We moved to our current location 4 years ago. I put my orchard in that year and also have a small 25x50 area I have fenced in to grow our vegetables. This is garden area is protected by a galvanized fence 4’ up. I also have another layer of chicken wire on the bottom 2’ of the fence. This approach has worked great at keeping the rabbits and other small animals out, but this year I have a new problem. I dedicated about half of my garden this year to sweet corn. I am about a week away from having my first batch ready. I went out yesterday to do my daily check and I was devastated. Many of the corn stalks were knocked over and the colbs were schredded. Has to be coons!!
I have two other plantings of corn behind this first batch that are about 2 weeks behind. I would like try and protected them from these theives! My first thought is to electrify the fence around the garden. I can’t imagine they would want to climb that. Is this possible to electrify a standard fence like this? Has anyone else dones this and is it successful?
You have to run wires on insulaters so it isn’t grounded out. I have 2 strands, one about 6 inches off the ground and another about 6 inches higher. That does a good job of keeping coons and skunks and even squirrels out. You should really have it up before the corn starts making ears, because once they get in and taste it they are harder to keep out.
Pop and Golden Maldrin fly bait. Nothing but coons and skunks will touch the stuff and it has markedly reduced coon pressure for me. A can of cheap, sugared cola and 1/4 cup GM, mix and put in a small cottage cheese cup. Make enough of these to surround your patch about 10’ apart. Say goodnight to Mr. Coon and his sweet tooth family.
I ran an electric fence on top of my garden fence once when I grew a lot of corn. The coons had got in once and they never came back that year. The regular garden fence was 5’ high so they climbed that fence and then got shocked. Your plan will be very effective.
I had a wire near the top of a 4 ft chain link fence surrounding the garden, about 4 inches from the fence itself going outward. with chain link underneath to discourage diggers. It was extremely effective. and that is because the climbing animal is touching metal with its hind paws, and the hot wire with its front paws. It is important to get a charger that zaps them good, not one for cattle, which is too gentle. it is also important to have grounding rods. If you occasionally kill a squirrel with it, it is good.
Cattle fence chargers are plenty strong if installed correctly. I would suggest the variety that can be plugged into a electrical outlet as they do have a little more kick.
Do not use a indiscriminate and illegal poison like was suggested above, you are only kidding yourself if you think raccoons and opossums are the only thing that will ingest it.
I admit I used a 5 mile fencer on a 30’ x 50’ garden so it was hot! They cussed me in raccoon like I’d never heard before. I was laying in bed with the window open listening in case I heard them get around my Fort Knox of gardens. I never underestimate a raccoon.
Ouch – Been there too many times over the years… And many variations of electric fence. We have woven wire deer fence with chicken wire up 3 ft surrounding our 1/2 acre garden/orchard. Installed on that are 2 electric fence wires. Bottom wire is at 3 ft on regular size insulator. The second wire is 3 inches above that on an extension insulator which puts that wire out a few inches from the one below, to discourage “stepping over” the first hot wire. The woven wire/chicken fence is grounded here and there with heavy wire “staples” pounded thru into the ground (old rebar). We use a regular electric fencer available at local feed/farm stores. This has worked well. You do have to keep weeds and grass off it though which is easier with the electric fence wire up 3 ft, rather than close to the ground.
never realized that, with the wire at 4 ft above ground, I was safe from this kind of mishaps. Yet another safety reason to always point your gun’s muzzle down.
A cattle fencer that plugs in has plenty of zap, if it can keep a 2000 pound bull from leaping over to visit the ladies, it should have enough kick for a racoon.
We hooked one up to keep a few cattle and their calves in a select area, right at the moment the cow couriously touched the fence with her nose her calf tried to suck, the poor feller bellowed and jumped back, unsure of what was happening. He gave his mothers udder a look that said “what the hell was that???” The last one in line is the one that gets the shock.
It’s useful to have a fence tester. I have a Zareba Digital Electric Fence Tester, and I use it to monitor the strength of the zap and also to know when the batteries are starting to run down. I’m getting 4-6000v from a portable unit, the Zareba B10l1(10 mile, low impedance). It can also help determine if weeds or grass is shorting the system, and if your ground bar is adequate.
Next year I’m growing a full garden again so I will double check all the fencing that has proved highly effective historically. With the right fence I’ve grown corn in coon country, apples in deer country, raised chickens amidst every predator imaginable! If we don’t prepare for this stuff they will eat everything we have to the ground. Tonight it’s blizzard conditions but I’m well aware the cottontails are going to be moving tonight using the drifts as ways to climb over my garden tubes that protect my trees so the dog and I will be out checking as soon as possible. My garden is a serious obstacle to deer, rabbits, raccoons etc. . I never underestimate a hungry animal nor do I blame them. Either we raise food or not but we cannot half way do it. The gates in the orchard are closed and the dog was busy the last 2 weeks chasing out deer. He lets up after a half mile or so but his intent is to catch them when he catches them in what he considers his territory. He does not appreciate the intrusion. Hopefully some people have their electric fences on tonight they will need them.