Why, oh why don't they dig in the open space formerly occupied by lawn? It's easy to dig there. I can only guess that they have a 6th sense that allows them to detect the grubs beneath the soil and there must be an ample population of grubs in that area that aren't available elsewhere. I think I need to kill the grubs.
Those darn raccoons. This must be so disheartening. The ones who torment me pull plants out of the stream and trample everything that's in the water, but at least they don't dig in the beds. They do sometimes dig large divots out of the lawn, looking for grubs, I think.
They do love water. They pull the seashells out of our fountain and scatter them - that's usually the first sign I have that they've paid a visit. They dig in a number of areas but the bed that was formerly occupied by the Eucalyptus tree is definitely their favorite. Maybe something in the decay of the roots below encourages the spread of grubs.
Oh! Kris, how frustrating, the wire cages don't seem to have deterred them at all. Maybe all that netting you've been working to remove would be good left in to stop them digging? Are they around all year?
Yes, they're year-round residents. The wire cages have helped - this is the first time they've knocked over one of the small gopher cages and they didn't pull it out entirely (just the uncaged plant next to it). They haven't knocked over the large tomato cages at all but I'm not sure I want a couple of dozen more of those around my garden. I hadn't thought about reusing the sod netting somehow - maybe it would annoy them as much as it does me but I'm not sure how well it would stay in place without being anchored by plant roots.
The wire cages have helped protect the caged plants - it's just not feasible to cover every plant. I think the long-term solution is to kill the grubs. The only problem with that is that it's not an overnight solution. The milky spores I bought kill the larvae but it's a good year before there's a decline in mature grubs. Although I may already have missed the optimal window for soil application, our soil remains warm for an extended period so I may try the spores now anyway. Some people also swear by beneficial nematodes to kill grubs so I may try those as well.
The longest periods between visits is about 2 weeks here but there are also spells with nightly visits. I wondered if part of the attraction was the fountain - they don't bother your koi pond? When we first moved in, they dug up our front lawn too but now that we've dug it out (presumably making things easier for them), they're ignoring that area. While they dig sporadically in other beds, they seem to be obsessed with that one bed. I have found grubs there but not zillions of them.
We haven't installed the motion detector sprinklers - not yet, at least. The reviews I read indicate that those are more effective with larger animal, like deer, than raccoons and skunks. I am getting desperate, though...
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How frustrating!
ReplyDeleteoh no !! what a shame !!
ReplyDeleteMariana
NOooooooo!!
ReplyDeleteIt might now be time to try burying chicken wire. The trouble is it might just send them off to another part of the garden.
Why, oh why don't they dig in the open space formerly occupied by lawn? It's easy to dig there. I can only guess that they have a 6th sense that allows them to detect the grubs beneath the soil and there must be an ample population of grubs in that area that aren't available elsewhere. I think I need to kill the grubs.
DeleteOh no :((
ReplyDeleteThose darned destructive raccoons! There are recipes and instructions for cooking raccoon in the Joy of Cooking...
ReplyDeleteI think I'll stick to fish and poultry...
DeleteYou need to call Dwayne LaFontant... Go ahead... Google it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see the movie, Eric, but, based on the Wikipedia article, it doesn't appear that Mr. LaFontant was very successful in dealing with raccoons.
DeleteTrue, yet he was instrumental in the readjustment of the critter's congenital behavior and their re-acceptance of their natural environment.
Deleteoh how frustrating
ReplyDeleteNooooooo! Rascals
ReplyDeleteThose darn raccoons. This must be so disheartening. The ones who torment me pull plants out of the stream and trample everything that's in the water, but at least they don't dig in the beds. They do sometimes dig large divots out of the lawn, looking for grubs, I think.
ReplyDeleteThey do love water. They pull the seashells out of our fountain and scatter them - that's usually the first sign I have that they've paid a visit. They dig in a number of areas but the bed that was formerly occupied by the Eucalyptus tree is definitely their favorite. Maybe something in the decay of the roots below encourages the spread of grubs.
DeleteDo you own a gun? Know how to fire one? It might be time.
ReplyDeleteNo, no gun. I have considered sleeping in the backyard with a slingshot. Too bad I can't pay the coyotes to run patrols.
DeleteOh! Kris, how frustrating, the wire cages don't seem to have deterred them at all. Maybe all that netting you've been working to remove would be good left in to stop them digging? Are they around all year?
ReplyDeleteYes, they're year-round residents. The wire cages have helped - this is the first time they've knocked over one of the small gopher cages and they didn't pull it out entirely (just the uncaged plant next to it). They haven't knocked over the large tomato cages at all but I'm not sure I want a couple of dozen more of those around my garden. I hadn't thought about reusing the sod netting somehow - maybe it would annoy them as much as it does me but I'm not sure how well it would stay in place without being anchored by plant roots.
DeleteOh dear, I am so sorry, the wire netting didn' t help at all. How disappointing. What will you do now?
ReplyDeleteThe wire cages have helped protect the caged plants - it's just not feasible to cover every plant. I think the long-term solution is to kill the grubs. The only problem with that is that it's not an overnight solution. The milky spores I bought kill the larvae but it's a good year before there's a decline in mature grubs. Although I may already have missed the optimal window for soil application, our soil remains warm for an extended period so I may try the spores now anyway. Some people also swear by beneficial nematodes to kill grubs so I may try those as well.
DeleteGrrrrr! Sorry to see that. You did so much work in there.
ReplyDeleteI found a bit of tear-up in one of my rose beds, but they quickly moved on to destroy the lawn of the neighbor up the street instead.
The longest periods between visits is about 2 weeks here but there are also spells with nightly visits. I wondered if part of the attraction was the fountain - they don't bother your koi pond? When we first moved in, they dug up our front lawn too but now that we've dug it out (presumably making things easier for them), they're ignoring that area. While they dig sporadically in other beds, they seem to be obsessed with that one bed. I have found grubs there but not zillions of them.
DeleteOh no. I take it the motion detector sprinklers are not working?
ReplyDeleteWe haven't installed the motion detector sprinklers - not yet, at least. The reviews I read indicate that those are more effective with larger animal, like deer, than raccoons and skunks. I am getting desperate, though...
DeleteI tried the motion detector sprinklers. Didn't work. The animals learned very quickly how to avoid them.
ReplyDelete