I just got back inside from dealing with 2 of the racoons that have been eating a LOT of figs and muscadines at night. I also think that they are remarkable and beautiful animals, and I wish that they chose another area to make a living besides my small orchard.The baited wire trap that has easily trapped armadillos, squirrels, and opossums is not of interest to the coons addicted to figs and grapes at the all-you-can-eat buffet here. If your trees have an upright, branchless trunk for the bottom 3 or 4 feet, you may want to try a section of galvanized, slit duct sold at Lowe's that can be wrapped around the trunk and rests on the ground. A couple loops of slim tie wire can hold the metal in it's cylinder form. Unless you have other nearby tree branches or fence, etc. that can serve as a bypass ladder, the coons will have to look elsewhere for supper. I buy a much bigger diameter of duct so it can be used on other bigger trees also.After harvest, the duct can be removed and stored elsewhere for it's long vacation. Pruning your fruit trees to the single, upright, branchless-to-4-ft trunk makes it pretty easy to use the duct sections for keeping out the climbing rodents. Regretfully, lots of other living things are not deterred so easily.

I have trappped 2 of theose varmits in a safe release trap baited with dog/cat food, in the week since they ate 3 watermelons in 1 night.

rowlettr,
Not sure if your still interested, but connecting all the circles of electric fence would work fine. I believe the easiest solution would be to surround the entire set of trees with one electric fence. Most common wire height would be at 6" and 12" or 6",12" and 18". Get a half decent fence charger (15 - 25 mile) as there is food involved here. Those real cheap units dont get their point accross very well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blitz Enterprises

I use a bucket trap, which is a 5-gallon plastic bucket with a trap front attached. These traps used to be from Iron City Trap, but now from Viola Valley Hunting Supply.

These are humane live traps. The varmit (COON) goes into the bucket, and pulls a paddle to get the bait. The paddle is covering the bait. The paddle releases the hinged door, which drops. A lock then drops, locking the door closed.

The animal is completely docile inside the quiet, surrounding bucket.

A handle on the trap door frame allows handling the bucket with the enclosed animal.

This has proven 100% effective, ending the nocturnal garden raids.

Here is a link that might be useful: Viola Valley

We do an acre of sweet corn and have raised sweet corn for at least 20 years. One of the biggest parts of the equation when using electric fence is to put it up way before the attractant (or fruit or veg.) is even near ripe. We put up our fence as the corn is beginning to tassle...late June. As soon as those coons smell the corn tasseling they will come our way...from who knows where! But if they cannot get in and get a taste, we have almost won the battle. We also raise two varieties that ripen 6 or so days apart. It is amazing to us, that by the time the 2nd one comes on, we are so tired of lowering the fence on one side(so we can cross it with our Ranger), that we don't even hook it back up in the evenings. And we don't have any problem. By that time, the coons have given up and are feeding elsewhere.