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| Just discovered that almost all of my ripe corn was raided! The perpetrator bit through the husks at the top of the corn and ate a few bites from each cob. Does that sound like raccoon damage? I still have some secondary ears that are ripening. Do you think there is anything I can do at this stage to discourage a repeat attack? Is there anything other than fencing it all in that helps? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Or squirrels. I gave up growing corn |
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| Or deer. They like to walk through and bite off the ends of the ears. How close to the ground were the ears and were the stalks pulled over? Coons pull the stalk over but squirrels just climb the stalks. Even fencing doesn't keep out squirrels and many coons since they easily climb. Dave |
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| I had that done by two rabbits. Racoons will rip them apart, deer usually leave a lot of damage to the stalks. |
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| This is why I did not plant corn. My grandfather used to try to grow it and 90% of it would be eaten by squirrels. He used to run out in the garden yelling at them. |
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| An electric fence solved all of my small animal problems. Raccoons raiding the corn about 12 years ago was the catalyst. The fence wires in the photo below are on short removable poles. The garden corner posts are not removable. The wire is easily spooled onto an electric cord fence spool for tiller access The FI Shock 2 mile constant charge fence charger is attached to a wooden post and is under a 5 gallon plastic bucket. It runs on a timer - off during the day, on at night. Wires are at 6 and 12 inches but would need to be lowered to 3 inches for squirrels. Corn is not the only target of the small animals; cantaloupe, watermelon and strawberries are equally desirable by raccoons, and opossums. Green beans are a particular favorite of rabbits. I realize that an electric fence won't work for, and/or is not desirable by everyone. However, it has suited my needs very well. This old photo works to show the setup which is still used today.. although the wire and poles are a bit hard to see. |
This post was edited by grandad on Tue, Aug 26, 14 at 7:34
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| I ran it around my garden one year. It stopped some damage, but the g'hogs just went under it and accepted the shock to get to the grub. I was targeting raccoon, who were just devastating the corn........to the point I'd find silk hanging from trees like Christmas tinsel. Deer as well, and even being brazen enough to bed down for the night in a bramble patch nearby. Part of the original farm has been sold off, and the folks up the road on an adjoining property have hounds who roam at night. I don't condone it, but they have really cut down on varmints, other than rabbits. |
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| Growing up on the farm, raccoons in the corn was a real problem. I remember my parents trying just about everything. The thing that finally worked was the least expensive of all. My teenage brother had horrendously smelly feet. Mom would make him do a few barefoot laps around the corn patch very couple of days. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it worked. |
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| That boy must have sooommee stinky feet. |
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