Author Topic: Racooons (Read 2328 times)

Bonnie · « **on:** May 08, 2007, 05:44:41 AM »

I'm just sick..

I drained and cleaned the lilypond on Sunday, netting all 100+ goldfish (and a few small koi) and put them in a kiddy pool with a pump and a few lilies until they went to their new homes.

Took my Dad and step Mom the 20 that they wanted and the rest were going to Bonnie, Christy and saving a few of the shubs for Eija.

Yesterday morning I woke up to a few fish missing,I found 3 of them in the lawn.
2 were half eaten so I thought maybe they jumped out and my dogs possibly found them on the ground that morning.

This morning I woke up to the kiddy pool being a muddy mess.. the lilies tore apart, dead fish that were half eaten all over along with floating dead ones.

:'( :'( :'( :'(
They slaughtered my fish!!!!

I never thought that racoons would do that much damage!
I've heard of them getting into lilies and making a few mess but out of around 80 fish, I have approx. ?30? left!!!!!!

No pix.. I refuse to take pix of such a sad sight...

the Julles · « **Reply #1 on:** May 08, 2007, 06:22:44 AM »

So sorry, Bonnie. I'm right there with you. Here in downtown Houston, we have 'coons out the gazooble... our out our storm sewers and attics, to be more accurate.

I don't know what the answer is to raccoons. Having a pond with steep, straight-down sides, instead of gradually sloping sides is one help, as well as giving fish hiding places (ledges, upside-down strawberry pots, milk crates, etc.), and perhaps a good strong cover for your temporary housing.

But raccons are strong and can bypass all sorts of things we do to stop them. They're wasteful, too, as they don't even completely eat the fish they catch - why not catch and eat two, instead of killing every fish in the pond?!?!?

Here in South Texas, since our rice fields and marshes are being turned into housing developments, we have a problem with herons who can't find food in nature, so they turn to our ponds. Yesterday morning, I found three dead fish (including one of my favorites) - in three seperate ponds. Our locat water garden shop advocates putting a strong plastic net / screen over the pond at night. I'm going to use my Christmas give Home Depot Gift Card to buy PVC pipe and screen, and start covering the pond at night - maybe all day, since the neighbors' danged cats seem to take liberties with my yard as well. Looks like Hel*, but at least I'll keep my fish alive.

PS: A good outdoor dog is about the only thing that will sense and chase raccoons.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #2 on:** May 08, 2007, 06:23:17 AM »

Oh Bonnie! :'( I'm so sorry about your fish! That is terrible.

I had a stray dog in my yard last night that went for a swim in my pond and knocked over some lily pots and made a mess. I thought that was bad, but this is AWFUL!!

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #3 on:** May 08, 2007, 06:26:07 AM »

The floating fake alligator has kept the heron (and ducks) out of my pond so far this spring! Maybe you should try one! I got it on ebay for $20, it's a head with a baby alligator on top that can be a spitter. I just tied a rock to the hose and let him float around one area. the little bt of movement seems to be enough to fool the heron.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 08, 2007, 08:21:43 AM »

Bonnie, I'm so sorry. Been there and done that. Raccoons make a mess like a hurricane. The only way I found to stop them was an electric fence. My pond isn't big enough or deep enough to keep them out otherwise. I think when there are so many fish and so easy to catch they just can't stop themselves. Like bears in the salmon runs in Alaska. They grab and take a bite and grab and take a bite again.

Daisy · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2007, 09:07:34 AM »

So sorry Bonnie

Teresa · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2007, 09:21:41 AM »

Sorry Bonnie! Raccoons are really dreadful when it comes to ponds. They don't even have to be hungry to trash a pond. The ones that plagued me would fill up on cat food and then go trash the ponds and lily pots. I had one tear up a lily pot a couple of nights ago, but they didn't unplant the lily this time. Last year they took the tubers completely out of the pot and left them in the yard to dry out and die; I lost helvola, pygmaea and a pretty little pink mini all in one raid. They are miserable to live with and impossible to get rid of . . .

Rocmon · « **Reply #7 on:** May 08, 2007, 10:54:04 AM »

I'm so sorry to hear about the fish and plants—a shallow temporary housing is really a choice find for those little bas@@*%!'s

I hate them with a passion. I have to look at electric fence wire all around my pond, and even then sometimes they brave it to grab my biggest fish or yank out the plants growing along the watefall. I repotted my lotus this year and was excited to see all the tubers that had grown. Putting on lots of fresh growth and one of the three lotus pots had just put up a large arial leaf among the many small ones already crowding the pots. I woke up one morning to find...

The other two lotus pots were not so lucky as this one, which still had a few tubers on the ground.

They harassed the lily pot as well...

I've been keeping a rat trap set on the edge of one pot since then.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #8 on:** May 08, 2007, 11:46:47 AM »

Oh Rocmon! That's sad too. maybe you shoud get a fake gator!! Worth a shot!

Teresa · « **Reply #9 on:** May 08, 2007, 01:04:38 PM »

Fake gators don't even phase raccoons . . . .

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #10 on:** May 08, 2007, 01:43:09 PM »

Really? Darnit! It's worked so well for the herons and ducks.

Marilyn C · « **Reply #11 on:** May 08, 2007, 02:45:19 PM »

Teresa is right. A fake gator would just be a place for a raccoon to sit.

Bonnie, I'm sorry. I don't have any problem with the raccoons here...and there are plenty of them, but I remember when my horses trashed my lilies a couple of years ago, and it took me two years to go out there and clean up the mess. That is how sick it made me.

Bonnie · « **Reply #12 on:** May 08, 2007, 05:41:39 PM »

Thanks, you all understand how terrible this was.....

The kiddie pool is now empty ,I took the remaining fish to bunny (Bonnie) today, as planned. Just didn't have near as many as expected.

Eija, I'll now have to wait until I clean out my lower pond for your fish and this time I will NOT put any in the kiddy pool.

I'm so upset at myself because I should have known better.. we have coons around all the time. I had a pump in there spitting water at the surface and thought that it might scare them away.. NOT.

The lilies that were in there are all uprooted and a mess, now I'll need to wait until they bloom before I know what they are.

This question is gross, but why did they bite the heads off and leave the bodies?

Ky Kim · « **Reply #13 on:** May 08, 2007, 05:54:39 PM »

I've been thinking about that ever since you told me today.

Kim

Bullfrog · « **Reply #14 on:** May 08, 2007, 06:06:17 PM »

I don't know where you live, but in our city animal control will oan you a live trap and they will release the pesky critters far away. They don't cost that much online and you can bait them with cat food or sardines.

It's worth a try.

Kittyzee · « **Reply #15 on:** May 08, 2007, 06:32:06 PM »

Bonnie, I'm so sorry about your fish... :'( We have coons here all the time, they live in the barns and trash my garage all the time. We live trap them all the time and we bait it with marshmallows. The cats don't care about marshmallows but the coons do. Like Teresa mine come for the catfood, they terrorize the cats and tear up everything and poop on stuff too. They can manipulate every device I come up with to put the cat food in. I was putting it in the jeep overnight, so far they haven't found a way to open the doors!

Teresa · « **Reply #16 on:** May 08, 2007, 06:44:35 PM »

Quote from: Bullfrog on May 08, 2007, 06:06:17 PM

I don't know where you live, but in our city animal control will oan you a live trap and they will release the pesky critters far away. They don't cost that much online and you can bait them with cat food or sardines.

It's worth a try.

In most states east of the Mississippi if you have animal control trap a raccoon, it will be euthanized automatically because of the high incidence of raccoon rabies. And in my experience, no matter how many you trap and relocate, there will always be more coming in behind them.

LuAnn - I had one that could open the freezer door and would eat the ice cream every time!!! There is nothing they cannot get into given time . . . I wanna hear when that little devil learns to open the jeep doors!

Bonnie · « **Reply #17 on:** May 08, 2007, 06:59:57 PM »

I don't want them dead, I just want them to go down to the creek and eat those fish.
I agree with Teresa, we have so many around that others will replace them.

Luckily they have never bothered my other ponds. The lilypond is a foot above ground, the lower goldie (soon to be Wakin only) pond is 2 ft above and the main Koi pond isn't within easy reach for them.

The critters are SMART, if a food source is near they will find a way to get to it. We had garbage cans that had handles that "locked" it.. in no time the coons figured that out.

Teresa · « **Reply #18 on:** May 08, 2007, 07:06:23 PM »

If you don't want them dead, don't call the DNR or animal control or even a licensed trapper to remove them. They don't advertise that they are required by law to destroy the animal and test for rabies and, in fact, will out and out lie to you about what the animal's future holds. I didn't know that all the raccoons I was having removed were being destroyed when I called the guy to come get them . . . . didn't find that out till much later and not from him. He even told me stories about releasing them. Later I tried trapping and releasing them myself for a while, but it was a never ending battle . . . . too many of them and only one of me.

Bonnie · « **Reply #19 on:** May 08, 2007, 07:15:29 PM »

I'm sure that some of you won't understand but I'm not going to trap or call animal control. Once they are without food for awhile, they will find food elsewhere. UNtil the next time that is....

Our property is surrounded by woods, there's just no way that we can get rid of all of them.

I only learn from my mistakes and I made a big one which was making them a midnight snack without having to go thru much effort.

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #20 on:** May 08, 2007, 07:22:45 PM »

One of the goldfish u brought today died , a little white one. Probley all stressed out from the "coons" &
rideing in the back of a pickup truck...

...the way u drive.......

We have them here & they usally stay around the barn area. Good old Copper keeps them at bay. He used to get one every so often when he was younger , now he is too old for that.
If they get to be too much trouble I'll just have to get my live trap out & take care of them .
bonnie

Bonnie · « **Reply #21 on:** May 08, 2007, 07:25:33 PM »

Hum.. well they were okay until YOU got them!

Seriously, oh poor baby maybe stressed or maybe internal damage, etc...

backyardponder · « **Reply #22 on:** May 08, 2007, 07:26:55 PM »

Oh no Bonnie!
I'm so sorry to hear this! I hate raccoons, our house is surrounded by woods as well and the little rascals have been around many times. Last year one of them had six babies and they kept going through our garbage until we put all 4 cans in the garage.

This year, they have magically disappeared. I hope they stay away...

Bonnie,
Just let me know when/if you have any fishies for me... No rush,
Eija

Ky Kim · « **Reply #23 on:** May 08, 2007, 09:09:37 PM »

If I would have known, I could have brought Bonnie some goldfish to pass along to you. Dag gone it.

Kim