Preventing Raccoons from Climbing

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Area Man

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
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Location
Concord, NC (Zone 7B)
I have a problem with raccoons climbing my trees and raiding my bird feeders at night. The trees range in circumference from 12" to 18".

Bringing the feeders in each night is a hassle and sometimes I forget.

One solution I've seen mentioned is to wrap aluminum flashing around the trees. However, none of my trees are mature, and I need to allow for the trunks to expand. I also don't want to do anything that harms the trees (e.g. stapling/nailing the flashing to them).

Can anyone suggest a good way to prevent raccoons from climbing these trees?
 
1-Cut there feet off!
2- Shoot them
3-Put the feeders on the ground so they wont climb your trees.
4- put an electric fence around the trees.
They hate all the choices but number 3, but all are effective.
 
Serious replies only, please.

A potential solution just occurred to me, which may veer out of the context of this forum. I suppose I could run a cable between two of my trees and hang the bird feeders on it. I don't think these detestable creatures can shimmy along a cable. No need to damage the trees at all...?

Edit: Not a good solution. Before long, these trees will have grown into close proximity to each other, which will allow access to the feeders via branches.
 
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Im being serious. Im not sure that there is an easy way to stop them short of killing them. They are smart and agile. I see them open garbage cans around here that people try all sorts of methods to keep secured. Id say you bringing the feeders in at night is the only sure way to stop them from raiding your feeders.:msp_rolleyes:
 
I was serious!:hmm3grin2orange:

Yeah, uh-huh.

J.Gordon said:
1-Cut there feet off!
Feasible?

J.Gordon said:
2- Shoot them
Again--feasible? At night? Every one of them?

J.Gordon said:
3-Put the feeders on the ground so they wont climb your trees.
Does this even merit a response? Deer, possums, raccoons, squirrels, etc. could obviously easily access the seed that way. That stuff is way too expensive to do this.

J.Gordon said:
4- put an electric fence around the trees.
This is the only "serious" suggestion you made. Somewhere else, I found advice to wrap electrified wire around the tree trunk. But unless battery-powered kits are available and affordable, there's no way I'm doing that. It's too involved and expensive.
 
I have a problem with raccoons climbing my trees and raiding my bird feeders at night. The trees range in circumference from 12" to 18".

Bringing the feeders in each night is a hassle and sometimes I forget.

One solution I've seen mentioned is to wrap aluminum flashing around the trees. However, none of my trees are mature, and I need to allow for the trunks to expand. I also don't want to do anything that harms the trees (e.g. stapling/nailing the flashing to them).

Can anyone suggest a good way to prevent raccoons from climbing these trees?

air rifle
 
I have a scoped air rifle. It's a Crosman TitanGP .22 that puts out 800 fps with lead ammo and 950 fps with HV ammo. I'm not opposed to using it, but I want a more permanent solution. Killing one raccoon does nothing about the others in the area.
 
Just ordered some Nixalite bird spikes. I'll have to nail them into the tree but that's probably less damaging than having these animals climbing them, scratching the trunk and breaking small branches all the time.

While I'm waiting for the order to arrive, I guess I can give the TitanGP a whirl...
 
Just ordered some Nixalite bird spikes. I'll have to nail them into the tree but that's probably less damaging than having these animals climbing them, scratching the trunk and breaking small branches all the time.

While I'm waiting for the order to arrive, I guess I can give the TitanGP a whirl...

Why not the electric fence a local guy grows sweet corn he put a wire 6" off the ground for coons and 36" for deer around the plots of corn.


A couple of live traps and a bag of marshmallows will get rid of them in a hurry!
 
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I'm lucky if I can screw in a light bulb. Can't afford to pay someone to do it, either. Probably couldn't even afford the parts.
Electric fence isn't too expensive and reasonably simple to install.
I looked on Tractor Supply's website you could put up a temporary fence for under $100.
 
Go to the local Mexican Grocery.

Buy a Big packet of the Muy Caliente Cayanne pepper, and mix it in with the seed.

Birds are immune to Oleoresin capsicum and actually cannot taste it, some even favor it for whatever reason.

Mammals on the other hand, don't care for it much in high doses.

Once the Varmints get lit up, they wont be back as easier and tastier pickin's are available elsewhere.

Video of them getting a mouthfull would be priceless, as they can be most animated when flustered.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote
 
I put carpet tack strips around my wifes bee hives to keep them at bay, several rows deep should do the trick.

I tried that, didn't work, all it did was give them extra traction. I have tried everything in the book, they are crafty devils. I have found only 2 things that are effective.
1. shooting them
2. placing a live trap w/ sardines as bait. Haul them way off somewhere else and let them go. Only problem with this is you also may catch other critters, such as a skunk.
 
I tried that, didn't work, all it did was give them extra traction. I have tried everything in the book, they are crafty devils. I have found only 2 things that are effective.
1. shooting them
2. placing a live trap w/ sardines as bait. Haul them way off somewhere else and let them go. Only problem with this is you also may catch other critters, such as a skunk.
I had them come back after a 10 mile ride!!!!
Didn't do that again!!!! :hmm3grin2orange:
 
I tried that, didn't work, all it did was give them extra traction. I have tried everything in the book, they are crafty devils. I have found only 2 things that are effective.
1. shooting them
2. placing a live trap w/ sardines as bait. Haul them way off somewhere else and let them go. Only problem with this is you also may catch other critters, such as a skunk.

Staked Bucket, Conibear, can of tuna. Done.

When they get to be a real problem, they have to go, and if the neighbor cared about thier Cat they would keep them inside.

Coon worms, leptospirosis and other issues coons bring to the table are real issues. I don't mind them occaisionally bieng a pest, but consistent activity just raises the spectre of unnecessary risks for me and mine...they gotta go, and I wont deal with skunks in a live trap.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote
 
I have a commercial building with multiple level roof and once they can make it to one roof they tear the soffit covers off and go in over the suspended ceilings and wreck the place quickly. I've put up 3 ft. pieces of steel roofing wrapped around the poles and they can't get past that them but they climb up downspouts and it's nearly impossible to keep them out. I caught 6 last summer in a live trap and shot them, one ran in a 12 drain pipe and I shot him and one was in a huge burner I have. He ran out smoking when started some pallets on fire and I shot him. I keep a pan of Golden Malrin mixed with Pepsi in two areas where I'm the only one with access. That's pretty rough stuff and they don't make it far after they eat it. It would be just as deadly to pets or people so it needs to be where no one has access. I don't enjoy killing them, especially when it's up close and personal but they've cost me thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Phil
 
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