deter Raccoons from munching on the edges of your sod. Use a repellent to keep raccoons out of frequented areas or to keep them off of objects and surfaces. Raccoons are smart. 1. The only ways to truly keep raccoons out of your garden are to trap them and release them far away, or to build an electric fence around your garden. — The Humane Society. Raccoons are industrious climbers, so fencing does not always keep them out. They figure things out. The holidays are like a gift that keeps on giving. Raccoons might be cute, but they’re bad news in your house, yard and garden. (Keep in mind some raccoons may weigh in excess of 20 pounds.) It is difficult to achieve total squirrel fruit tree protection due to the animals amazing climbing ability. It can be made to last longer by deploying an outdoor hanging bottle dispenser (the one offered below, product 11-23, keeps the scent potent for a month) or plastic capsules planted in the ground. We are glad to deliver and install the Scare-Crow sprinkler on the sod installation day. If you discover raccoon damage to any of your plants, you should act fast. Scatter blood meal or wood ash around your plants. Understand How Raccoons Look For Food. In the wild, raccoons are adept tree climbers, and won’t be deterred by your gate’s height, while their babies can easily squeeze through small spaces. Spray liquid repellents onto surfaces like trashcans and bird feeders for more targeted protection. The pie pans idea works - for a while. They keep raccoons, squirrels, and heavier birds, like magpies, away from the birdseed. Rain washes it out, and in 2 or 3 weeks it is gone and the raccoons have returned. These animals are omnivorous, which means they eat almost everything from leaves to fruits to meat to seafoods. Bird netting is reusable. The only advantage is that unlike raccoons and rabbits, opossums are solitary animals, meaning that you should not expect a full-scale invasion of them. How to Keep Raccoons Out of Your Garden: This is a tough one, because raccoons are so intelligent, strong, and crafty. Nocturnal habits keep the raccoon mostly out of sight. Alternatively, you can spray household products like mint or mustard oil around the base. Method 1 of 3: Trying Natural Repellents 1. There are some key things to keep in mind when deterring raccoons, such as ammonia soaking to a high fence. A few feet away is a chain link fence at the back of my property, and beyond that is a greenbelt and raccoons live out there. And if you don’t step back (and keep using chili to deter them from your plants), raccoons will give up and leave your property to find an easier place to get food. Keep raccoons out of your trash can by ensuring your can lid is fixed in place or weighing it down with a rock or heavy object. Most raccoons prefer the cover of darkness for their shenanigans. Discourage raccoons from hanging out in your yard by using motion-activated floodlights or flashing lights. How to discourage raccoons … Raccoons 101. If you have a small feeder hanging in a tree… If this doesn't work, try spraying ammonia around your can, since it's a raccoon repellant. And trying even more. Raccoons found in gardens are usually seeking out fruits and vegetables. Once they figure it out they'll come back though. Keep limbs away from the home where they will often gain access to the tree. A tasty bite of fruit is enough to draw them back again and again. First of all, you must understand the nature of raccoons. Try simple things like netting the crown of the tree … If you only have a standard wood or metal privacy fence, you can try to keep your trees and … You might have to eat steak a couple nights in a row to get a good build-up. Commentator Julie Zickefoose duct-taped a yard funnel to her peach tree to keep raccoons away. You also want to make sure you rake up and remove any berries or nuts that have fallen from your trees to keep squirrels from being lured into your yard by the scent or sight of the food. That means they only come out at night. How to Make Raccoons Leave. Find out whether or not raccoons can swim. Prevent the raccoons from climbing into the tree by trimming any limbs that are within 3 feet of a fence, roof or other surface where a raccoon could reach a limb. You can also try a motion sensitive water sprayer, or trapping and relocation to keep raccoons away for good. Raccoons loved it,Dogs were scared of it and refused to go out during the day even when it was off. And believe me, raccoons are very, very persistent. Therefore, this repellant must frequently be renewed. Place the sheet metal two feet above ground in order to discourage the raccoon from jumping over it and latching onto the tree. If you ever see a raccoon on a bright, sunny afternoon — beware. Steps. To prevent this from happening, consider installing a fence around the garden area. Leaving corn or nuts out for squirrels while the trees' fruit ripens may distract them from the trees. If a fence around your garden makes them think twice about entering, then it is well worth the hassle. Raccoons are skilled climbers and jumpers and if there’s anything about that they can cling onto, they will easily reach your feeder. 5. Raccoons can be damaging to your plum tree, so it is important to keep them away. Barrier Screens As we’ve already mentioned, raccoons don’t discriminate with food, and your prized plants may be a nutritious food source for them. If you’ve seen signs of raccoons in your neighborhood, you can take measures to make your garden unattractive to them. Although the tree is trussed up like a turkey, a few peaches still glimmer among its leaves. Regularly check your property so you can close off any easy homes for raccoons. For starters, raccoons are attracted by garbage cans where dump our leftovers. It can help prevent them from coming over and over your house or garden if you keep those food sources away from their reach. They keep trying. Proper placement is important, so ask us for details. Consider better planting sites at installation of trees. Up lighting around trees is another good way to keep raccoons off your property. For maximum protection, erect a wooden frame -- four legs with crossbars connecting the legs at their tops -- around each fruit tree, and lay bird netting over each frame to keep birds from pecking the outer fruit. My friend pulled out her How to be Nice but Still Discourage Critters 1 manual and flipped to raccoons — raccoons and fruit trees. What may be the very best option at all is to simply use your garden hose with a sprayer attached to it and spray the animal until it gets out of the tree. The only guaranteed way to keep raccoons out is with an electric fence. Don’t Hand Out Free Candy! Only a real, heavy duty fence will do the trick. To keep raccoons off your roof or out of fruit trees, wrap a strip of 2-feet wide sheet metal around the base of the tree trunk. I’ve found raccoons in the attic, under my deck, and in my trash cans. And trying. To keep raccoons away from your yard, it’s a good idea to invest in motion detector lighting around the house – particularly near your roof line. Sprinkle granular repellents to create a barrier around particular areas. Another easy racoon repellent is the establishment of a scent-free zone. Remember basic things to keep raccoons away, such as tightly cover trash cans to reduce foraging and to clean up food from trees that has fallen to the ground. Take Away the Trash. These critters are also easily startled by humans and loud noises. Tried little red flashing lights around the perimeter of the yard, raccoons didn't notice them. I also lost a wonderful crop of sweet corn. No surprise here – raccoons … With three little rascals to constantly try to keep out of the tree, my family has mostly accepted the fate of our Christmas tree and everything around … In other words, keep all attractive scents (like the potent stew of garbage) under close cover. Raccoons are nocturnal animals. How to keep raccoons from coming into your yard. These furry animals are also attracted to your home by bird feeders, goldfish ponds, and chicken coop. Use galvanized mesh hardware cloth with openings that are less than one square inch, which is small enough to keep raccoon hands out. 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