This week we will be tackling a question regarding pests, that came to us via the Twittersphere!
Q: How do I keep those pesky RWC raccoons from ravaging my garden!?! – Bobbak S
There are far more Raccoons in the urban/suburban setting than there are in the wild!
Raccoons want what we offer them: food and shelter! It is easier to obtain these necessities of life from suburbia than it is from the wilderness!
Since it wasn’t specified what kind of damage the raccoons are doing, we’ll have to speculate. Are they digging up your lawn (sod), getting into your trash cans or stealing vegetables and fruit? Here are some common humane solutions to these types of problems.
Let’s start with the basic idea of a giant barrier. You cannot keep the raccoons out of your yard without fencing them out. The type of fence that you would need would be extremely cost-prohibitive!
So…try and figure out what they are after at your house and eliminate that attraction.
- Digging up your lawn? –They usually do this in the late summer and fall when the white grubs are near the soil surface, eating the roots of your lawn and shrubs. The Grubs are a major food source for raccoons. You can discourage the raccoons by eliminating the soil insect pests.
- Stealing your vegetables and fruit? Plant enough for them, too! …Or, once again, exclusionary fencing (chicken wire cages) around the veggie beds and netting around the fruit trees.
- Are they getting into your trash cans? Use bungee cords to tie the trash can lids down.
- Don’t leave dog or cat food where the raccoons have access to it.
- Homeowners can have “some” luck with motion activated sprinkler systems and, occasionally, with chemical repellents or ammonia stations –but neither of these measures are 100%!
And lastly, some people attempt to trap and relocate the raccoons…this is not a good idea. There is always another raccoon ready and willing to take the place of the one you removed!
Do you have a question? Email us at recnews@redwoodcity.org , Tweet to@rwcparksandrec or comment on Facebook.