should I worry about Racoon living near house?

SkyPup · Mar 28, 2005

Many many many more simply die.

aardvark · Mar 29, 2005

Thanks everyone for the advice. Sorry it's taken so long to reply, about 30 minutes after I typed this I left and drove to Meridian MS and back. I thought it would be a two day trip. LOL. Man was I wrong.

I'll cut the tree down earlier than I had planned. I'll run the bucket up against the trunk and try to shake the tree around a little in the hopes that the Racoon will run away before I start cutting. Is this a good idea or a bad idea? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I can't really shoot him because of the proximity to my neighbors. Also, I can't really eliminate his food source, because my proprty has about 40 citrus fruit trees and 5 or 6 banana trees, as well as some other misc fruit trees. I'm sure he must eat some of these? There is plenty of fruit on the ground that falls also, but normally I crush them when I see them, so that they compost faster. I can't really go around an pick up all the crushed fruit, it would take weeks.

I understand about the rabies. I got bit by a pit bull last year and the doctors in the emergency room explained to me what I would need to do if the dog coudn't be found to verify whether or not it had rabies. Luckily animal control found the dog and it was not rabid, just really mean.

What about a poison? I have a couple ducks that live in my yard, and I also have a bunch of geese that fly over to my yard, and sometimes the neighbors goat rams enough of my fence apart and gets into my yard, and eats the palm trees, and plants, and tree bark, etc. I don't want to poison the ducks or the geese, but frankly, I wouldn't care if the goat got his just rewards.

OR, if I cut the trees down, will he just go away? I was out looking at the palsm again this evening, and I realized I also have a big snake living behind the gutter on the back of the house near where the Racoon was. Animals like Racoons and such don't really scare me, but snakes, those things I just don't like. Any ideas on how to get rid of him? He looks like he must be prety big just based on the diameter of his body.

aardvark · Mar 29, 2005

Also, by chance can the little lizards carry the Baylisascaris worms? My cat is constantly getting the little lizards which are all over down here. He's an indoor cat, but I let him onto the screened patio, and the lizards find thier way into the patio. He get probably a couple a week. I make him spit the lizard out whenever I catch him tormenting one, but I can't be there 100% of the time. I'm constantly finding mangled lizard carcasses in the doorway to the kitchen.

Tractors4u · Mar 29, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I can't really shoot him because of the proximity to my neighbors. )</font>

Crossman used to make a .22 caliber pellet rifle. Pump it up real good and you could take him out with that without the neighbors thinking there was a drive by shooting going on.

SkyPup · Mar 30, 2005

Lizards do not carry the dangerous Ascaris roundworms, but that raccon sure does.

If you have a BB gun, you might try shooting the coon a couple of times and maybe he'll get the message.

PBinWA · Mar 30, 2005

A Ruger 10/22 is real quiet. It barely sounds louder than a pellet gun. Most of them are fairly accurate out of the box.

Raccoons should be easy to trap with the right bait. You can buy large live traps at most farm stores or probably make your own by searching the internet for some plans.