Raccoons

[Ryuu]

I found out there's a raccoon living in one of the basement window wells, and was gonna go chase it out. But then I realized that it just gave birth to four cubs (awwwww or aww crap?) lol

So what do I do? The nice thing to do would be to let it stay there until the cubs get bigger then get them out and seal up the window well, but I don't know what kind of problems that will bring me.

Should I chase them out now? or maybe keep them as pets

So far it didn't cause any trouble, it just stays curled up in the well most of the time.

[leafsrule06]

I saw freakin racoons mating on my deck recently....twice within days they were up there. Looked like the female propped herself up under my bbq for the male to jump her. Then I think they went under my deck so I think I'm in for a gang of these things in the near future and have no idea whether they'll just go away or if it will be an ongoing home for them. When I turned the light on during their session the male I presume looked at me and walked over to the door. Next morning I saw a big load of crap next to my patio door.

I hear that these things very oftem have rabies and that the fecies can contain very dangerous bugs to children and I have a toddler who's going to be all over the backyard soon. Now I wish I had enclose the outside of my deck but don't want to do it now if they're under there.

[nzeeshop]

Call pets control, they`ll come and get then out. Then can be a big problem.
My friend was telling me they eat there way under the roof and it cost then$10,000.00 in repairs. Don`t think they are cute because they can be a pest.
Good Luck

[gr8dlr]

I saw freakin racoons mating on my deck recently....twice within days they were up there. Looked like the female propped herself up under my bbq for the male to jump her. Then I think they went under my deck so I think I'm in for a gang of these things in the near future and have no idea whether they'll just go away or if it will be an ongoing home for them. When I turned the light on during their session the male I presume looked at me and walked over to the door. Next morning I saw a big load of crap next to my patio door.

Perhaps you should charge a cover charge to come over.... This was so funny I had to read it again....someone who can draw animations please do it.

[sungfra]

Better get professional to do it properly. Mother raccoons are very agreesive

[Techhead]

If ya call animal control to remove them, they will kill them. Control will not relocate Raccoons.

The window well will become to small an area for the family to live, eventually mother will move them to a bigger home to live.

[flip114]

I have a family of racoons living under my deck. Last summer I noticed poop all over my deck. Then one day I saw two racoons going under my deck. The next day I covered their entrance way with a rock. They simply dug around it. My rose bush was being trimmed so I used the thorns and lined them up against the, by this time 4 entrance ways, to prevent them from entering again. Still did not work. Tried to flush them out with some water, no luck. If only they paid rent it would be ok, but I guess this summer Im going to have to call Animal control.

[Gotcha]

They are a pain to get rid of.... especially after they have mated... they will always come back no matter how secure you close the opening... after you succeed to get them out that is...

my friend had one and tried all sorts of trap and they are too clever to catch.. finally, they left , so he decided to close the hole using steel plates and rivetted them....
a season has passed and they were back!!! They managed to pull it a corner off and bent it further to squeeze their way in!!
This time they took the insulator off and made a mess...

Let us know how you get rid of them eventually... i have a family of racoons who came for a visit recently by my patio door ... i just hope they are not looking into moving my place:P

[mcplar]

a rotten steak and some rat poison should work....

[Vladimir]

the best way we found for taking care of racoons is you get a carbonated soda (we use coke) and mix it with fly poison. Racoons literally die within a minute or 2 of drinking it.
We have a bowl of this stuff out in the corn patch all summer long, and often we will go out and find anywhere between 1-5 dead racoons within a few meters of the bowl (usually right beside it).

We tried many other things before finding this solution.. The 2nd best way was putting a radio or music outside and that kept them away for a while, but eventually it didn't trick them anymore.

Just don't trap it. So what you trap it and dump it on someone elses lawn? Trust me, I know a couple people drop off their racoons around our place, they think they are being fair to the racoons, but they die couple days later when they find our poison.

[macy69]

...I hear that these things very oftem have rabies...

Raccoon rabies is not common. Very few cases in recent years...at least in Ontario

...Just don't trap it. So what you trap it and dump it on someone elses lawn? Trust me, I know a couple people drop off their racoons around our place, they think they are being fair to the racoons, but they die couple days later when they find our poison.

fair? compared to your solution, which isn't really viable (or legal) in a large urban setting. Hope I never have to visit your Sovkhoz, comrad general.

[zoro69]

There is NO Raccoon rabies in ON

ON has previously met the international standard (2 years without a case) to declare itself raccoon strain free (raccoons don't get other strains)

There had been just over 100 cases over a number of years (out of estimate 1,000,000 raccoon population), confined to a relatively small area brockville mallorytown ottawa (one year on wolf island). Op in Markham, there has NEVER been a case anywhere near there. The "at risk zone" for many years has been highway 38 (kingston) and east. where they did vaccine drops

The babies will start leaving with the mother 8-10 weeks after being born. Though if she thinks its not a good space she will carry them one by one elsewhere

"or maybe keep them as pets "

they will get very friendly, very easily (very gentle, highly intelligent animals). they are kept as indoor pets in some places (illegal here), but lots of people have friendly wild ones around

"Not to mention if you had some small pets outside at night the raccoons would probably kill them"


they do not kill small pets..

[Vladimir]

fair? compared to your solution, which isn't really viable (or legal) in a large urban setting. Hope I never have to visit your Sovkhoz, comrad general.

I love responses like yours. When a mosquito bites you, or a fly buzzes around your head do you kill it? If so, what makes that any better then killing a raccoon?
Raccoons are PESTS just like insects. You obviously never worked on a farm. If we do not take care of them they would destroy our gardens and crops (you know, what we actually need to eat)
Not to mention if you had some small pets outside at night the raccoons would probably kill them

Any farmer I know would LAUGH hard at the thought of capturing it instead of taking a 22 to it

[mcplar]

There is NO Raccoon rabies in ON

ON has previously met the international standard (2 years without a case) to declare itself raccoon strain free (raccoons don't get other strains)

There had been just over 100 cases over a number of years (out of estimate 1,000,000 raccoon population), confined to a relatively small area brockville mallorytown ottawa (one year on wolf island). Op in Markham, there has NEVER been a case anywhere near there. The "at risk zone" for many years has been highway 38 (kingston) and east. where they did vaccine drops

The babies will start leaving with the mother 8-10 weeks after being born. Though if she thinks its not a good space she will carry them one by one elsewhere

"or maybe keep them as pets "

they will get very friendly, very easily (very gentle, highly intelligent animals). they are kept as indoor pets in some places (illegal here), but lots of people have friendly wild ones around

"Not to mention if you had some small pets outside at night the raccoons would probably kill them"


they do not kill small pets..

Hmmm.... the MNR would disagree with that statement -

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business...02_166309.html

[zoro69]

???

that, from 2007, says the last case was in 2005 and points out geographically where the 130 cases were (as i described). its difficult to find newer as there has been nothing to report (it is there, somewhere)

which is what i said

Note the tiny border areas now for precautionary vaccine program in 2008, previously it was a very large area of eastern ON
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/228710.pdf