I'm with you on that, we try to let them live but sometimes the snake just has to go. We have caught many over the years and take them back to woods but had to kill a couple who kept coming back.
I'm cracking up at the thought of you driving away the raccoons and making them do war chants on someone else's property! I wonder what their next step will be. I had raccoons invade my previous house. I think a squirrel made a small hole and the raccoons enlarged it. They got trapped & removed, and the points of entry were sealed up. There was nothing outside that they were disturbing. I wonder if there's a way for you to deter them from your yard in general, rather than just keeping them off of that one tree.
The thing I hate about raccoons is that when they've eaten all that they want from the squirrel/bird bowl, they dump the rest out and often crap in the area of the bowl.
We ditched out birdbath for much the same reason. I would clean it and it would be filthy a few days later. As for the raccoons around here, it seems the coyotes are keeping them in check.
Most of our wild life is gone now and its sad. We had all kinds even a Florida panther seen every few years. I was surprised the coon survived the rural sprawl since all cut down the forested areas. We still have snakes too. One found couple weeks ago on the dirt road dead. Somebody shot it.A couple young guys look for them to draw venom,ask us to please call if we see one. We have caught and released several over the years, hubby was using a grabber for elders,now he has a real snake grabber. He said it is so much easier. The young men who catch rattlers and moccasins seem to be good people.They were just kids when we moved here.
Hey everyone. I've been quite busy catching up on yard work since the weather has been good. As to what has been happening with the raccoons. They are still around and I saw only two. I believe was the mother and the kit. There were three. I saw on two separate instances passive attempts to climb the tree but unsuccessful. Not hearing or seeing them much now. It wasn't easy to attach the flashings to the tree because of the deep crevices in the bark. I don't believe the staples will do too much harm.
Ore area is overrun by - wait for it - armadillos! They dig under our yard fence to get to something in the yard, possibly water. The dogs go crazy, but haven't been able to catch one yet.
My son lives in Georgia and sent me a photo of an armadillo passing through their yard. I don't know anything about them other than what they look like.
I saw one when I stayed at Disneyworld a loooonnnnggg time ago. I was so excited because we have nothing like them here. Next I want to see a pangolin. Not a lot of chance in the wilds of Wisconsin or even Florida. Armadillos are probably not welcomed by groundskeepers.
Hey everyone. Well you don't have to guess what the subject is so here's my story entitled 'The Blackout.' I was awaken by them again. As I lay in bed dreading to reach for my flashlight I listened. They sounded really different almost like children laughing I thought. I peeked just a little and saw one heading away to one of the well known exists that they use. Then all of a sudden two others were frolicking in the yard . Flipping and running after each other making that sound as if to say 'Tag you're it!' I could not believe my backyard had become a playground . I immediately grabbed my flashlight and they scurried away. Shaking my head I lay back down. It was 3:30 am and I couldn't go back to sleep after this discovery. This was the first time I've ever witnessed this. I guess these were the offspring of the mating season. Anyway my thoughts of why, why, why my yard? I closed my eyes and then it dawned on me that my backyard is the only one that has lighting. If it is the lighting that is attracting them that is the only reason that I could come up with that makes sense to me. With that said I have decided to eliminate the lights knowing the it will be pitch black back there. After a couple of nights sitting at my computer glancing into darkness from the window barely being able to see the glare from the flashing on the tree * I am not a happy camper. I'm even hesitant to set up my solar lights for the summer.
Hopefully this playing around period won't last very long. I just read that raccoons only have one litter a year. That's good. Squirrels have two.
Hey Von. It's nice to see you and I hope things are going well (raccoons notwithstanding.) Just FYI, I read this on a pest-control website: Deter raccoons from coming back with “humane harassment.” Raccoons love spaces under homes and decks because they’re dark, quiet, and safe. Using floodlights to illuminate the space and placing store-bought scent-based deterrents (or homemade options, like vinegar, dirty cat litter, or ammonia) decreases the appeal of these environments, and makes it less likely that raccoons will return. Make your own raccoon repellent. Raccoons have highly sensitive noses and are easily deterred by certain smells, like pepper. Mix a gallon of water together with a few drops of liquid dish soap and a bottle of hot sauce (or an entire spice jar of powdered cayenne pepper). Spray the mixture anywhere you’ve noticed raccoon activity. So maybe if the ammonia didn't work, the hot pepper might.