[Clough]

Hi, All!

The title is my question.

I've had a problem with raccoons invading my property for years. Is there a way that they can be trained to not be a problem?

Thanks!

[Sariss]

Unfortunately probably not. Getting a dog will sometimes keep them at bay, but they are too tricky.

[twinkiedooter]

Clough - As you probably know about me... I have fed critters on my back porch for years. I feed raccoons, possums and the occasional visiting skunk families.

My raccoons are very well mannered and eat whatever I put out for them. For the past few months they have been dining elsewhere as the farmer's fields had yummy corn growing in them so they've had their favorite food to dine on. The possums are well mannered as well. I presently have about 5-6 for the past few months on a regular basis now. And the traveling skunk family that only comes up once in a few months to dine.

As far as keeping them away you definitely need to remove any food source completely from their reach. If you have garbage cans try to store them indoors until junk day and then use tightfitting lids that don't come off when the can is knocked over.

My son and I have even named them. The coonies are: Big Mama, Stubby, Stretch Armcoon, Runty, Dark Dude and a few others. My possums are: Mama Mia, George Coonie (yes he's a possum), Awesomeo, Fearless Eater, Timid Eater, Mr. Sniffy and a few others. They all have their distinct personalities and habits and particular coloring. George Coonie and Awesomeo are yearlings. George is small enough to actually get into one of the 5 qt cooking pot that I use as their feeding bowl and sit down inside it. I think his brother is Awesomeo as they are the same size. Mama Mia is a very large possum who probably weighs at least 20 lbs. She showed up last winter/spring with a few baby possums riding on her back!

They are my outdoor pets that I enjoy feeding and watching them eat. We've even had a few coonies stand up on their back legs "knocking" on the back door wanting more food! I have a door with a 9 light window in it so I can observe them eating in the dim porch light.

Block up any areas under your house or under a shed where they can den in or hole up in cold weather.

You need to remember that your property was probably within their travel paths for years.

You should see the path next to my house that my little diners have worn into the grass. Now in the snow I can see just where they've come from and just how many of them showed up.

[XOXOlove]

I think it would be risky to try and tame wild raccons. There could be a high chance of some of them having rabies.

[KBC]

Want to get rid of them, play a radio near their nesting area, all day,loud, also put a light where they sleep,those 2 have been sure fire ways to rid a property of them, remember,the droppings are full of possible disease and smell terrible,it rots out woodwork and really,how safe are you to be around them, I know the property(what I saw anyway), walking out the door and having a possible interaction with a mother and her young could be real chancy.

Maybe the park district could lend some live traps to you and you can take them out to the country side.

[twinkiedooter]

i think it would be risky to try and tame wild raccons. there could be a high chance of some of them having rabies.

Mine are not tame in any way. They can and do fight amongst themselves and cats who come up poking their noses in their feeding bowls.

[twinkiedooter]

KBC - raccoons sleep in the daytime and not at night. A light on will not do anything except waste electric. Same with a radio at night. A radio near where they are congretating at night will deter them. And as for the smell of their poop - when freshly dropped it has a smell like dog poop but after a few hours smell goes away. Most likely at night if a mom and her kids are confronted mom and kids will just run away. They are more afraid of you than you are of them. Loud noises do scare them away at night. And yes, the ASPCA will rent you animal traps so you can trap them and have them relocated.

[KBC]

KBC - raccoons sleep in the daytime and not at night. A light on will not do anything except waste electric. Same with a radio at night. A radio near where they are congretating at night will deter them. And as for the smell of their poop - when freshly dropped it has a smell like dog poop but after a few hours smell goes away. Most likely at night if a mom and her kids are confronted mom and kids will just run away. They are more afraid of you than you are of them. Loud noises do scare them away at night. And yes, the ASPCA will rent you animal traps so you can trap them and have them relocated.

That's exactly why I said use the light, in the daytime,coons are in the dark as they are night creatures,the lights and radio will run them off.

[Fr_Chuck]

And while way too much grease for my taste, I understand they have made a OK BBQ in some circles here in the south.

[Clough]

Clough - As you probably know about me.... I have fed critters on my back porch for years. I feed raccoons, possums and the occassional visiting skunk families.

My raccoons are very well mannered and eat whatever I put out for them. For the past few months they have been dining elsewhere as the farmer's fields had yummy corn growing in them so they've had their favorite food to dine on. The possums are well mannered as well. I presently have about 5-6 for the past few months on a regular basis now. And the traveling skunk family that only comes up once in a few months to dine.

As far as keeping them away you definitely need to remove any food source completely from their reach. If you have garbage cans try to store them indoors until junk day and then use tightfitting lids that don't come off when the can is knocked over.

My son and I have even named them. The coonies are: Big Mama, Stubby, Stretch Armcoon, Runty, Dark Dude and a few others. My possums are: Mama Mia, George Coonie (yes he's a possum), Awesomeo, Fearless Eater, Timid Eater, Mr. Sniffy and a few others. They all have their distinct personalities and habits and particular coloring. George Coonie and Awesomeo are yearlings. George is small enough to actually get into one of the 5 qt cooking pot that I use as their feeding bowl and sit down inside it. I think his brother is Awesomeo as they are the same size. Mama Mia is a very large possum who probably weighs at least 20 lbs. She showed up last winter/spring with a few baby possums riding on her back!

They are my outdoor pets that I enjoy feeding and watching them eat. We've even had a few coonies stand up on their back legs "knocking" on the back door wanting more food! I have a door with a 9 light window in it so I can observe them eating in the dim porch light.

Block up any areas under your house or under a shed where they can den in or hole up in cold weather.

You need to remember that your property was probably within their travel paths for years.

You should see the path next to my house that my little diners have worn into the grass. Now in the snow I can see just where they've come from and just how many of them showed up.

But, have they invaded your home in any way?

Thanks!

[twinkiedooter]

Clough - No, they have not invaded my home in any way. I did block up under my wooden shed so they could not hang out there after they ate their goodies though. It took them about 3 times to see that area was blocked off though and they don't bother going under there anymore. I did it mostly due to the stray cats - not the coonies. They can still get under my large wooden deck as I only used lattice that can be easily pushed aside. They like to hang out there between snacks at night. So do my possums like to hang out there under the porch.

No, they will not enter your home. They will, however, enter your home if you leave a window up and go away for a week. This happened to an Air Force dude friend of mine. He and his wife came back after 2 weeks away to find their home "invaded" by several coonies. The coonies got in through the screened window that was open. They helped themselves to everything they could lay their hands on in the cabinets they could reach. He said the kitchen was a mess. Then my friend noticed that there were cookie crumbs in the toilet bowl in the morning. It seems that one enterprising coonie had taken up residence in one of the clothes closets. He had laborously stashed a lot of food in his "den" that he dragged from the kitchen while everyone else was partying. He would use the toilet at night as his "pond" to wash his food in. He used another closet as his potty. My friend discovered his den one day when he opened the closet door and was reaching for one of his uniforms. The coonie had a weird look on his face like "you don't see me" and "take your uniform and leave" as he scurried into the far recesss of the closet. My friend called out someone to take his little buddy away. When he was caught in the closet he was hanging on for dear life to the door casing with a look of "I'm not going to leave all my goodies. I need to pack them up to take with me". Apparently he had himself quite a little set up for about a week until my friend stumbled onto his little hide out. They went from tree to window. That's how they got in.

Raccoons are basically more afraid of you than you realize. If I open the back door while they are up on my porch feeding they invariably run off or go half way down the stairs waiting to see if I'm going to come after them.

The part about the light and radio is fine and dandy but I see one huge problem with that. Unless the coonies are in your attic nesting you can't possibly do this when they are in their own dens in the woods as electric cords won't reach.

If you do want to keep the coonies away at night you might want to try putting some nasty rackety music turned up loud and direct it towards the areas that you want to keep coonie free. Turn it on when you see them. They will get the idea not to come to your neighborhood in about 3 nights.

Do not get a dog and tie it out. Not a good idea as coonies can get aggressive with other animals when it comes to food.

You must remember that the coonies are coming to your property due to food. You must remove all outside food.

Otherwise, send them over to my house!