# Ideas needed to keep raccoons out of my yard (please, don't laugh in my face) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783 "2015-10-07T03:38:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783/61 "2015-10-13T17:40:28Z")
I had a family of raccoon take up residence under my backyard shed. A sponge soaked in ammonia and tossed under the shed convinced them to pack up and move on. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783/62 "2015-10-13T18:22:40Z")
We just buy some really cheap cat fish food and a large bowl of water. Keeps them from digging up the yard in search of grubs. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783/63 "2015-10-13T18:38:33Z")
My [adventures](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12239632&postcount=20) with raccoons at my Grandparents’ house. An update since then: someone comes out to fill the feeder for them, a story my Mother wound up reluctantly telling me because my Grandparents didn’t want me to know how ineffective their grandson was. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783/64 "2015-11-01T12:41:19Z")
Wow, this is actually a far more serious problem than I ever imagined. The raccoons down at my Mother’s family farm in Georgia were always scary - size of bear cubs they were - but I’ve never heard of them actually pack hunting or advancing on humans before. > **[Pack of raccoons attacks a couple in the Richmond District](https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Pack-of-racoons-attack-a-couple-in-the-Richmond-6603325.php)** > > A group of raccoons attacked a couple and their two small dogs in the Richmond District... The article says there was a similar incident just last month. So yeah, your local animal control may be more helpful if you point this out to them. :shudder: ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783/65 "2015-11-01T14:26:18Z")
Rabies certainly comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783/66 "2015-11-01T14:40:48Z")
May I humbly suggest you stop by the local dog groomer and request a couple of large bags of mixed dog hair cuttings. Spread them around the perimeter of the property. Leave no break. These are urban raccoons familiar with family dogs. Your yard will smell like a confusing mix of many dogs, they may just opt for the neoghbours yard instead, as you say you’re not growing food. Another thing to try, if you don’t mind killing a little grass is to fill a soap squeeze bottle with bleach and again do the entire perimeter leaving no break. Animals hate the smell and often will not cross it. Alternate between the two to confuse the buggers! Good Luck! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783/67 "2015-11-01T16:37:49Z")
We managed to keep raccoons out of our garden with electric fencing. We ran two strands around the entire garden, one about four inches above the ground, one about six inches above that. It seemed to work, and we grew sweet corn, which is pretty much cocaine to the little beggars. A good fence controller isn’t cheap, but it worked for us. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783/68 "2015-11-04T16:25:19Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Shoot one. Put its head on a pole as a warning to the others. I’d go with crucifixion. Live, of course, so when you nail their little paws to the crossbeam they’ll scream and wail for a god long time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-needed-to-keep-raccoons-out-of-my-yard-please-dont-laugh-in-my-face/733783.md?page=3)