More critter advice needed

[daddylonglegs]

Now that I am learning to coexist with the garter snakes I've learned that a huge racoon is in the area. My next door neighbor looked down from his chair on the deck to find a huge racoon had climbed up 20 feet onto his deck and was sitting just 3 feet away eating the cat food. Pretty nervey racoon if you ask me.

If he can ever figure out how to get the picture out of his phone, I'll post it here.

I'm not worried about it hurting me, and they are sooooo cute, but will it eat my garden stuff?

Now I've noticed some deer foot prints in my back yard too. All of my veggies this year are in pots, pretty close to the house, but next year I want to put my raised beds and chicken tractor in the back yard. I'm having some trees trimmed so that there will be enough sun. Now I have critters to worry about.

sigh...a lot to worry about. Snakes, bugs, beetles, critters....My goodness. I've got coyotees too so the chickens will have to be kept really secure too.

Advice?

DLL

[kitsapFG]

If the neighbor has dog or cat food out - the raccoon will eat that and not your garden. However, that is what is bringing him to the area as well.

We have lots of raccoons in the area. Some simple rules:


Do not leave dog or cat food outside - it attracts them to the area and keeps them coming back.
Having a dog in the garden area (which hopefully is fenced) helps to ensure that raccoons stay out of the garden.
Keep garbage cans secured, dog/cat doors locked down, and all entryways into the house and outbuildings secured (i.e. windows and doors).
Keep your cats in early evening until morning. Raccoons will eat them.

[Garden Green]

It takes time to build a micro ecosystem. The bugs and beetles and such will work themselves out once a balance of beneficial insects have been established. You can purchase lady bugs, dragonflies and other beneficials on the net and then release them in your back yard to help kick start evening all this out.

Deer and coons are another world all together. If you have a good dog, it will keep the coons and deer at bay, but if they get desperate enough, they will do what they have to do and face the fire. Fencing will help with the deer if you are willing to double it up (ie fence one is 6 foot high, fence two is 6 feet away from fence one and also 6 foot high), they don't like hopping over fences into small areas, but I'd only do that if the area around my house was a deer nesting area where they would come in droves because it does take away square footage that could otherwise be used on the property.

Another way is to give them an easy meal, like that cat food. I'd only do this if you are seeing them all the time, however, because it does keep them coming back, which you don't want. There are plenty of critter feeds on the market that will take their attention away from your peas and such. Placed strategically on your property, they would never come near your garden at all. I know folks that have had some success with the feed for the past few years keeping the deer out of their garden as they happen to be right where the herds migrate through on their way to mate or nest or something.

As for the coyote problem, again, I'd employ mans most loyal and fierce defender. A good ole mutt will give them a run for their money and make eating at your chicken coop too dangerous and too much work.

Snakes: there isn't much that will keep them out. Usually, if they can put their head through it, they can get the rest of their body through. The thing here is to make sure that you don't have anything to tempt them. They are like all creatures, if it is going to be a lot of work or too much danger, they will usually bypass it because it is a waste of the precious resources of the previous meal.

There are predator systems that help to give the illusion of such dangers, making your chickens too much work for the amount of danger. I do believe that Fred employs one such system.

Hope this helps.

[kinnisoj]

Raccoons in my opinon are nothing but trouble! They will kill a cat in a heart beat...actully hunt the cat down. They will tear up your garden and wipe out your hen house. They have also been well known to kill small-medium size dogs and to drown large coon hounds!
So I have to agree your best defense is a good dog. I personally employee 2 great pyrenees around the house and I feel sorry for the coyote or coon that comes in their area. But if you dont have the room for such an animal you should invest in a good trap (have a heart traps work well). Good luck

[gardengirl72]

I have possum and skunk around. There are racoons, but there are plenty of garbage cans for them to go thru.

[Cynthia]

You might want to relocate the raccoon. Get a have-a-heart trap, and spend the money for the name brand, the knock-offs are really poorly made.

Bait the trap with a small amount of cat food before you go to bed and check it first thing in the morning. We move our possums and raccoons to a river area so they have access to food and water, and no gardens. If you don't get the raccoon the first night, empty the trap until the next night - don't leave it sitting out all day - something else, like a cat, will wander in and be stuck until you get back to the trap.

[onmiwei]

My entire back yard is a forest. The housing area has only been here for 4 years so the wildlife still consider it home and love that we all moved in with garbage, lawns, flowers, gardens, and sometimes outdoor pets.

My 8lb dog didn't work to keep the critters away. They just looked at him like was an annoying little fuzz ball. The deer even head butt the fence near where he barks at them. Rabbits ran from him but that is about it. I got another dog this past fall...he is now a 60lb puppy with a meaner than mean bark, though he is the sweetest dog in the world. That seemed to do the trick. He's 1/4 Bull mastiff and 1/4 German Shepherd...the rest is collie and 2 small dog breeds.

We also went from a 4ft picket fence to a 6 ft black chain link fence. Still some critters get in but they are worried they will meet Koda (the puppy) he knows when some thing is out there and goes crazy to get out the door. They can hear him barking inside.

I can now watch raccoons walk the fence line looking in, but rush away quickly if they hear Koda barking inside the house. Since I live on a slope the deer haven't been brave enough to try to jump the 6ft fence. the slope is really steep where the fence ends so it makes it about a 8 or 9 foot jump.

We haven't heard the coyotes since early spring but I worry about them getting my dogs. Koda sounds mean but I don't think he would know how to fight back and Eragon would just be a little snack. I put up solar powered motion spot lights to hopefully keep skiddish animals away. I am hoping coyotes here are as skiddish as they are where I am from. I know they are a heck of a lot bigger here in TN than they are in Idaho/Oregon area where I am from. I have heard they are more brave...so I go out with my dogs with a shovel at night. My dogs are indoor dogs who go outside to play only when we are home. Eragon would be a hawk snack, they circle when he is outside since he is the same size as a rabbit. Plus he is an escape artist as well as every other creature being bigger than he is. Koda would be ok outside but I worry about the copper heads biting him if he were to "play" with one of them.

[daddylonglegs]

Lots of good ideas and insight. Thank you much.
DLL

[Sinfonian]

I have a family of raccoons and they're viscious. I use the shake deterrents that are made from predator urine. They work well, as long as you keep using them every month or two. I stopped last fall thinking they flew south for the winter or something and lost my entire fall crop to the buggers. Grrr. This time I won't be so stupid to stop.

Good luck