Hello,
I think I have a raccoon problem. Just as my apples are ripening they disappear with no trace. No mess on the ground, just gone. I’m planning to trap them. Is it really worth the effort? Can I have an effect on the population or do more of them just move in? I’m ready for war.
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What about squirrels? Do you see any broken branches?
I can clean mine out and it has an immediate benefit. Another family moves in for the next year, maybe before. But it’s worth the effort at least here.
Tiny marshmallows work great in my trap without trapping cats. An occasional skunk but those need to go also.
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It felt good to get rid of them when I trapped them, but there seemed to be a never ending supply of them here. I wrapped the trees with two foot flashing a couple feet up the trunk to prevent them from climbing this year. So far that has been working great for all of the climbers. If only I could defeat the birds. My trees are to big for nets.
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Ribs 1,
I did that for a year. You must be a dedicated raccoon killer. They just keep coming! To trap is to kill. You can’t just release in other areas to be other peoples problem. In many states it is forbidden by law
We moved to an electric fence, solved all our problems.
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Electric fence solved my problems also. They bump the wire one time and don’t return.
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Electric fencing may be more humane as well.
I found out how they worked the hard way and since then, i, too, do not mess with Electric fences 
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Please share pictures of these electric fences that deter raccoons. Is it just for the fall?
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At my site coon pressure varies a great deal season to season- some years I only trap and kill one or two and on others I lose count once I get past 20. One way or another, they always prefer marshmallows to my fruit so as long as I keep setting at least 2 baited traps I can control their damage completely.
In 30 years I’ve never seen coons go after immature fruit at my site or any of the scores of orchards I manage, they just don’t do that here. Only squirrels and chipmunks are ever interested in green fruit. I’ve been told that squirrels do it to grind down their teeth (that they would be killed if they didn’t) and often they leave shredded fruit at the base of trees- but only sometimes.
All that said, I don’t remember them ever going after green apples- it is always peaches, nects and pears. I mean, they will go after less ripe apples than any other pilferiger but not when they are small and bitter.
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Here is a few photos of my double fence (deer and electric):
It is also doing a great job with other problem mammals (bears, possums, groundhogs, skunks) but not sure about squirrels as I don’t have a lot of them (we have a lot of predators that keep them under control).
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Same here, frustrating problem to deal with my first year having fruit. I tried my first nectarine and thought It needed 3-5 more days, when I come back all 30-40 mini nectarines were gone, so were mini-apples.
Whatever ate them even left at least two cleaned pits on the ground. I see raccoon road kill everywhere near me so I’m blaming them
Murky,
my electric fence has two key elements, welded/chicken wire for the first 2 ft and then close hots. The wire fence is because you need to get above the weeds. Also, the chicken wire keeps even squirrels out. They have to climb the grounded fence only to get hit by the hots just 2 inches above the fence.
My gate is the same, made of PVC pipe.
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Oh, very nice. Do you spray the fence line, weed whack?
@Paddy …
A dedicated coon killer…
I used to be one… actuall was a trapper back in the late 70s and 80s. Caught 35 coons in one night back in 1985.
Back in those days a coon pelt sold for 20-24 bucks.
Bought several guns that I still have today… and helped put myself thru college with fur money.
Yes… we caught many other critters too… fox, bobcat, muskrat, possum, mink, etc…
I use a box trap now to collect the occasional tomato muncher from my garden.
TNHunter
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No weed whacking, but I either spray or mulch. This year I didn’t spray, but added wood chips from outside.
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@fullplate … Got my box trap… best I remember from TSC store … probably at least 10 years ago.
It is 32 inches long… 12 inches high and 10.5 inches wide.
I have used it many times to catch squirrels, possums, coons.
With coons… they are pretty smart critters… it is best to camaflauge / hide the box trap some. Partially cover with leaves, vines, grass to make it blend in some.
It may take some patience to catch them too…
For example… put your bait outside the box trap entrance. Let the coon have it at first without having to enter the trap… and gradually move the bait to the trap entrance… and finally to the very back past the trigger pan.
Some smart old coons… you need to do that.
Good luck !
TNHunter
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That is a great idea . . . to put some chicken wire that is climbable, at the bottom. They’ll start to climb, like you said . . . and then BOOM they’ll get some ‘negative feedback’! Keeps those who like to get in from the bottom, out, too.
We cage each tree and that makes just about every bit of their care, during the summer . . . pretty impossible. I hope I have the energy, this winter - to build something that uses electric shocks. And we are always having to make sure that we have enough room to walk around each tree, inside its cage. By the end of the summer . . . I am cussing every time my shirt or my hair gets snagged by a branch. It wears on you after awhile. Thanks for showing the pics.
Yeah, man. I use a live trap, put a little peanut butter on a lid (I’m sure you have tons of little plastic lids from used products–I used to use a piece of bread, but, after some time, I learned I didn’t need to (plus, I ended up eating some of the bread, since it was in the house, which wasn’t good for me)). I trap skunk, though. They love my yard, because it’s got beetles, worms, etc, because of the woodchips. I hate to wake up and see my yard full of little holes.
I have to drive my little critters out 15mi, but, depending on where you live, you may have a better option.
If you drive them out 15 miles and let them go… you are just giving your problem to someone else (like me) that lives out there a bit.
Kill them, clean them, cook them, eat them… that is my first choice.
Squirrels and rabbits go that way.
Coons and possums… i have buzzards that like them much more than I do… tossed out in my field they clean them up on day 1.
TNHunter