Raccoons Back

[ghaughian]

I am a new member, have had 240 gallon pond on Phinney Ridge since ~ 1998, been fighting the hungry raccoons ever since.

A few years ago we had 4 shubunkins service over 3 years, got to be about 7 inches long and had 5 babies (black in color); we thought we had the raccoons beat. We made it through last summer and fall, with a false feeling of security. These 4 fish survived dozens of attacks . Then, unusually in winter, the raccoons made one more visit - no fish survived.Here are some of my efforts:

• half round 5 foot tunnel
• spikes at bottom of pond
• my 170 pound Newfoundland
• pepper
• Suranche sauce
• motion activated Scare Crow water sprinkler
• motion activated trail camera flash
• moth balls

It should be noted that there is one fool proof resolution to these critters.
Dig the pond deep enough that the raccoons cannot wade in to go fishing. Raccoons do not like to swim - this solution really works - the rest are folly.

Gregg

 

[addy1]

Agree, they will swim, but if they are swimming they can't really grab a fish. But if wading they have a lot better chance.


From the net:

"The raccoons see your pond as a valuable source of food. They are not "attacking" your pond, but merely exploiting it. Raccoons are nocturnal (that is, they are active at night) and they are adept at using their paws to search for food when it cannot be seen. So they perch on the rocks around your small pond or on the flowerpots in the water and swish through the water trying to grab your fish or snatch the thick, starchy rhizomes of your water lilies.
Raccoons will not enter water that is deeper than they can stand in. Consequently, you want to design your enlarged pond to be at least a foot deep and have the sides drop off at a fairly steep angle. You will want to keep plants and plant pots at least two feet from the edge. This will prevent raccoons from jumping to these "islands." If possible, make the rock edge around the pond steep so that it will not serve as a steady perch from which to trawl your pond waters.
The bigger the pond, the less vulnerable it will be to raccoon raids. The fish will be perfectly safe from the raccoons when they are restricted to standing on the pond edge without a good reach into the water."

 

[j.w]

Gregg. I grew up in Magnolia and went to Q.A and Ballard High School. You are living not too far from my old stomping grounds!

 

[Waterbug]

Fish farms use an electrified wire around the edge of the pond, angled so a bit over the water. Same setup cattle farmers use for fences. I used one for awhile but for me it wasn't worth the ugliness.

 

[sissy]

I would probably shock myself more than a predator with an electric fence LOL .I have not seen any coons here only red and silver fox and an once in a while a bear ,guess I'm lucky not to have them

 

[addy1]

Laughing sissy, i shocked myself more than once with an electric fence, it hurts.
We have racoons, don't see them very often around our yard, every now and then some prints near the pond, nothing else.

 

[sissy]

hair raising shocker .I know the farm across from me has them and believe me I stay far away

 

[Waterbug]

I remember way back in a forum a guy living in a big city in a 3rd or so floor condo with a balcony. He got a picture of the raccoons climbing up a rain gutter down spout to get to his pond. Raccoons are pretty much everywhere on the planet. I went maybe a year before raccoons became interested in my pond.

In the end I dealt with them by changing the pond. First I changed how I planted plants after they dumped the pots all looking for food under them. No more pots,no more plant shelves, direct planting in beds for me. Then they mauled the pump I had in the skimmer. I think the hose must have felt like food because it was vibrating and it was a flexible plastic. They must have thought they'd found a big tasty meal as the chewed the tube up. I covered the skimmer. That was it for me. They never bothered the pond again that I could see. Once in a while at dawn I found wet footprints on the deck, but no damage.

 

[j.w]

They've never bothered my pond in the 11yrs we've been living here and I kinda hope by me saying this I don't jinx it. I do not want to have to deal w/ the mess they could make if they wanted to. My pond is deep tho and has all that fencing and line around it. They'd have to dive in and swim to get to any fish or plants. I suppose they could pull out the lilypads if they wanted but they can go do that in the bathtub pond w/ lilies in it..............much easier for them and they have done it there! Knocking on my wooden computer desk for luck now :fingersx: