I live in a city, but love sweet corn so I grow a little in my garden.

Unfortunately, raccoons have discovered my corn and are eating it before
it is ripe. The city frowns on killing them, and trapping doesn't work
because you just get one at a time and they find their way back after
being released.

So I am looking at building a fenced area, with wire fencing on the
sides, and netting on the top. I found what seems to be an affordable
welded wire fence material, but the openings are 2 by 4 inches. Is that
small enough to stop raccoons, or do I need to find a material with
smaller holes?

On 9/20/11 11:05 AM, Notat Home wrote:
I live in a city, but love sweet corn so I grow a little in my garden.

Unfortunately, raccoons have discovered my corn and are eating it before
it is ripe. The city frowns on killing them, and trapping doesn't work
because you just get one at a time and they find their way back after
being released.

So I am looking at building a fenced area, with wire fencing on the
sides, and netting on the top. I found what seems to be an affordable
welded wire fence material, but the openings are 2 by 4 inches. Is that
small enough to stop raccoons, or do I need to find a material with
smaller holes?

If you place the mesh far enough from the corn that a raccoon cannot
reach the corn through the mesh 2x4 should be good enough. Just make
sure you anchor the mesh firmly to the soil so that the raccoons can't
lift it. Try just a small area at first to see how well it works.

I have a cage trap for squirrels. The squirrels (or maybe rats) would
reach through the mesh (1"x1") of the cage and steal the bait. I
wrapped 1/4" steel mesh around outside the bait area; the critters tore
it away to get the bait without entering the trap. I wrapped 1/4" steel
mesh around inside the bait area; the critters shredded it and still
stole the bait. Finally, I wrapped 1/4" steel mesh around outside and
then 1/2" heavier mesh over that. Now the critters have to enter the
trap to get the bait.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

If your in a no freeze climate you can attach a 4 dollar sprinkle and an electric valve to a motion detector -- that's what I did this summer.

They come anywhere near and that sprinkler pulses madly, and like anyone else, nobody likes to get wet.

Only thing that's worked for me.

Rainbird makes a $15 valve but it's dc, so here's what you need --

motion detector light and a bulb 120 screw in socket
12v dc power supply
valve
sprinkler

On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:41:46 -0700 (PDT), mkr5000
wrote:

If your in a no freeze climate you can attach a 4 dollar sprinkle and an electric valve to a motion detector -- that's what I did this summer.

They come anywhere near and that sprinkler pulses madly, and like anyone else, nobody likes to get wet.

Only thing that's worked for me.

Rainbird makes a $15 valve but it's dc, so here's what you need --

motion detector light and a bulb 120 screw in socket
12v dc power supply valve sprinkler.

No need to make anything:
http://www.amazon.com/Havahart-5265-.../dp/B000BO71NY

On 9/20/2011 2:05 PM, Notat Home wrote:
I live in a city, but love sweet corn so I grow a little in my garden.

Unfortunately, raccoons have discovered my corn and are eating it before
it is ripe. The city frowns on killing them, and trapping doesn't work
because you just get one at a time and they find their way back after
being released.

So I am looking at building a fenced area, with wire fencing on the
sides, and netting on the top. I found what seems to be an affordable
welded wire fence material, but the openings are 2 by 4 inches. Is that
small enough to stop raccoons, or do I need to find a material with
smaller holes?

I've stopped them with around 4" x 4", in fact a bit bigger. I had a cat
door that I kept shrinking in size until it worked! With that, if a wire
broke, you would still be OK.

Someone here had mentioned folding some of the bottom of the fencing
onto the ground. You may not be able to afford that with the height of
the corn, but I think a bit of fence on the ground, under the fence line
would be a good idea.

They are damn clever animals. I'd put little beyond them after they had
no trouble unlatching my big cat food container.

Jeff

On 9/21/2011 1:39 PM, j wrote:
On 9/20/2011 2:05 PM, Notat Home wrote:
I live in a city, but love sweet corn so I grow a little in my garden.

Unfortunately, raccoons have discovered my corn and are eating it before
it is ripe. The city frowns on killing them, and trapping doesn't work
because you just get one at a time and they find their way back after
being released.

So I am looking at building a fenced area, with wire fencing on the
sides, and netting on the top. I found what seems to be an affordable
welded wire fence material, but the openings are 2 by 4 inches. Is that
small enough to stop raccoons, or do I need to find a material with
smaller holes?

I've stopped them with around 4" x 4", in fact a bit bigger. I had a cat
door that I kept shrinking in size until it worked! With that, if a wire
broke, you would still be OK.

Someone here had mentioned folding some of the bottom of the fencing
onto the ground. You may not be able to afford that with the height of
the corn, but I think a bit of fence on the ground, under the fence line
would be a good idea.

They are damn clever animals. I'd put little beyond them after they had
no trouble unlatching my big cat food container.

Jeff

Neighbor came down one morning to find raccoon in his kitchen eating out
of the cat bowl. It had come in through his cat door.

I've trapped raccoons in my Hav-a-hart. Should have bought the biggest
one as originally I had bought for groundhogs which are smaller. I can
catch a small raccoon but not a big one.

http://home.comcast.net/~frank.logullo/thief.pdf

I've never had one return from the park where I put them about 4 miles away.

What's weird here is that you are allowed to catch these critters but
not relocate them but can kill them. Before I knew this, I released a
squirrel in the county park with a county cop parked right next to me
and he did nothing. The parking lot was near a county police substation
and I told him I had come to release a prisoner.

On 9/21/2011 2:21 PM, Frank wrote:
On 9/21/2011 1:39 PM, j wrote:
On 9/20/2011 2:05 PM, Notat Home wrote:
I live in a city, but love sweet corn so I grow a little in my garden.

Unfortunately, raccoons have discovered my corn and are eating it before
it is ripe. The city frowns on killing them, and trapping doesn't work
because you just get one at a time and they find their way back after
being released.

So I am looking at building a fenced area, with wire fencing on the
sides, and netting on the top. I found what seems to be an affordable
welded wire fence material, but the openings are 2 by 4 inches. Is that
small enough to stop raccoons, or do I need to find a material with
smaller holes?

I've stopped them with around 4" x 4", in fact a bit bigger. I had a cat
door that I kept shrinking in size until it worked! With that, if a wire
broke, you would still be OK.

Someone here had mentioned folding some of the bottom of the fencing
onto the ground. You may not be able to afford that with the height of
the corn, but I think a bit of fence on the ground, under the fence line
would be a good idea.

They are damn clever animals. I'd put little beyond them after they had
no trouble unlatching my big cat food container.

Jeff

Neighbor came down one morning to find raccoon in his kitchen eating out
of the cat bowl. It had come in through his cat door.

I've trapped raccoons in my Hav-a-hart. Should have bought the biggest
one as originally I had bought for groundhogs which are smaller. I can
catch a small raccoon but not a big one.

They *are* big animals. Absolutely no fear of cats and not much of
humans. The cats would swat them as they were going out the cat door,
but not before. I'm not so sure that the raccoons didn't eat their fill
before leaving, my presence didn't impress them much.

http://home.comcast.net/~frank.logullo/thief.pdf

The bigger trap must be huge!

I've never had one return from the park where I put them about 4 miles
away.

What's weird here is that you are allowed to catch these critters but
not relocate them but can kill them. Before I knew this, I released a
squirrel in the county park with a county cop parked right next to me
and he did nothing. The parking lot was near a county police substation
and I told him I had come to release a prisoner.

Cute.

Jeff

Quick update on Brooklyn1's suggestion: there is a newer and better version of the motion sensor sprinkler she/he mentioned: Amazon.com: Havahart 5266 Spray Away Motion Activated Sprinkler Animal Repellent 2.0: Patio, Lawn & Garden