Make the raccoons go away!

[lachancesare]

Okay, it's been hot and I realize a raccoons got to have water but...

Info. Pond 800g, 2 waterfalls and no fish. I live in the reasonably sized city Spokane, WA. Lots of houses, lights, dogs, cats...

Last night the raccoons trashed my pond dumping 3 or 4 large rocks in, dug up my flexible tube going to the waterfall / filter and bit a bunch of holes in it. Needless to say, I am not happy. So what else is new. So how do I keep these guys away from my pond? I've read about deterrence. Motion sensor red lights, (supposed to scare them off) Do you think those work? Spread hot sauce around. Or hot peppers with peanut butter on it. Electric fence, Etc. Then there's trap and relocate. (Seems pointless, there's always more.) Or trap and kill. (No) Poison them. (Told very hard and a bad idea and besides, they're just animals.) Shoot them. (Tempting but...) Anyhoo, what do y'all think? Is there a way that works to get rid of them?

 

[lachancesare]

Raccoons are smart critters.
I use a single hot wire at the top of my rabbit fencing to keep them out of the veggie garden.
But getting into your tubing sounds a bit too pushy.
I have allowed my locals to use the pond to drink and cool off (they made a "watered out of my marginals...lay on it awhile. Sometimes swim across lower large pond. They never bother my tubing, though!... would there be a reason there is salt on it?

 

[MrB]

Raccoons are smart critters.
I use a single hot wire at the top of my rabbit fencing to keep them out of the veggie garden.
But getting into your tubing sounds a bit too pushy.
I have allowed my locals to use the pond to drink and cool off (they made a "watered out of my marginals...lay on it awhile. Sometimes swim across lower large pond. They never bother my tubing, though!... would there be a reason there is salt on it?

I'm the same as you. I don't care if they want to take a little dip. Hey it's hot! But I draw the line at vandalism.

 

[MrB]

Raccoons are smart critters.
I use a single hot wire at the top of my rabbit fencing to keep them out of the veggie garden.
But getting into your tubing sounds a bit too pushy.
I have allowed my locals to use the pond to drink and cool off (they made a "watered out of my marginals...lay on it awhile. Sometimes swim across lower large pond. They never bother my tubing, though!... would there be a reason there is salt on it?

PS Salt?

 

[GBBUDD]

Could always ship them out to AOC They could have wit battles

 

[Doctor mcboy]

Okay, it's been hot and I realize a raccoons got to have water but...

Info. Pond 800g, 2 waterfalls and no fish. I live in the reasonably sized city Spokane, WA. Lots of houses, lights, dogs, cats...

Last night the raccoons trashed my pond dumping 3 or 4 large rocks in, dug up my flexible tube going to the waterfall / filter and bit a bunch of holes in it. Needless to say, I am not happy. So what else is new. So how do I keep these guys away from my pond? I've read about deterrence. Motion sensor red lights, (supposed to scare them off) Do you think those work? Spread hot sauce around. Or hot peppers with peanut butter on it. Electric fence, Etc. Then there's trap and relocate. (Seems pointless, there's always more.) Or trap and kill. (No) Poison them. (Told very hard and a bad idea and besides, they're just animals.) Shoot them. (Tempting but...) Anyhoo, what do y'all think? Is there a way that works to get rid of them?

shoot em

 

[Doctor mcboy]

Could always ship them out to AOC They could have wit battles

great idea!

 

[GBBUDD]

I know i should have said battle of wits, but incase she saw the post i didn't want to confuse her

 

[HARO]

i should have said battle of wits

....with an un-armed opponent?
John

 

[1000heroes]

We use Rotating strobe led lights, seems to deter

 

[j.w]

@1000heroes

 

[MrB]

Actually, for a few years now, I've been putting a mixture of hot sauce and water in a spray bottle and squirting it all over the rocks around my pond every 3 weeks or so and that makes the raccoons avoid the place like a plague. Us people can't smell it but raccoons have very good noses and it stinks to high heavens to them.

PS I forgot to mention that I also put a motion sensing spotlight on the pond aswell. Raccoons are very private and don't like the light. I've got some neighborhood cats that like to frequent the pond too. They set the light off once in a while as well but I don't know if they care or not.