We just moved our family a bit further from Downtown Toronto and haven't started gardening yet (I have 2 large potted strawberry plants) , just cleaning our new yard and building sheds. Our yard is fully fenced-in and has no trees but our neighbour has a few tall trees and a small raccoon colony ( at least 12 raccoons) living on his property who regularly visit our yard pretty much any time they like and munch on my strawberry plants. I did some research on possible ways to repel raccoons like soaking rags in turpentine and leaving them around the property, leaving talk radio playing at all hours…etc
I would love to see what actually worked for people here to keep raccoons from destroying your gardens. Talk radio doesn't work on them at all and I don't want turpentine.. Thanks in advance.
A natural product called 'Critter Ridder' ($18)worked for me - I thinks it's some kind of pepper based pellets. Sprinkle them around the strawberries. It doesn't affect the taste.
I've also tried those little toy wind spinners from the dollar store - they spin in the wind day or night (when the raccoons like to raid gardens) - just stick them in the ground or into a short bamboo stick.
Also, Lee Valley Tools sells a $75 'motion activated sprinkler' which hooks up to your garden hose and goes off when it 'senses' motion (ie raccoons) http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=44958&cat=2,51555,44958
hmm I like the idea of motion activated sprinklers, hope it works, thanks for all the tips 🙂
The raccoons also come into our yard when we're in it, they seem to not be afraid of humans at all, I'm worried that my neighbour feeds them, which is bad news for us.
We used a combo of Critter Ridder and Tink's Coyote Urine spray (Canadian Tire has it) and it's seems to be working.
Last year we had them constantly getting onto our roof trying to pry off the vent covers to nest. We had them from April to December last year but when we remembered to constantly stick to our spraying schedule it worked well...that and a slingshot.
We sprayed the front yard tree (access to the roof, city tree we're not allowed to touch), the lawn along the side walk because they just walk down the sidewalk and around the foundation and first 3 ft of the brickwork of the house and up the chimney brickwork where they could climb.
Raccoons don't appreciate cold soaking while on a roof top, combined with slingshot
They play in sprinklers, I wouldn't waste my money on motion sprinklers...they're very smart and learn to avoid them...but that's my experience with them around here. You may get different results.
I'm the lady you're stuck behind in the grocery store with the over loaded cart filled with cases of tuna, peanut butter, huge bags of rice and the weary looking husband
Thank you, ratdogmom 🙂