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anneliese_32

Revenge of the racoon?

anneliese_32
11 years ago

Amongst my backyard zoo have always been a couple of racoons, most of them well behaved. In the evening I usually put out a couple of bowls with cat food for the outdoor cats and whoever else comes around, mainly the racoons and the tailless possum. Lately another racoon has been around and he chases the other animals, so I started to feed the cats early in the evening and the other guys come when it is not dark yet or when it gets grey in the morning, the agressive racoon likes it dark.

Even though we don't drive anymore, my husband kept his truck operational so that whoever is willing to drive, can get me to the garden center, etc. and in turn can use our truck if they need such a vehicle.

For the last 4 days I had to clean the window well on the truck from racoon poo. Now that has to be done deliberately. In 30 plus years there had been no such occurance, only the occasional bird dropping and I assume it is the d.... racoon, no food - you get the leftover from somewhere else. Any idea what to do besides getting dog poo bags?

Comments (8)

  • lilosophie
    11 years ago

    Those bugers are clever and I am not surprised that the critter is getting even. I don't have any idea how to clean this mess, dog-poo bags are one solution, how about rinsing and saving any plastic bags that come your way from the grocery store? Baggies? I am not sure about the volume you are dealing with.
    Some sprt of repellant sp it keeps him off the truck?

  • anneliese_32
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I use the plastic bag our newspaper comes in most days and afterward the jet spray on the garden hose. The truck has not been that clean since we got it, LOL. I got a piece of 1" plastic bird netting, bunched it up and stuck it under and over the windshield wiper, hope that tonight it will it make uncomfortable to squat down. I really got to laugh more about the whole thing. If it don't work I try scrunched up aluminum foil.

  • Janis_G
    11 years ago

    Anneliese, please be careful when dealing with Raccoons.
    This has been the worst year for rabies and an aggressive
    animal is a scary thing.

    Racs are nasty when it comes to poop. Buy a box of disposable gloves.
    I wear them any time I have a clean up job that includes poop.
    I always wished I had one of those buried doggie poop containers so I could toss it in and forget it.
    At least they aren't climbing up on your roof and pooping in your gutters.
    That's what the whole raccoon family did at the
    lake house. I got so tired of crawling all over the roof,
    practically standing on my head cleaning out gutters full
    of rac poop.

  • don_socal
    11 years ago

    Use gloves and a mask when cleaning up.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Important information

  • anneliese_32
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I picked up like you do with dog poo and then hosed the rest off, detergent included. The netting worked last night, nothing there, just a couple of racoon prints on the fender. Will keep this up for a couple of days and then we see. I think the critter is from last years crop, trying to establish his territory.
    Janis, I had it much easier than you. Did you manage to get rid of that family?
    The only real problem I ever had with racoons was when I still worked (midnight shift). Somebody forgot to shut the door from the back parking lot (adjoining about 10 000 of woods) and when I heard odd noises I opened the door of the office to that storage and found a dozen or so racoons cleaning up file boxes. What a mess. On the other hand, I rescued at the same place racoons, especially young ones, forever out of the big trash containers. People at the motel dropped stuff in them and forgot to close the doors. The racoons got in them, but if the containers had been emptied that day, there was not enough in it so they could climb out again. I had a board hidden to use as ladder for them and checked every morning. Those and the skunks all knew me and never bothered me. I rather dealed with them than some of our customers.

  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    11 years ago

    I hate to be drastic, but he's making all the critters around him uncomfortable too...A pest control person with a Havahart trap? Just because it sounds like the rest of the animals are living in harmony. They could move him some place he could have his own territory? Poor fella.

  • anneliese_32
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Rob, he has the same 10 000 acres about 200 yds away from our backyard. It's not about looking for territory, he is looking for room and board.

  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    11 years ago

    So maybe it'd be ok to catch and release him. Whew. Glad to know it!

    I have the same problem-o with my smaller kitty. He's just determined to keep bigger kitty from having anything. Attention, toys, food, etc. It's not like he's gonna starve for any of those! Animals. (grin)

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