# Racoon problem



## Bluebell2 (Apr 2, 2019)

Having a big problem with racoon's now that spring is approaching. We had lots of snow in February and I am sure the wildlife got a little hungry but oh my, so far in 5 days I have caught 3 big ones in my catch and release traps. Anyone else have this problem. I find they like white bread, apple slices and believe it or not..peanut butter cups. Just don't want them around the horses. We take them to a large stream in DNR land and release.


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 2, 2019)

I tried having a bird feeder by the house. The raccoons kept knocking over the metal trash can of seed. They cleaned up the seed almost before the birds could get any. Even when they coudln't get into the trash can, they made a mess. We do not catch and release. Thanks for the tip about peanut butter cups.


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## Bluebell2 (Apr 2, 2019)

Yes they make an awful mess. They got into my cat food and they seem to have a love for Safe Choice horse feed. Now those are in a metal barrel with a ring lid that latches so I am safe there. Around here they have their babies in April and May so I was thrilled when my traps were empty this morning. Hope I am done with those critters.


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## Debbie (Apr 3, 2019)

Well I have had a few problems with raccoons... my property sits on the edge of a woods...down the road a short distance, their is a free running stream. In the 8 years I have been on this property I have trapped 38 raccoons. I will never be done. I drive them over 10 miles away so as to not have them returning....a few I had to destroy....overly aggressive while in the trap... one kept rolling the trap toward me...trying to get to me... I took that one to the vet to have it tested for rabies... It was not rabid, but definitely odd behavior. I have found, and I learned this from a professional "critter gitter" to use grape jelly for bait... they love it, I have also caught a couple of possums with it... but I have never trapped any of my barn cats... Cats can't taste sweet, so they won't bother the bait, and hence, not get caught in the live traps I use... I am now on my third trap, because some were so damaged by the raccoons... So good luck, and in my opinion, we may never be done with these destructive creatures... they have destroyed the vent work to my furnace that is in the crawl space of my house, dug up garden plants and lots of flower pot digging... the only way I can keep them off of the flower pots is Red pepper dust or mist...I think the ground pepper works best... and you can see when it needs to be re-dusted. usually a couple of times in the spring and early summer keeps them at bay for the season....


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## Lillianna (Apr 3, 2019)

I remember Dad having a raccoon for a pet for a few years. They love ice cubes, and oranges and Oreo cookies. 
Sorry you’re having a problem with them. I know they are pests, and I’m glad you have a reasonable place to release them.


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## Bluebell2 (Apr 4, 2019)

Oh wow Debbie your problem is a big one. Looks like I only had the 3. Sometimes we have a hard time balancing with nature.


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## Bluebell2 (Apr 4, 2019)

Lillianna said:


> I remember Dad having a raccoon for a pet for a few years. They love ice cubes, and oranges and Oreo cookies.
> Sorry you’re having a problem with them. I know they are pests, and I’m glad you have a reasonable place to release them.


 Thank you.


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## Zarah (Apr 5, 2019)

Have you seen any baby raccoons? I know they are a pest but the little ones are so cute.


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## Bluebell2 (Apr 5, 2019)

Zarah said:


> Have you seen any baby raccoons? I know they are a pest but the little ones are so cute.


No I haven't seen any babies. We had a bunch of baby skunks in the barn a few years ago and they were beautiful little critters.


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## Gayze (Apr 6, 2019)

I am on and off the forum, and just now caught wind of the raccoon thread. 

In addition to having my minis and other critters, I am also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. I have been trying my best to educate the public about wild animals, racooons especially, for many years. I am also a writer, and have a series of children's books out, one of which deals with the dangers of raccoons as part of the subplot, in an effort to extend that education to youngsters.

Please do *not* handle or approach raccoons, or invite them to be near your property. Do all you can do dissuade them. Lock up your grain in metal bins with bungee cords securing them. Keep the feed room and manure/compost areas free of things that might attract them if at all possible. Secure your trash. 

Call in a professional, licensed, and *vaccinated* wildlife officer if you have a problem. If you discover their "latrines," use heavy gloves and masks, and fire or boiling water to deal with the feces. Bury it *deep*, and make sure none of your other animals can be exposed to it. Bleach does *not* kill raccoon roundworm (_Baylisascaris procyonis_). Unless you, yourself, are vaccinated for rabies, you should not be trapping and handling them yourself. And even then, the roundworm risk remains a danger. There is no vaccine against that. Please seek professional assistance if you have a raccoon problem.

In (I'm fairly certain) all states in the US, raccoons are considered a rabies vector species (RVS), and the most dangerous of them, because of their intelligence and ability to get close to human habitation and invade the territory of our pets. Even licensed wildlife rehabbers must have an extra license for RVS to handle the species included in that list in their state, as well as special, separate, and extra secure facilities. For raccoons, those specifications are even more stringent, due not only to the high risk of rabies (I have seen a number of rabid raccoons in upstate NY myself), but due to the very real and dangerous threat of raccoon roundworm.

Raccoons in all areas of the US can carry _Baylisascaris_. In one California study of tested raccoon latrines, over half of them contained eggs for this parasite. For raccoons, it's just a roundworm, like any other roundworm. But for all other mammal species it is very frequently fatal. (I know of someone who lost a dog to it recently, in fact.) This is because the larvae do not stay in the digestive tract, as they do with the host species. In other mammals, including humans, they migrate to the nervous system and eyes, causing blindness and death. Unless caught very early and treated very aggressively, raccoon roundworm is almost always fatal. 

Unless you're a raccoon. Then you just get a belly ache. This, of course, means that infected raccoons can seem perfectly fine, and spread the infection to everyone else without anything slowing them down.

The cute factor of raccoons, babies in particular, makes them one of the most dangerous wildlife species in North America. Raccoons stopped being cute to me the when I began to witness the hell people (and pets) went through due to the zoonotic nature of the diseases they can spread. Post-exposure shots for rabies, for instance, have come a long way in recent times, but they are still very painful, especially for a child. 

Please take raccoons seriously. As adorable as they are, and though they certainly don't mean to do so, they have several ways of killing you, your children, and your pets.

Skunks, by the way, are also a rabies vector species in most states.


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## Ryan Johnson (Apr 8, 2019)

Anyone have any ideas for Rabbit problems ??


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## Willow Flats (Apr 9, 2019)

We use live traps and relocate.


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 9, 2019)

For rabbits, I suggest a Rat Terrier dog. 
We show no quarter for raccoons or opossums. Or armadillos. There are hundreds of acres for these critters to roam and forage around us. They can just stay off the area right around our house, garden, and chickens. Or else.


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 9, 2019)

Willow Flats said:


> We use live traps and relocate.


Relocate where?? As one who lives in the country and has numerous "relocated" animals show up, I get a little edgy when I hear that phrase...


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## Willow Flats (Apr 10, 2019)

Marsha Cassada said:


> Relocate where?? As one who lives in the country and has numerous "relocated" animals show up, I get a little edgy when I hear that phrase...


Way out in the middle of nowhere, where there is water and no homes for miles. I hear you! One year our neighbors daughter "rescued" 13 domestic rabbits and then let them loose. They got in my greenhouse and ate all my vegetable starts! I was not happy. Felt kinda bad about not telling animal control I knew how they got there but was trying to keep peace with the neighbors.


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 10, 2019)

Willow Flats said:


> Way out in the middle of nowhere, where there is water and no homes for miles. I hear you! One year our neighbors daughter "rescued" 13 domestic rabbits and then let them loose. They got in my greenhouse and ate all my vegetable starts! I was not happy. Felt kinda bad about not telling animal control I knew how they got there but was trying to keep peace with the neighbors.


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## Ryan Johnson (Apr 10, 2019)

There are hundreds of the litte terrors, I would have to buy shares or create a company that produces traps. I love my garden ( as some of you know) but Ive had to put plastic storm water pipe around the trunks of my trees to protect them. I more worry about the horses hurting themselves with the holes they dig.


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## Gayze (Apr 11, 2019)

Please be aware that trapping and relocating wildlife is _illegal_ in most states in the US_(*)_. I don't know about other countries, but before you take this upon yourself, please check the laws that apply to your location. 

It might also be unwise to advertise on social media and public forums that you are doing this. I hate to see people who love their animals and are acting with good intentions get into trouble simply because they never realized they were telling the world that they were committing a crime. 

It is also frequently inhumane, as most animals are territorial by nature, and being moved into a strange environment disrupts their natural behavior and ability to survive, places them in the territory of unfamiliar predators, and can often take parent animals away from young, who will starve without their care. In some cases, it can also spread disease, as some diseases can occur in isolated locations, and not in others. 

In addition, it's a temporary solution. If the issue attracting the animals to your property is still in place, other nuisance animals will move in, and re-occupy the space originally taken by the animal you've moved.

If you are having trouble with wildlife on your property, please search out and contact a local wildlife professional such as a licensed nuisance wildlife officer. They can advise the best legal way to deal with the problem.

Everyone here are good people, and I know you all have your hearts in the right place. I just don't want to see animals placed in dire straits, and _definitely_ don't want to see anyone getting in trouble simply because they think they are doing the right thing, and that "right thing" turns into a far bigger problem for them than the wild animals were in the first place.

_(* https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/81531.html , for one example of a similar law held by many states:
"It is illegal for you to move or relocate an animal off your property. You cannot live trap an animal and release it in a park, on State land or anywhere other than on the property where it was captured. If you need a wild animal removed from your property, contact a Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO). Relocating an animal can create problems for neighbors, can move diseases like rabies or Lyme, and can cause unnecessary stress to the animal. This task must be handled by a licensed professional."

Sidenote: "Take" in the table included at the bottom of the above page refers to "kill," not "relocate." Relocating is illegal, as covered in the explanatory paragraph, above.)_


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## Willow Flats (Apr 11, 2019)

Gayze,
Thank you for this information. I did some research for my state and this is what we are to do:

*Removal of predators or wildlife that cause property damage (depredation).* Report a wildlife incident or encounter to your CDFW Regional Office or the Wildlife Incident Reporting online system. If warranted, you may request a depredation permit that allows you, or an authorized agent, to kill a specific animal causing damage to your property.


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## Gayze (Apr 11, 2019)

You're most welcome. Every state has its own laws, and I'm glad you were able to find yours easily.


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## Willow Flats (Apr 11, 2019)

Ryan Johnson said:


> There are hundreds of the litte terrors, I would have to buy shares or create a company that produces traps. I love my garden ( as some of you know) but Ive had to put plastic storm water pipe around the trunks of my trees to protect them. I more worry about the horses hurting themselves with the holes they dig.


We have moles and voles here that make huge holes. A neighbors horse broke its leg in one so now before I drive my horse I walk my entire trail and scuff the piled dirt back over the holes and tamp it down. 

We lived in the mountains in a forest before we moved to where we are now so I had never planted a tree before!
We purchased vacant land to build on with no shade and planted trees. I didn't know that rabbits would gird the trees! I thought my husband had gotten them with the weed trimmer. Had to start over and I encircled all the trees with wire I had. Veggie garden is fenced now.


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## Ryan Johnson (Apr 11, 2019)

Great information Gayze. I know alot of people bait rabbits in our area, Ive seen many blind ones and can only imagine what damage that is doing to the animals that feed on the dead ones. 

The biggest help to me so far is keeping the grass low ( by getting more horses WIN WIN) I just need to get some storm water pipe to put around the bases of some trees so they stop stripping the bark.


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 24, 2019)

We had porcupines stripping the tree bark. Jim used thin aluminum sheets and made collars for the trees, and they couldn't climb up to the tender branches with the aluminum.
Sitting at supper last night and looked out to see a large raccoon industriously digging up the yard right by the porch. Looking for grubs? A pasture of nice fresh fish and he decides to dig by the front porch. Bad mistake on his part.


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## GrantGrace (Mar 26, 2021)

I understand you perfectly well raccoons are bred in my garden, these animals often steal what I try to plant and grow. I turned to many specialists who are engaged in the fact that they rid human territories and homes of animals, rodents and insects that people can not get rid of on their own. I think that you should use their services and then you will definitely get rid of this malicious animal. I think that you will definitely need this information because raccoons just do not disappear from your garden, they need to be driven away


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