Rascally Raccoons - Help Me Adapt!

[saha6818]

I'm at a decision point with my pond and can't decide what to do. After browsing the internet to no avail, I come to you.

Here are all the details of my pond. Too much info, maybe. The pond is ~6x14 feet and maybe 24" deep at the middle. It's below ground in my flagstone patio and has pretty broad shelves. It is lined with a pretty thick rubber, and under that is carpet and concrete. I understand the rubber is a relatively new addition (~5 years ago), and I suspect it was added due to problems with the concrete leaking. The pond has a ~4' waterfall over rocks that I only use when I'm out there - maybe 2 hours a week for 6 months per year. It has a big above-ground filter, but I don't use that. I don't have any fish, and they're not really in my plans (raccoons). I would like to have some plants. The pond is maybe 80% shaded during the summer. I use a net to scoop out leaves and debris (LOTS of leaves and debris). The pond is replenished by my roof drainage system and sometimes the city water supply. The pond is now drained, the liner is full of raccoon-induced holes, and the plants I've added all died long ago due to various raccoon antics.

The problem: The rascally raccoons. Among other mischief (destroying plants, prefilter, etc.), they have been tearing the liner and then tearing off the patches I apply. When they do this, the pond slowly drains, so it seems the cement below the liner doesn't hold water. I understand raccoons like shelves, so I'd be happy to see the shelves go away. Deeper is better for me. I have done my research and have decided the raccoons are here to stay - I'm the one who must adapt. And I love my pond, so I've gotta fix it.

Option A: Patch the many existing holes in the liner and cement over it (1" thick with wire reinforcement - let the buggers try getting through that). The liner will provide waterproofing between the two layers of concrete. Keep the stupid shelves.

Option B: Pull the liner out momentarily and remove the existing concrete shelves. Try to find a new home in the yard for all that concrete. Reinstall the liner, trying to stretch the shape of the shelves out. Cement over the liner like in Option A. No more shelves.

Option C: Remove the liner. Fix the existing cement and apply waterproofing stuff to it. Cross my fingers and hope I don't end up unhappy with that arrangement like the previous owners apparently were. Keep the stupid shelves.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I really appreciate any input and opinions.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group!

What a mess! I have no problems with raccoons, even though we have them.

Getting rid of the shelves would help, they can't swim and destroy. Are you thinking fish down the road? Or just running water and plants?

 

[saha6818]

I wouldn't mind having fish, but I don't want to run the pump all the time, and I don't want to give the raccoons any more reason to destroy the plants. Maybe some tiny, low-profile fish and lots of hiding spots...

 

[addy1]

What area are you in? You could put in rosey red minnows. They would control mosquitoes neat to watch and fast.

 

[saha6818]

I'm in Seattle.

 

[CometKeith]

Hi. Welcome to the group. I have shelves but a real lot of plants of all kinds and the local raccoons don't bother my pond. The only time they did any damage is when I had trap door snails and the raccoons ate them like popcorn. I have sedges and grasses in trays, water hyacinths, water lettuce, water lilies and a bunch of other plants. i don't think the racoons like dealing with all that stuff in their way.

 

[ronahalpern]

Hi Saha,

Racs aren't just rascally. They're dangerous. (1). The poop in their latrines contain neurologically damaging parasites. Several years ago, a healthy toddler here was playing in "mud" filled with these. The damage was/is devastating - since then, he's been blind, cognitively disabled and can't communicate or sit up. (2). Racs destroy plants, eat fish and hunt in packs. One group of marauders ripped my outdoor savvy cat open, virtually disenbowelling her. Thanks to an alert neighbor's visiting grandchildren spotting the blood from her bleeding out under a bush, she was saved in the nick of time with surgery and a long recuperation. My town swapped out everyone's trash cans to cut off the racs food supply. Make sure your trash cans are on lockdown.

If you build it, they will come. When I had a backyard pond, the racs alerted their up-to-no-good relatives with a FREE EATS sign complete with a directional map. They came, they saw, they devoured and wrought their no goodnik devastation. I had to have a heavy cage made to cover the pond which took away my enjoyment and their food source. Make sure you and your neighbors aren't leaving dog or cat food out.

When I had a new pond built in my fenced front yard, I made sure not to have a gradual slope or shelving. No more racs.

Are they using the stream as a pathway? Go deeper. Get rid of the shelves so they can't get purchase. (I put my plants on plastic crates away from the pond edges). Might want to go deeper on the pond. Straight down. Call in an exterminator or set up humane cages yourself (borrowed free from your SPCA) and relocate them to a galaxy far far away. It's you and your plants and fish to come - or the racs. Serve the eviction notice asap.

Welcome! Rona in beautiful Pacific Grove, Ca
Living the good life - without racs.

 

[addy1]

Hi. Welcome to the group. I have shelves but a real lot of plants of all kinds and the local raccoons don't bother my pond. The only time they did any damage is when I had trap door snails and the raccoons ate them like popcorn. I have sedges and grasses in trays, water hyacinths, water lettuce, water lilies and a bunch of other plants. i don't think the racoons like dealing with all that stuff in their way.

I have tons of trap door snails the racoons don't bother them, but then again my water is deep, except the walk out end. Even in the small stream ponds they have not visited. Maybe they moved away lol

 

[HARO]

As for re-locating them to "a gallaxy far, far away", our assinine laws here give a limit as to how far you can take them. I believe it's something like one mile! Usually, the coon is back before YOU! One gentleman was attacked by several coons IN HIS BACK YARD, so he grabbed a shovel and started swinging. Unfortunately, he managed to hit one of the youngsters, killing it. He was charged with cruelty to an animal! Best way to get rid of them? Toss cat food into a neighbour's yard. Preferably several houses away!
John

 

[ronahalpern]

As for re-locating them to "a gallaxy far, far away", our assinine laws here give a limit as to how far you can take them. I believe it's something like one mile! Usually, the coon is back before YOU! One gentleman was attacked by several coons IN HIS BACK YARD, so he grabbed a shovel and started swinging. Unfortunately, he managed to hit one of the youngsters, killing it. He was charged with cruelty to an animal! Best way to get rid of them? Toss cat food into a neighbour's yard. Preferably several houses away!
John

John, If caught transporting them, just say they're from out of town and you're taking them to see the sites. (Oh, oh. I see you're in Canada.... This will only work if the racs aren't heard saying "Eh").

P.S. Do any of your neighbors have shotguns? If so, use gloves when you toss the cat food cans and don't buy too many at any given store - spread it out. Oh, and John, burn this post after reading.

 

[JustinNJ]

Never had a problem with them here. We do have them in the area but none seen. We don't have a no discharge ordinance so if I do see them I'll give them a dose of lead poisoning.
Live trap then kill them.
If you worried about the evidence, chop them up and stuff them in the garbage disposal.

Que Fargo wood chipper scene.

 

[saha6818]

A quick update in case anyone finds this useful in the future. I did some research and pontificating and decided to use Thoroseal to reseal the pond. I decided against changing the underlying structure - I have too many other projects competing for time. I'll try taking CometKeith's advice in getting plants to colonize the shelf around the pond to help enclose it. I'll look into those specific plants too.

I removed all of the water, large boulders, and liner. Then I filled a multitude of large and small holes with cement patcher. I cleaned all that up with a chisel and wire brush attached to a drill. Then I spread on a bunch of mixed Thoroseal with a little black Quickrete cement dye I had laying around. I had bought two 50' bags of Thoroseal, and one would have been enough. It goes on really well and covered far more area than I expected. A thunderstorm rolled in just after I finished, so there's some damage I need to fix when I put on a light second coat. I put the stones back in today and did some damage to the cement, so I'll cover those spots with Thoroseal tomorrow when it all finally dries out so I can clean the last of the muck. This was a great opportunity to build in far more spots for plants between both the above-ground and below-ground stones. Anyway, I'm convinced this will take care of my raccoon-induced leaking. If this recoating of the pond lasts five or more years, I'll be satisfied. I swear it already looks better, but maybe that's just because I'm excited it's coming back together. For your entertainment, I'll try attaching a photo from mid-process.

Ronahalpern mentioned the raccoons putting up a sign to invite their buddies. I happen to have a bunch of small "$250 FINE" signs that used to be used for parking. I think I'll put one up in the pond itself, probably attached to a home-made "No Raccoons" sign. That should do the trick. No need to use the Fargo wood chipper or launch them into space as others suggested. But I did see a used flamethrower listed for sale at a local retailer today...

I can't wait to have the pond back! Now if I can just lure some amphibian tenants...

Thanks for all the input!

 

[RobAmy]

looking good, thoroseal works well. I waterproofed many basements with their products.

 

[mgmine]

It looks very nice but....get rid of the racoons any way you can. Not only will they be back at the pond they can also get into your chimney, shed or anyplace else they want. They are nasty and as mentioned dangerous critters once they get established. There are several ways that have been suggested to get rid of them but you might have to get a little nastier. DIY is the best and cheapest way an exterminator would need to be called back repeatedly.

 

[fish pond Den]

I would buy this things called the scare crow it's a water sprinkler that looks like a scare crow and it has a sensor on it and when anything passes it it shoots water.