Learn how to identify raccoons and how to get rid of raccoons in your garden with these helpful tips.
What Are Raccoons?
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) have masks over their eyes because they could rob even a bank vault. These resourceful animals are second in persistence and imagination to no other animal (unless it’s a squirrel at a bird feeder).
Raccoons are great climbers, swimmers, jumpers, and runners. Their five-toed paws make them very dexterous, and their agility can allow them to outsmart every human concoction used to deter them. If they aren’t breaking into your garden, they might try to climb into your chimney to use it as a den.
Raccoons do not hibernate during the winter, but they will live in dens for periods of severe weather, causing them to lose a lot of their body fat in northern areas. They often live in hollow trees during the warm part of the year. Populations of raccoons often include many youngsters, and families will stay together for about a year.
What Do Raccoons Eat?
Raccoons are nocturnal and omnivorous, meaning they eat anything from grubs to crayfish, as well as all the plants and vegetables that you have in your garden, too. Especially in the fall, they develop a taste for fruits like apples, peaches, and pears, but they also enjoy a variety of vegetables, like sweet corn, potatoes, and peas.
Even though wild raccoons prefer areas with trees and a source of water, more and more of them are raiding gardens because gardens are an easy source of food. They’ll be even happier if you have a source of water and some forest near your garden.
Top 10 Veggies.
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
Raccoons Endangered ??
I was told (here in CA) that raccoons were an endangered species. Can anyone tell me why??????? They have already killed 6 feral cats in my backyard. How can I tell you ask - because they rip them apart. Hate these critters.
raccoons
No, raccoons are not classified as rare or endangered. That said, you’ll see need to check with your local laws which may have other legal restrictions.
Fish Pond
My poor little fish pond has been hit twice now. I really just wanted it for the sound of running water and a couple of water plants. But I started getting mosquito larvae so I got some feeder gold fish from the pet store and no more larvae. Well, I guess the racoon likes fish even tho they are very small. He has torn up my plants and the pond and has eaten all the fish, twice now. I really don't know what to do about this. Animal Control seems to not care even tho I live in town. I do have an outside cat and a small inside dog, after reading some of the other comments I am now worried for their safety. I have set a trap but have not caught it, I also have several wind chimes in the area, he seems to not be afraid of anything. If anyone has better suggestions, I am willing to try anything at this point.
Pond Netting
For the disappearing fish problem, you may want to look into pond netting. It could prove to be just enough of an obstacle to deter the raccoon(s). Also try placing strong-scented substances in dishes around your pond, such as garlic and chili powder or Irish Spring soap. Make sure that any run-off produced by these substances doesn’t enter your pond and that a curious dog doesn’t sniff the wrong thing!
Another hint for deterring raccoons
I've had to place a raccoon baffle around the pole on which multiple bird feeders are attached. This has worked. Prior to installing the raccoon baffle, they were constantly knocking the feeders off and carting them away. A good raccoon baffle can be purchased at Wild Birds Unllimited or some garden centers.
Raccoon killings
The raccoons this year, one in particular, has about wiped out all my ducks and chickens. I have never had this much trouble before. I moved all my birds to my side deck and covered them as one would do cage birds making my deck look like a refugee camp. Finally, I take the last pair into the house at night.
A sure fire bait for trapping is raisins ... they love them and will follow a trail anywhere. Also, when setting live traps, make sure the only way they can get the bait is from the front. Keep the sids and back covered with non moveable items. Wood propted with a heavy rock will do the trick.
The down side to all of this is the predator is a female she could have little ones stashed somewhere leaving them to starve if she is trapped. Talk about decisions.
pesky racoon
I have a yard pole with 3 birdfeeders, 1 sugar water for hummers, 1 suet for woodpeckers, 1 sunflower for others. EVERY night, a raccoon comes and cleans out my feeders. One day, he actually came into my house (thru the doggy door, I think). County Animal Control removed him from my house, but let him go in the yard. Any ideas on how to get rid of him?
Raccoon
Hi Elizabeth,
Raccoons are just looking for food, so the best way to stop them from coming around is to take away their food source. Also, bird feeders (not including hummingbird feeders) should be taken down around April to prevent wild animals from becoming domesticated to human food, particularly bears.
hummingbird feeders
my mother raccoon is a sugar junkie and empties the hummingbird feeder too... I have to bring them in as well as suet cages at night... she has even carried one of them off. if I forget to bring them in or wait too long, she hits the nectar first...
Deterring raccoon from bird feeding poles.
As per my comment above, if you will install a raccoon baffle around your bird feeding pole, that will keep them off. You have to put it up high enough so they can't climb up the pole over the top of the baffle. Wild Birds Unlimited is a good source for purchasing a raccoon baffle. For those with squirrel problems, squirrel baffles are also effective. They must be installed properly, however. Be sure to follow the instructions to the letter.
Raccoons killing cats
I live in a rural area and care for a colony of feral cats. I've read horror stories about raccoons killing cats, including some of the previous comments, so I'm always frightened that the same may happen to one of mine. I've had cats just disappear and wondered if it's due to a raccoon getting it. One that has come around is huge and has to weigh at least 30 pounds or more.
Raccoons are very cute and I even had one as a pet growing up, but they scare the hell out of me now. My company gets calls frequently for raccoon removal because they've either gotten into the house, are destroying the garden, killing chickens, or being a nuisance in other ways. It's illegal in many areas for people to trap raccoons themselves and then release them somewhere else. I don't recommend shooting them unless you are a crack shot and won't leave them wounded.
About the last suggestion to
About the last suggestion to plant squash. The trouble we are having is raccoons (or maybe something else?) eating our squash. We are currently trying dog hair and blood meal along with a simple fence and netting. We need to wait a few more days for more squash flowers to grow before we know if this works at all. I suspect we will end up needing to apply the garlic/spice mix every couple of days until we decide on something more permanent.
Garden/Raccoon
Never saw a raccoon before until a couple of weeks ago when I spotted a complete family in my small garden.
getting rid of raccoons
I've found sitting in a lawn chair late at night and covered with deet, along with a good accurate cal. .22 rimfire, sound suppressor and a gen II night vision scope to be very effective. I haven't seen a coon for weeks now. Oh, unlike Vietnam, the Coons don't shoot back.
moving raccoons
I live in a rural area. Thanks a lot for dumping your spare raccoons, dogs, cats garbage, whatever, out here. You are just passing your problem on for someone else to deal with. This place may look empty but it isn't. It is already chuck full of wild animals and plenty of rowdy raccoons I have to contend with.
Raccoon's
Raccoon's are dangerous and killed my cat...ripped to to shreds...Do not feed or try to befriend. The opened my screen door to my porch with their claws and I had Mother Father and 5 babies on my porch.
I have one in my yard now and I am calling animal control to get it and all pets are quarantined until it is gone. They are wild animals and can spread disease and death to you and your pets...BEWARE
Really interesting
That was really informative.Even though we live in a fairly urban area we have a beautiful garden in our home and I have seen wild raccoons in our garden because gardens are an easy source of food. I didn't take any measures to get rid of them until my cat got killed by them :( Finally, with the help of Remove the wild, wild life removal service in Canada we removed all the raccoons in our area.
there are so many animal removal services you can call to trap raccoons and other such pest animals and release it somewhere less populated.
Trying to get cooperation from animal control or Fish and Game
Can, unfortunately, be very frustrating. You're very lucky if the animal control people in your area do their job and remove the pesky wildlife. We had a bear that kept trashing the dumpster in our area, and my husband called Fish and Game, and they just blew him off. He finally had to threaten to "take care" of the matter himself before they would finally come out and do what the taxpayers who pay their salaries pay them to do. We live in a rural area, and local residents use the common dumpster all the time, and there are kids around. You'd think these animal control folks would be more conscientious, and you wouldn't have to BEG them to do their jobs!
Really informative. We used
Really informative. We used to have frequent visits from raccoons at our home in Toronto till a few months back. They used to dig up my plants and sprawl mud all over the place. My natural remedies did not work on them so I had to call a raccoon removal service called A1 checkmate for the job. They got rid of the problem once and for all and I haven't had any trouble from raccoons till date.
We live on a farm...and a
We live on a farm...and a couple of years ago, the raccoons seem to know the day you are going out to pick your corn...because they show up and strip it clean the NIGHT BEFORE!
A year ago, I did the electric fence thing...I used one wire, and there was a pesky racoon that still got through it...when I used two wires, then not a problem.
This year, I have discovered there is electrified "netting"...not every wire is electrified...in fact the lower wire in the netting can sit right on the ground because it is not a conductor.
Just Google [Electric Net Fencing] and you'll find it.
This netting comes in 3.5" or 7" squares...I'm going for the 3.5"...should keep just about anything out... Also you can get heights from 28" up to 48" tall...it comes in a roll and every 13' there is a fence post.
Yes it is a little pricier than stringing up a couple of wires, but it can be used year after year, and it appears to be easy to erect and take down.
I have decided not to just protect my corn, but I'm ordering enough to go around my entire garden.
I live in town & the racoons
I live in town & the racoons & possums are all over the place. The problem is my neighbors have an apple tree near my fence in the backyard by my garage/shed. How can I get rid of them with that issue, ask my neighbors to cut down their tree? I find their feces & chewed up apples all over my yard!!
We'd suggest that you talk to
We'd suggest that you talk to your neighbor about the issue. Raccoons are easier than deer. You could simply add four t-posts and some chicken wire about a month before harvest and the raccoons can't get to it. The cage doesn't have to be up year-round and then your neighbor can still eat the apples.
I didn't realize it was
I didn't realize it was illegal to use mothballs, but a friend of ours told us that was a good way to keep raccoons out of our corn patch. I spread the mothballs all around the patch and now I am wondering if the corn will absorb the chemicals in the moth balls because it rained. Should we not eat this corn crop?
Yes, mothballs may be illegal
Yes, mothballs may be illegal to use food crops in some areas. They are indeed dangerous to use around children and animals, but that's because they could ingest them. It's probably fine to eat this crop and just use them around ornamental crops in the future.
I have a koi pond and my koi
I have a koi pond and my koi are disappearing I think either blue heron or raccoon s are getting them any ideas to get rid of or scare off these critters
My koi are disappearing from
My koi are disappearing from my koi pond and I think blue heron or raccoon s are getting them any ideas how to keep them away or discourage them
All of this is ridiculous
All of this is ridiculous advice! Raccoons are full of parasites and disease. They can have rabies as well. The eggs in their feces can have ringworm eggs that can live from months to years on your ground and garden. Furthermore, the urine is highly parasitic and an animal that steps in urine and then licks its paws or drinks/eats from same dish, can get very ill. Ringworm, rabies, distemper, raccoon disease, blindness etc. If people would trust professionals to trap is best. No one should be advised to trap or feed them, please be wildlife smart!
AmandaCB: What article are
AmandaCB: What article are you responding to? This one does NOT advise anyone to trap or, especially, feed raccoons. Get a grip.
On the contrary, the article
On the contrary, the article is about protecting sweet corn from raccoons. The very act of growing sweet corn is potentially feeding the 'coons. In addition, one of the methods recommended in the article deal with 'coons was to plant enough for them too, in other words to feed them.
ringworm
ringworm is a fungus, not an egg-producing intestinal parasite.
Trust the professionals, IF you can!
As I've commented above, it can be very frustrating to get some animal control people to even respond. At least it is around here. We had a bear trashing the common dumpster, and had a very hard time getting Fish and Game out here to relocate it. I suspect that some of the people who do their own trapping are driven to it because they try to get professionals to do it, and they won't. You can call, but good luck if they cooperate!
I have a racoon that comes
I have a racoon that comes into my yard/roof at night it loves to eat threw the garbage and eat all the baby quails and it gave my dog
pravo that almost killed him, and finding pieces of baby birds is awesome. I could just picture him ripping them apart seeing as I find legs heads and other bird parts, I need that thing gone, it doesn't help that my mother makes her own fertilizer of left over fruits and veggies hmmm at least he is eating his vitamins mahahaha no srsly what can I doo?
Trap n kill or shoot.
Trap n kill or shoot.
I've seen advertisements for
I've seen advertisements for garbage bags scented with mint for deterring raccoons. Any truth to that? I'm having trouble with my potted plants on my deck - the raccoons keep digging them up - and I'm wondering if planting some mint in my planters will be helpful.
Mint-X trash bags were
Mint-X trash bags were developed to repel the Norway rat and raccoons. The active ingredients include wintergreen oil, corn mint oil, camphor oil, and eucalyptus oil. We're not sure if a raccoon would be repelled as effectively with just the fresh mint, but it is certainly worth a try! Good luck!
Mint trash bags
Sorry to say they don't work. I really have become to despise these creatures!
I have raccoon with a sense
I have raccoon with a sense of humor...I have the yellow rubber ducks for the kids in the pool. Had pool noodles until they had a party with those. They take the ducks out of the pool and place them in front of my shed. They pull rocks and shells from my planters and put in pool. I've noticed that the two pots that had no drainage, they dug into and made a mess! I have since closed two holes under the fence, but they are still coming over. I don't want to hurt them as at this point, no real damage has been done and it's become a joke each morning when we open the blinds. I live in a residential area since 94 and this is the first season we are experiencing this issue. How can I get them to visit someone else's yard!? Thanks!
what works to keep raccons
what works to keep raccons out of my glower pots on deck?Moth balls? cayane pepper? Help!! They are destroying my plants.
Hi Guys. I wanted to
Hi Guys. I wanted to interject my 2 cents worth on this topic. I own a wildlife trapping & removal company in Georgia. (Not a plug more to establish expertise) I am all about home remedies for everything. I want you to consider this though if you are trying to ward off Raccoon. First & foremost there are beneficial critters and insects that the home remedies might be chasing off. You want to consider the innocent victims of the material you are using.
Also, if you ever try to catch a raccoon in a big box store animal trap and fail. Fail because of the strength of the trap or fail because trap set wrong or fail because of bait used... you have just educated that raccoon and now not only prevented yourself from catching it but also might make it harder on a professional to remove. Be wary of good intentions causing you even more effort.
For skunks and other
For skunks and other "critters" under our barn, we bought about 1 pound of the hottest peppers we could find. Put them in a saucepan we did not want to keep, and covered them in water. Put them on the stove to simmer till the peppers were cooked extremely tender.We had to add water several times. You want it as concentrated as possible. Then strain out the juice and put the juice in a spray bottle. We used 1/2 pepper juice and 1/2 water. Spray around the area you want the critters to leave. Do NOT let spray hit your eyes!!! Awful!!! It ran the skunks. Now we have raccoon's and are going to do it again! Had to re-do it after big rain, but, it's not expensive to fix.
This solution works on bats,
This solution works on bats, too. We had hundreds of bats in our enclosed dock and tried all types of remedies. Nothing worked until we came upon this idea for hot pepper spray. Sprayed the heck out of the attic spaces after dark when they went out to fly. After a couple of treatments--no more bats! Had to pre-treat the next couple of years in the spring. They have given up now and find other places to spend the summer. Would not have minded them if they had been housebroken--they really kept the mosquitoes down--but health concerns, and the smell!!!!
Bats
Bats are beneficial. You should install a bat house. Spray to keep them away from where you don't want them, they'll use the bat house, and still be around for mosquitoes. Bat guano is an excellent fertilizer for your garden and it's easy to remove from the bat house.
How do you get rid of
How do you get rid of raccoons in a corn field, about 6 acreas of land? My husband grows silver queen corn and then we sell it at our produce stand here at home, but the raccoons love the corn. (shot gun) ?
Pre-harvest trapping has
Pre-harvest trapping has proven to be the most effective solution. I think you will find this reference page helpful: http://extension.umass.edu/veg...
I am not sure of the last
I am not sure of the last comment about leaving a dog out in the garden. Raccoons can fight and carry rabies. People might take you literally and chain a dog out in the garden in the elements. I think that is a bad idea. My dogs went outside last night for a last pee and they treed a raccoon, the dogs were smaller than the raccoon. Not good.
They were barking and I went out with a flashlight to get the dogs.. I wish we could live and let live...these animals are just trying to survive.
Agree. I have had raccoons
Agree. I have had raccoons walk right up to me so I don't know if I want my dog out there. A baby one was climbing out fence. All our dogs were barking like crazy and it didn't even faze it. It just started hissing.
I have little problem with
I have little problem with raccoons in my garden. They visit some and eat a few ears of my tall Golden Queen, but not enough to be a worry. My problem is with squirrels. They devoured at least one fourth of our sweet corn last year. HELP!!!!
See our page on squirrels for
See our page on squirrels for tips on how to control them: http://www.almanac.com/content...
I wish I knew. I have 2 that
I wish I knew. I have 2 that moved into my tree in the back yard and are eating cat food that I feed the ferals. I'm going to have to train them to eat earlier.
My husband live on a farm,
My husband live on a farm, which some folks have a bad habit of dropping off cats. Our animal control officer dropped off 5, which we do not mind because they keep the mice away. They have all been fixed, thank goodness, they are all female. :) What I do is feed them in the morning when I get up, then about 5:30 at night I check their bowls about 8:00 P.M. and empty it if there is anything left over. I have seen racoons, squirrells, possumms and skunks come up on our patio to eat the left over cat food. That is why I do not leave any out after I go to bed. Try this and see if it works, it did for me. Good luck !
If you figure out how to
If you figure out how to change their schedule, please email me! My ferals are not a colony. They come all times of evening up to 10-11 o'clock! Thanks!
I think you are mistaken. I
I think you are mistaken. I used to plant a large plot of sweet corn near my house. Gray and piney squirrels are all over the place here; I often here them playing together on the roof. But they have never touched my sweet corn.
Raccoons, on the other hand, once they locate the corn, will visit every single night until it's all gone. It wasn't unusual to walk out to the garden in the morning and find twenty or so stalks broken off flat on the ground. (That's a loss of TWO ears per stalk, of course.) Raccoons will try to climb the stalks to get the top ears, and of course the stalk can't hold them and it breaks off just above the ground.
What About Squirls?
What About Squirls?
Please see our squirrels page
Please see our squirrels page at
http://www.almanac.com/content...
I have squirrels tryng to get
I have squirrels tryng to get into my attic. They are chewing my house both front and back. Also have something using my far backyard for a bathroom. Must be fairly large, comes at night, maybe a racoon or possum. Help!
I just read another article
I just read another article that stated it was illegal in all 50 states to use moth balls to deter raccoons?? I didn't know that until reading it but we used mothballs last night-propped a large piece of plywood supported by shovels against the ripped screen on our porch with the mothballs scattered across the ground. The raccoon pushed the plywood out of the way & might as well have just spit on the mothballs..clearly, they didn't work. I've been reading that ammonia & cayenne pepper works, we will be trying those tonight!!
We have a problem keeping the
We have a problem keeping the coon from digging up & eating the seeds we plant for our 1 acre pumpkin patch. Last year we planted half the hills with cayenne. After just a couple of hills were dug, the coon quit (there is no easy water for relief at our patch). HOWEVER, the pumpkin plants that grew from the cayenne peppered hills were clearly distressed - the were long & leggy - think "scream" (the movie)--and they barely produced. We have used hair (from the salon) - human urine - music - trapping. Once again, I am looking for ideas to repel. Maybe we'll try the mint and ammonia tonight.
red pepper flakes
I scatter red pepper flakes around the perimeter of my garden when corn is almost ready. When raccoons get it on their paws the don't usually come back. It does need to be reapplied after a rain. It does not however keep skunks out of my corn. Skunks destroy more of my corn then raccoons do.
Don't use mothballs!
Not only is it illegal, they can also contaminate ground water and poison a well. I was thinking of using them to deter gophers, and thought better of it once I read on the label that it's a federal crime to use them for anything except their intended purpose -- to ward off moths from garments.
As for my gopher problem, I now have two cats, and will let nature take its course. If they catch the gopher(s), fine. If they don't, then they don't. But NEVER use mothballs in the garden.
Thanks for the info about
Thanks for the info about getting rid of raccoons. We have one that is pretty big but he stays away from us. ANy ohter idea's on how to get them not eat the potatoe plants?
Thanks
Perhaps plant broad beans
Perhaps plant broad beans around your potatoes. The heavy vines are a deterrent. Otherwise, all the tips above work! You could also invest in a predator protector. See: http://www.almanac.com/product...
I EMPHATICALLY advise AGAINST
I EMPHATICALLY advise AGAINST the type of devices recommended above! A neighbor has one, and I've come to refer to it as sonic terror infliction. Of course, these neighbors are old and can't hear it and they are rather ignorant so they won't listen to my request to turn it off at least during the day, so we can't have a door or window open at the back of the house or use our yard without ear plugs...These sonic devices should be illegal!! They are far far far worse than someone blasting rock music from their backyard all day, and THAT is illegal. Maybe some devices are different, but the one I am all too painfully familiar with sends a high pitched frequency every time the wind blow a branch on their yard (sometimes every 30 seconds!)that makes my entire body tighten even with our patio door closed. Absolutely not pleasant. If you have reasonably good hearing yourself and/or care about the sanity of your neighbors, do NOT get one of these!!!
Deterring raccoons
A raccoon once climbed a 6-ft cyclone fence, caught a beloved duck, hauled it back up the fence and through the woods leaving a trail of feathers that led to our mauled bird. After than I didn't think raccoons were cute.
I haven't tried thes suggestions on raccoons, but did to deter deer from our vegetable garden -- I got hair from a beauty shop, hung slivers of Irish spring soap, and played the radio (we were told to play a talk show so they'd hear voices). None worked. In fact, one evening we were driving in to our place and shone the headlights on the garden. There were the deer, dining nicely to the sound of soothing music that came on after the talk show. In the end, we ran electric wire at a deer's chest height up and down the rows. A little sting and they stayed away.