Racoon problem

[Catica]

Hi,

I have a raccoon that constantly visits my 3rd floor balcony.  He is cute and amusing BUT he is destroying my "garden".  This morning he completely flipped over all my planters, so killed all my little vegetable plants.  How to make him stop coming?  Don't lough but I put cats feces all around my balcony thinking he would smell another specie and go away but apparently that didn't bother him.  I won't be trapping and relocating it and I won't kill it.  Any other solutions?

[Sibley]

I can't think of anything. He's after the food, and raccoons are incredibly clever, agile, and they have hands. Anything you can do, he can outwit.

Move the plants if you can. Got a sunny windowsill, inside?

[Catica]

I can't think of anything. He's after the food, and raccoons are incredibly clever, agile, and they have hands. Anything you can do, he can outwit.

Move the plants if you can. Got a sunny windowsill, inside?

He actually drank all the water from the watering can and washed his face with it the other day.
I did remove the plants this morning after he made all the mess,  but he likes to lounge in my lounging chair, so I think he will be back for that.  Are they scared of noise?  I was thinking of installing something that makes noise when he touches it.

[Cranky]

Who deals with nuisance animals in your area? Is there an animal control officer? Because I'd get a trap and have someone haul that sucker away.

Racoons are dirty and destructive and they carry rabies.

[former player]

Netting over the whole balcony?

[SunnyDays]

You can buy Ssscat Pet Spray Deterrent.  It’s a motion detecting canister that takes batteries and gives a blast of air when anything gets within 3 feet.  Available at pet stores or Amazon.  Costs about $50.00 but you can buy air refills for cheap at Staples.  Raccoons might be too smart to be scared of it though.

[mozar]

This might sound crazy but I literally told the raccoon to leave. I had a raccoon that was huge and she would unlock my complicated trash can lids.
I caught her unlocking my trash and I yelled "get out of here!"
I assume that like people,  raccoons don't enjoy being directly confronted. Don't let yourself be bullied by a raccoon or any neighbor.

How is the raccoon getting to your balcony? Is there something to climb on? I would remove everything from your balcony so there's nothing "fun" to do and the raccoon might lose interest after awhile.

[Catbert]

No solutions to your problems, but two of my raccoon stories:

We use to have a cat and a cat door.  One night after we'd gone to bed we hear the cat inside but howling and hissing.  The cat was in a stand off with two young raccoons who had come in through her cat door to eat her cat food.  Then we started locking the cat door when we went to bed.  Every night for a week we were awaken by the raccoons rattling the cat door trying to get in.

Another time we heard what sounded like a human baby in our courtyard crying.  Turned out it was a young raccoon who had gotten away from mom and got stranded on top of our fence.  While we were trying to figure out what to do, mom raccoon comes slowing crawling over our neighbor's roof.  Upon reaching baby, she picks him up with her mouth (like a mama cat moving kitten) and drags him home none too gently.

[BikeFanatic]

I had a similar problem with a raccoon, I scared her off with a very loud radio, timed for 0500 AM, this is the time she would visit. I have only one close neighbor, so I did full blast the radio. Could you try something like this. Also a scare crow may help paired with a radio.

[NV Teacher]

We had to put up electric fencing to keep the raccoons out.

[MayDay]

Trap it and kill it.

[Catica]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.  He came back this morning but I heard him coming, so I yelled at him and he left.  He was starting to look inside my soil bag (I removed it after he left).  There is nothing for him to drink or eat any more (but he doesn't know that yet, so I'm suspecting he will return).  I can't remove the chaise lounge chair which he likes, so he might come back to relax as well. I can't play loud music as my neighbors are really close.  I might try PetSafe SSSSCAT, as some people in Amazon stated that it worked to keep the raccoons away. 

[mozar]

Can you put a lot of stuff on the chaise lounge? Especially things that would make a large crash sound if the raccoon tried to push it off.

[Catica]

Can you put a lot of stuff on the chaise lounge? Especially things that would make a large crash sound if the raccoon tried to push it off.

I will try that. I will put a lot of stuff, maybe empty cans etc, and see what happens.  If it doesn't scare him off at least it will alert me that he is there so I can come out and talk to him again.

[mozar]

Show 'em whose boss!!!!! :-)

[SunnyDays]

I just read that soaking rags in either apple cider vinegar or ammonia and then putting them in a plastic bag with holes poked in it and hanging in near the entrance will deter raccoons.

[Steeze]

A friend of mine is an animal control person - he said make sure they are not living in your attic because they can cause a ton of damage. His raccoon service is usually tracking them, trapping them, and he will up sell you to “raccoon proof” your house by basically identifying and closing off all openings. Of course if they are in your attic then he cleans and RE-insulates too.

Funny thing is, he just released them in wooded areas around town knowing he will eventually get a call from the next guy. He is not allowed to kill them, so it’s the only option. Raccoons can travel miles though, so you really have to move them pretty far to get them to move permanently.

[Catica]

Show 'em whose boss!!!!! :-)

Didn't come today :)

[Catica]

I just read that soaking rags in either apple cider vinegar or ammonia and then putting them in a plastic bag with holes poked in it and hanging in near the entrance will deter raccoons.

Interesting.  Haven't heard of it. Will try it

[Catica]

A friend of mine is an animal control person - he said make sure they are not living in your attic because they can cause a ton of damage. His raccoon service is usually tracking them, trapping them, and he will up sell you to “raccoon proof” your house by basically identifying and closing off all openings. Of course if they are in your attic then he cleans and RE-insulates too.

Funny thing is, he just released them in wooded areas around town knowing he will eventually get a call from the next guy. He is not allowed to kill them, so it’s the only option. Raccoons can travel miles though, so you really have to move them pretty far to get them to move permanently.

Thanks.  I don't have an attic.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Aww, that sounds like an amazing problem to have. I've never seen one in real life. Does he come to your balcony for water, and maybe flips the pots to get the water in the saucers? Perhaps if you leave him a bucket full, he'll leave your plants alone?

[Catica]

Aww, that sounds like an amazing problem to have. I've never seen one in real life. Does he come to your balcony for water, and maybe flips the pots to get the water in the saucers? Perhaps if you leave him a bucket full, he'll leave your plants alone?

Yes, I figured it all out.  He lives under me, between the floor and the roof.  He is actually a girl and she has 4 or 5 little ones. They are incredibly cute and they watched me water my plants in the backyard last night.  I left them some water on "their" floor and she didn't come up today. I think we have a mutual understanding now. I hope. I think they come and go and they are not there today.  I will check tomorrow.  I'll take a photo for you ;)

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Aww, that sounds like an amazing problem to have. I've never seen one in real life. Does he come to your balcony for water, and maybe flips the pots to get the water in the saucers? Perhaps if you leave him a bucket full, he'll leave your plants alone?

Yes, I figured it all out.  He lives under me, between the floor and the roof.  He is actually a girl and she has 4 or 5 little ones. They are incredibly cute and they watched me water my plants in the backyard last night.  I left them some water on "their" floor and she didn't come up today. I think we have a mutual understanding now. I hope. I think they come and go and they are not there today.  I will check tomorrow.  I'll take a photo for you ;)

Yay! I'd love a photo. Can you talk to your down stairs neighbours and make sure they don't put poison or something out? They probably get a bit of noise. They might be more willing to accept it for a bit of they know that the babies will grow and leave pretty soon. After which, any opening can be sealed.

[Catica]

Aww, that sounds like an amazing problem to have. I've never seen one in real life. Does he come to your balcony for water, and maybe flips the pots to get the water in the saucers? Perhaps if you leave him a bucket full, he'll leave your plants alone?

Yes, I figured it all out.  He lives under me, between the floor and the roof.  He is actually a girl and she has 4 or 5 little ones. They are incredibly cute and they watched me water my plants in the backyard last night.  I left them some water on "their" floor and she didn't come up today. I think we have a mutual understanding now. I hope. I think they come and go and they are not there today.  I will check tomorrow.  I'll take a photo for you ;)

Yay! I'd love a photo. Can you talk to your down stairs neighbours and make sure they don't put poison or something out? They probably get a bit of noise. They might be more willing to accept it for a bit of they know that the babies will grow and leave pretty soon. After which, any opening can be sealed.

No worries the whole house is mine, no one else lives in this house.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Aww, that sounds like an amazing problem to have. I've never seen one in real life. Does he come to your balcony for water, and maybe flips the pots to get the water in the saucers? Perhaps if you leave him a bucket full, he'll leave your plants alone?

Yes, I figured it all out.  He lives under me, between the floor and the roof.  He is actually a girl and she has 4 or 5 little ones. They are incredibly cute and they watched me water my plants in the backyard last night.  I left them some water on "their" floor and she didn't come up today. I think we have a mutual understanding now. I hope. I think they come and go and they are not there today.  I will check tomorrow.  I'll take a photo for you ;)

Yay! I'd love a photo. Can you talk to your down stairs neighbours and make sure they don't put poison or something out? They probably get a bit of noise. They might be more willing to accept it for a bit of they know that the babies will grow and leave pretty soon. After which, any opening can be sealed.

No worries the whole house is mine, no one else lives in this house.

Oh excellent. It sounded like it could be an apartment block, kind of. Anyway, YOU HAVE LIL COON-BUBBIES ALL TO YOURSELF! You're so lucky.

[Goldielocks]

Netting over the whole balcony?

Chicken wire or hardware cloth over the whole thing.  Make it into a catio.

[BikeFanatic]

Where are the pictures?..

[MyAlterEgoIsTaller]

Ugh.  I have a raccoon visiting my porch every night lately.  I had a stray cat, and the raccoon seemed to be his sidekick.  I figured the cat was probably a better meat killer and better beggar of pet food around the neighborhood, while the raccoon might be better at smelling food, so that could be a mutually beneficial partnership.  I was not feeding either one of them, but my porch was the cat's sleeping spot.  Eventually I took the stray cat to the animal shelter because he was always fighting with my "real" cat.  I thought the raccoon might magically go away too, but he's still here. I never had a stray cat or a raccoon problem in past years, but I had a big scary dog who died last year - maybe the presence of dog keeps away cats and raccoons?  If so, maybe dog hair deployed around the porch would fool them?

[Cgbg]

If you want to make her really sad, put out a bowl of water and some cotton candy for her to eat. Raccoons wash their food.

But she has babies so don’t be mean.

I’d put up hardware cloth.

[One]

You can buy one of these live traps and relocate

https://www.harborfreight.com/32-in-x-15-in-x-10-in-Medium-Animal-Trap-63008.html

[mozar]

Only domestic raccoons wash their food, not wild ones. @MyAlterEgoIsTaller try yelling at the raccoon.

[SunnyDays]

Raccoons don’t actually wash their food, whether tamed or wild.  They are merely exploring the item, and do this with both edible and non-edible things.  Wet hands give better sensory feedback, so if water is available, they will wet their hands first.