Raccoon!

[JoaniePA]

Okay, so I looked out my window this morning and all the fish were at the top of the pond hanging out. A few minutes later, we see a raccoon walking across our driveway in the direction of the pond. I run around to the window on the pond side of the house... fish still on top hanging, no raccoon. Five minutes later I look again and fish are still on top, no raccoon. Half an hour later I look and there are no fish on top so I go out to look and all the fish are now on the bottom and in the fish caves. Pesky raccoon! Luckily I have a net over the pond. How smart are they? Can they peel back the net - should I secure it better? Right now it's just laying there with a few rocks holding it down.

Joanie

 

[addy1]

If you have straight walls, no way for them to walk in, most likely you are ok. Raccoons can't swim and fish at the same time........

 

[sissy]

I have to keep mothballs around my pond in bags to keep snakes away ,but read on one of the info sights I was looking at from tetra ponds that some people say it keeps raccoons away too .But you have to watch other pets from getting to them .Not sure it works but several people commented on using them .I just know it keeps snakes away better than that snake away I used .I put them in the dollar store laundry bags .3 bags a dollar and a dollar box of moth balls works for me .

 

[JoaniePA]

Okay, well they can't walk in, but raccoons are extremely good doggy paddlers. I have seen them swimming in lakes and streams, and even in the Florida bay in an effort to get across a cove to shoreline campsite where fresh water was to be had. But now that you mention it, I have never seen them put their heads under water and they would have to once the fish noticed something amiss. Not crazy about the moth ball thing.. I think they're pretty toxic. I'll scrunch up the edges of the net so he'd have to walk over a pile of netting, then stake it and reset the motion light.

 

[Johnnie]

Okay, so I looked out my window this morning and all the fish were at the top of the pond hanging out. A few minutes later, we see a raccoon walking across our driveway in the direction of the pond. I run around to the window on the pond side of the house... fish still on top hanging, no raccoon. Five minutes later I look again and fish are still on top, no raccoon. Half an hour later I look and there are no fish on top so I go out to look and all the fish are now on the bottom and in the fish caves. Pesky raccoon! Luckily I have a net over the pond. How smart are they? Can they peel back the net - should I secure it better? Right now it's just laying there with a few rocks holding it down.

Joanie

Joanie, An almost-foolproof-solution is to TRAP & RELOCATE the coons.

Coons are pretty smart, and they'll find a loophole to catch & mutilate fishies. A few years ago, I was too lazy to trap and relocate coons, and they murdered 2 of my fishies.

Here is an example how smart a coon is. A coon was able to escape from my old coon-catcher by banging its way out of the "unsecured" trap door. So I had to improve the trap doors by:

1) re-enforcing the U-brackets with strong metal bars and metal sheets, and

2) placing red bricks to "lock" down the trap doors. This is an Egyptian's trick which makes use of the force of gravity. When the trap doors are triggered off and are dropped from zero degree to 45 degrees at the cage's entrances, the red bricks automatically slide down to "lock" the doors. (See photo below). If I have a night-version camera, I would video-tape and post on Youtube how coons are caught at night by my coon-catcher.


Here's my coon-catcher.

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[JustJack]

I keep mothballs tied in mesh bags around the edge of the deck by the fence. It helps with rodents, too. I just don't put them anywhere near the pond. My next door neighbor traps the raccoons.

 

[sissy]

I have never seen a raccoon around here and hope not too .I also keep mothballs by the underside of the front porch as I have seen snakes climbing the basement walls of my house and 2 or 3 mothballs in a laundry bag seem to have done the job and the ones down by the pond are under the mulch far from the sides of the pond .I did not know they kept rodents away too .Maybe that why snakes left no food

 

[Johnnie]

Joanie, An almost-foolproof-solution is to TRAP & RELOCATE the coons.

Coons are pretty smart, and they'll find a loophole to catch & mutilate fishies. A few years ago, I was too lazy to trap and relocate coons, and they murdered 2 of my fishies.

Here is an example how smart a coon is. A coon was able to escape from my old coon-catcher by banging its way out of the "unsecured" trap door. So I had to improve the trap doors by:

1) re-enforcing the U-brackets with strong metal bars and metal sheets, and

2) placing red bricks to "lock" down the trap doors. This is an Egyptian's trick which makes use of the force of gravity. When the trap doors are triggered off and are dropped from zero degree to 45 degrees at the cage's entrances, the red bricks automatically slide down to "lock" the doors. (See photo below). If I have a night-version camera, I would video-tape and post on Youtube how coons are caught at night by my coon-catcher.



​

Pictures are better 1,000 words. These pictures will help you understand how bricks can "lock" the doors securedly"

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[sissy]

I wish I would have known about this when I was in NJ .But still may use the idea as I have a pesky possum here to get rid of .He is a small one and should fit in the trap I have since he is not as big as a coon is and weighing the whole trap down is a good idea

 

[j.w]

What do possums bother besides cat food left outside. I hear they are kind of delicate and can die from being frightened too badly

 

[sissy]

here there is a lot of rabies and this one is comes after you instead of running away .He has even went after my chihuahua and if I call animal control they kill them and if I catch it I just take it to one of the farms to let it go .I have to go out every time my dogs go out since he has been around .My yard is fenced and he goes right over it .We have so much empty land around here I'm sure he will be happy somewhere else .My neighbors put out stuff to kill them and I always worry about other animals getting a hold of the stuff and cannot kill them .Neighbors here even shoot at them for fun ,gosh they even shoot at squirrels here for fun .I would feel guilty ,I guess that's why I have never eaten meat .

 

[oldmarine]

What do possums bother besides cat food left outside. I hear they are kind of delicate and can die from being frightened too badly

The good possom is a dead possom. So, let's scare them to death with a baseball bat.

By the way, awhile back I purchased a (live animal) raccon trap from Freight House tools. Our trap looks quite simular to the one in the pictures noted in the post above. Betweent my driveway alarm system, and our dog we have the local racoon's so conditioned to avoid our yard we can't get them to come into the yard or near the baited trap. Just as well I guess.

 

[sissy]

geeze would love to see all the camotion when they come to your property it would be a hoot .

 

[pondbuilder13]

I cant remember correctly if i ever had a problem with racoons but i had the neighboors cat come over once and take 3 fish, ate all 3 up on a big piece of slate which is now part of my waterfall.

 

[sissy]

guess they need to feed there cat or keep it in the house .I see my neighbors dogs always running loose here because farm country no leash laws ,but I keep my dogs in there fenced yard .