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[email protected] 11-06-2014 12:27 AM

Raccoons!
 
BooHoo,

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more, but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?

TIA,

Julie

David Hare-Scott[_2_] 11-06-2014 12:52 AM

Raccoons!
 
wrote:
BooHoo,

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it
did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more,
but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a
plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left
alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played
rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they
left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?

TIA,

Julie


I don't have raccoons but I do have possums (not opossums). A possum is
smart, strong, agile climber, dedicated to the task of getting your fruit
and with good teeth. Is that like a raccoon? If so only wire mesh that
they cannot chew through or electric tape that they cannot get past will
keep them off ripe fruit.

D


Frank 11-06-2014 01:20 AM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/10/2014 7:27 PM, wrote:
BooHoo,

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more, but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?

TIA,

Julie


Get the largest Hav-a-hart trap and bait with peanut butter.
You can catch and release or kill raccoons or groundhogs.

Higgs Boson 11-06-2014 01:38 AM

Raccoons!
 
On Tuesday, June 10, 2014 5:20:02 PM UTC-7, Frank wrote:
On 6/10/2014 7:27 PM, wrote:

BooHoo,




Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more, but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.




My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left alone.




What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?




TIA,




Julie


Get the largest Hav-a-hart trap and bait with peanut butter.

You can catch and release or kill raccoons or groundhogs


We just got done -- I hope! -- with another raccoon episode. He/she/it usedt to come in the cat door, scarfed cat's food; messed his water dish. That's when I was told that raccoons don't have salivary glands (???) and have to wash their food? It took dim me a while to grok (dated) what was happening.

Our local shelter used to let us check out cages to catch critters; I once caught a whole possum family over a week's time. Now they don't even RENT cages; "We don't pick up live animals" some wording like that. La-di-dah!

Can't afford a commercial cage, so had to do the obvious AGAIN. Block up the cat door and let cat enter/exit via bedroom window. Last time I was too stupid to provide steps, so cat ruined wallpaper scratching his way up.

Good luck on your raccoon problem! Does your community have an animal shelter that might help?

(Thinking: Wish I still had my son's old .22)

HB


Fran Farmer 11-06-2014 06:50 AM

Raccoons!
 
On 11/06/2014 10:38 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Tuesday, June 10, 2014 5:20:02 PM UTC-7, Frank wrote:
On 6/10/2014 7:27 PM, wrote:

BooHoo,




Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more, but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.




My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left alone.




What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?




TIA,




Julie


Get the largest Hav-a-hart trap and bait with peanut butter.

You can catch and release or kill raccoons or groundhogs


We just got done -- I hope! -- with another raccoon episode. He/she/it usedt to come in the cat door, scarfed cat's food; messed his water dish. That's when I was told that raccoons don't have salivary glands (???) and have to wash their food? It took dim me a while to grok (dated) what was happening.

Our local shelter used to let us check out cages to catch critters; I once caught a whole possum family over a week's time. Now they don't even RENT cages; "We don't pick up live animals" some wording like that. La-di-dah!

Can't afford a commercial cage, so had to do the obvious AGAIN. Block up the cat door and let cat enter/exit via bedroom window. Last time I was too stupid to provide steps, so cat ruined wallpaper scratching his way up.

Good luck on your raccoon problem! Does your community have an animal shelter that might help?

(Thinking: Wish I still had my son's old .22)



Now Higgs, what sort of good patriotic old boy are you that you don't
even have a .22 in your house?

I could lend you one but you're a bit too far away and it'd probably
result in me losing my Gun Licence if I did such a thing anyway.......


brooklyn1 11-06-2014 04:09 PM

Raccoons!
 
On Tue, 10 Jun 2014 16:27:59 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

BooHoo,

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more, but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?


Wouldn't rap attract coons?

Frank 11-06-2014 05:18 PM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/11/2014 1:50 AM, Fran Farmer wrote:
On 11/06/2014 10:38 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Tuesday, June 10, 2014 5:20:02 PM UTC-7, Frank wrote:
On 6/10/2014 7:27 PM, wrote:

BooHoo,



Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it
did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more,
but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.



My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a
plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left
alone.



What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played
rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they
left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?



TIA,



Julie


Get the largest Hav-a-hart trap and bait with peanut butter.

You can catch and release or kill raccoons or groundhogs


We just got done -- I hope! -- with another raccoon episode.
He/she/it usedt to come in the cat door, scarfed cat's food; messed
his water dish. That's when I was told that raccoons don't have
salivary glands (???) and have to wash their food? It took dim me a
while to grok (dated) what was happening.

Our local shelter used to let us check out cages to catch critters; I
once caught a whole possum family over a week's time. Now they don't
even RENT cages; "We don't pick up live animals" some wording like
that. La-di-dah!

Can't afford a commercial cage, so had to do the obvious AGAIN. Block
up the cat door and let cat enter/exit via bedroom window. Last time
I was too stupid to provide steps, so cat ruined wallpaper scratching
his way up.

Good luck on your raccoon problem! Does your community have an animal
shelter that might help?

(Thinking: Wish I still had my son's old .22)



Now Higgs, what sort of good patriotic old boy are you that you don't
even have a .22 in your house?

I could lend you one but you're a bit too far away and it'd probably
result in me losing my Gun Licence if I did such a thing anyway.......


Higgs posts to ask how to flush his toilet ;)
But, that is besides the point.
Maybe where he lives rabies is not endemic but it is here.
Cat door, to me is a dumb idea.
He's not the first to come down in the morning to find a raccoon eating
cat food in his house.
Hav-a-hart type trap is not hard or expensive to make yourself. I made
one with a chicken wire frame and a sliding door tripped by bait wire in
the back of the trap. Got a real Hav-a-hart when I caught a skunk in my
home made trap and had trouble getting rid of it.

Frank 11-06-2014 05:22 PM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/11/2014 11:09 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
On Tue, 10 Jun 2014 16:27:59 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

BooHoo,

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more, but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?


Wouldn't rap attract coons?



Good point.
Barbra Streisand music would be better.

Higgs Boson 11-06-2014 06:09 PM

Raccoons!
 
On Wednesday, June 11, 2014 9:22:24 AM UTC-7, Frank wrote:
On 6/11/2014 11:09 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:

On Tue, 10 Jun 2014 16:27:59 -0700 (PDT), wrote:




BooHoo,




Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more, but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.




My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left alone.




What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?




Wouldn't rap attract coons?



Good point.

Barbra Streisand music would be better.


(Reacts excitedly): Now here's a situation ripe for scientific investigation.
All it takes is 'n' quantity of "virgin" raccoons -- no, no, not what you think -- 'coons not heretofore exposed to any school of music.

Equal number of cages, properly fitted out (food, drink, elimination, rest)

Musical device hooked up to individual speaker in each case -- stereo good but not crucial -- with controls accessible to experimenters.

Monitors attached to each 'coon -- heart, lungs, brain; others to be determined by experimental protocol, as a function of desired outcomes.

Trained experimenters to monitor the monitors.

And finally, and must crucially, a selection of music from rap to Streisand to grand opera (German AND Italian; SO different!), Australian aboriginal performed by didgeridoo artist, and on and on.

Objective: Establish which is most effective in keeping raccoons away -- while not causing the neighbors to call the police -- not forgetting to factor in latitude (temperature; day vs night; precipitation; other environmental variables.

Ah, science -- isn't it wonderful!

HB






Frank 11-06-2014 06:42 PM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/11/2014 1:09 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Wednesday, June 11, 2014 9:22:24 AM UTC-7, Frank wrote:
On 6/11/2014 11:09 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:

On Tue, 10 Jun 2014 16:27:59 -0700 (PDT), wrote:




BooHoo,




Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more, but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.




My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left alone.




What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?




Wouldn't rap attract coons?



Good point.

Barbra Streisand music would be better.


(Reacts excitedly): Now here's a situation ripe for scientific investigation.
All it takes is 'n' quantity of "virgin" raccoons -- no, no, not what you think -- 'coons not heretofore exposed to any school of music.

Equal number of cages, properly fitted out (food, drink, elimination, rest)

Musical device hooked up to individual speaker in each case -- stereo good but not crucial -- with controls accessible to experimenters.

Monitors attached to each 'coon -- heart, lungs, brain; others to be determined by experimental protocol, as a function of desired outcomes.

Trained experimenters to monitor the monitors.

And finally, and must crucially, a selection of music from rap to Streisand to grand opera (German AND Italian; SO different!), Australian aboriginal performed by didgeridoo artist, and on and on.

Objective: Establish which is most effective in keeping raccoons away -- while not causing the neighbors to call the police -- not forgetting to factor in latitude (temperature; day vs night; precipitation; other environmental variables.

Ah, science -- isn't it wonderful!

HB





Throw in global warming and get a government grant.

Pat Kiewicz[_2_] 12-06-2014 02:12 PM

Raccoons!
 
Brooklyn1 said:

Wouldn't rap attract coons?


OK then.

*plonk*

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored



Frank 12-06-2014 07:56 PM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/12/2014 9:12 AM, Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Brooklyn1 said:

Wouldn't rap attract coons?


OK then.

*plonk*


I thought it was funny and thinking about it, don't want my Senator
Coons running around my back yard.

brooklyn1 12-06-2014 08:50 PM

Raccoons!
 
Frank wrote:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Brooklyn1 said:

Wouldn't rap attract coons?


OK then.

*plonk*


I thought it was funny and thinking about it, don't want my Senator
Coons running around my back yard.


In every group there's at least one thin skinned humorless
miscreant... typically those who get their hackles up over harmless
racial wit are the closet racists, and those holier than thou
pretenders are the most dangerous.

Frank 12-06-2014 09:03 PM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/12/2014 3:50 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
Frank wrote:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Brooklyn1 said:

Wouldn't rap attract coons?

OK then.

*plonk*


I thought it was funny and thinking about it, don't want my Senator
Coons running around my back yard.


In every group there's at least one thin skinned humorless
miscreant... typically those who get their hackles up over harmless
racial wit are the closet racists, and those holier than thou
pretenders are the most dangerous.


Politically correct, I am not, but believe a couple of years ago it was
Pat who gave me some very good help identifying a pesky weed.

brooklyn1 12-06-2014 11:55 PM

Raccoons!
 
On Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:03:14 -0400, Frank
wrote:

On 6/12/2014 3:50 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
Frank wrote:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Brooklyn1 said:

Wouldn't rap attract coons?

OK then.

*plonk*

I thought it was funny and thinking about it, don't want my Senator
Coons running around my back yard.


In every group there's at least one thin skinned humorless
miscreant... typically those who get their hackles up over harmless
racial wit are the closet racists, and those holier than thou
pretenders are the most dangerous.


Politically correct, I am not, but believe a couple of years ago it was
Pat who gave me some very good help identifying a pesky weed.


I doubt anyone gives a rap... Pat is the weed.

Pat Kiewicz[_2_] 13-06-2014 02:18 PM

Raccoons!
 
Frank said:
On 6/12/2014 3:50 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
Frank wrote:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Brooklyn1 said:

Wouldn't rap attract coons?

OK then.

*plonk*

I thought it was funny and thinking about it, don't want my Senator
Coons running around my back yard.


In every group there's at least one thin skinned humorless
miscreant... typically those who get their hackles up over harmless
racial wit are the closet racists, and those holier than thou
pretenders are the most dangerous.


Politically correct, I am not, but believe a couple of years ago it was
Pat who gave me some very good help identifying a pesky weed.


"Brooklyn1" had already been flagged for general crankiness and occasional
asshattery but I finally sent him from 'mark as read' to 'delete from group.'

Ever taken an implicit assumption test for racism? I have, according to that
test I don't show implicit racial bias. I guess I should thank my 5th grade
teacher, Mr. T, who was *my* 'Sir' and a very fine man indeed. So can the
projection and rationalization "Brooklyn1." Maybe I am cranky, but I don't
like casual racism and I see far too much of it.

http://www.science20.com/news_articl...n_test_are_you
_secretly_racist_hint_you_are-92783

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored



Frank 13-06-2014 07:39 PM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/13/2014 9:18 AM, Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Frank said:
On 6/12/2014 3:50 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
Frank wrote:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Brooklyn1 said:

Wouldn't rap attract coons?

OK then.

*plonk*

I thought it was funny and thinking about it, don't want my Senator
Coons running around my back yard.

In every group there's at least one thin skinned humorless
miscreant... typically those who get their hackles up over harmless
racial wit are the closet racists, and those holier than thou
pretenders are the most dangerous.


Politically correct, I am not, but believe a couple of years ago it was
Pat who gave me some very good help identifying a pesky weed.


"Brooklyn1" had already been flagged for general crankiness and occasional
asshattery but I finally sent him from 'mark as read' to 'delete from group.'

Ever taken an implicit assumption test for racism? I have, according to that
test I don't show implicit racial bias. I guess I should thank my 5th grade
teacher, Mr. T, who was *my* 'Sir' and a very fine man indeed. So can the
projection and rationalization "Brooklyn1." Maybe I am cranky, but I don't
like casual racism and I see far too much of it.

http://www.science20.com/news_articl...n_test_are_you
_secretly_racist_hint_you_are-92783


I think we can all get along.
Nobody's perfect.

pentapus 18-06-2014 03:12 PM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/10/2014 7:52 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
wrote:
BooHoo,

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it
did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more,
but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a
plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left
alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played
rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they
left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?

TIA,

Julie


I don't have raccoons but I do have possums (not opossums). A possum is
smart, strong, agile climber, dedicated to the task of getting your
fruit and with good teeth. Is that like a raccoon? If so only wire
mesh that they cannot chew through or electric tape that they cannot get
past will keep them off ripe fruit.


Hmmm, my rough take on the difference is that a possum is much much
smarter. What kind of wire deters a possum?

I have opossums and raccoons here, though being piedmont urban, Atlanta,
not in large numbers.

I also have peaches disappear in one night.
I wonder which is the most likely perpetrator?


Looking for fence wire on the cheap. 1/2" hardware cloth is pricey in
quantity. What about regular welded wire?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_492387-16418...uctId=50017410

Or a mix?
D



--
pentapus

brooklyn1 18-06-2014 04:10 PM

Raccoons!
 
David Hare-Scott wrote:
julie.nils wrote:

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it
did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more,
but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a
plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left
alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played
rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they
left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?


I don't have raccoons but I do have possums (not opossums).


If you're in the US you are refering to Opossums.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum
Pointy headed rednecks refer to Opossums as possums because due to
their lack of education they are monosyllabic.


Frank 18-06-2014 11:31 PM

Raccoons!
 
On 6/18/2014 10:12 AM, pentapus wrote:
On 6/10/2014 7:52 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
wrote:
BooHoo,

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it
did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more,
but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a
plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left
alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played
rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they
left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?

TIA,

Julie


I don't have raccoons but I do have possums (not opossums). A possum is
smart, strong, agile climber, dedicated to the task of getting your
fruit and with good teeth. Is that like a raccoon? If so only wire
mesh that they cannot chew through or electric tape that they cannot get
past will keep them off ripe fruit.


Hmmm, my rough take on the difference is that a possum is much much
smarter. What kind of wire deters a possum?

I have opossums and raccoons here, though being piedmont urban, Atlanta,
not in large numbers.

I also have peaches disappear in one night.
I wonder which is the most likely perpetrator?


Looking for fence wire on the cheap. 1/2" hardware cloth is pricey in
quantity. What about regular welded wire?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_492387-16418...uctId=50017410


Or a mix?
D



When I had peach trees I saw groundhogs run off with them. They would
also burrow under chicken wire fencing around my garden.

David Hare-Scott[_2_] 18-06-2014 11:42 PM

Raccoons!
 
pentapus wrote:
On 6/10/2014 7:52 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
wrote:
BooHoo,

Last year was the first year for my peach tree to bear fruit and it
did, many, many peaches. This year there would have been even more,
but in one night (it seems) they were all gone.

My neighbor claims it is raccoons, but I can't be sure. We have a
plum tree on the other side of the house that has always been left
alone.

What can we do? We had raccoons under the deck one year and played
rap music (!), and put rags soaked in ammonia under there and they
left, but that won't work with this tree. Or would it?

TIA,

Julie


I don't have raccoons but I do have possums (not opossums). A
possum is smart, strong, agile climber, dedicated to the task of
getting your fruit and with good teeth. Is that like a raccoon? If
so only wire mesh that they cannot chew through or electric tape
that they cannot get past will keep them off ripe fruit.


Hmmm, my rough take on the difference is that a possum is much much
smarter. What kind of wire deters a possum?


Speaking of possums, synthetic fibre netting such as the kind used to keep
off birds will not do they definitely chew through that. It needs to be
metal. They are excellent climbers and leapers so if the fence is climbable
it needs an electric wire too. The effective combination that I have seen
is a normal height wire fence around the orchard with dog wire (metal mesh
about 6cm grid) added to fill in between the standard wires plus an electric
wire on standoffs near the top on the outside. They climb the mesh but then
touch the electric line and jump off.


I have opossums and raccoons here, though being piedmont urban,
Atlanta, not in large numbers.


I have no experience of opossums.



I also have peaches disappear in one night.
I wonder which is the most likely perpetrator?


Looking for fence wire on the cheap. 1/2" hardware cloth is pricey in
quantity. What about regular welded wire?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_492387-16418...uctId=50017410



Weldmesh would do the job provided they cannot climb over it.

David




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