Maybe there is something you can do about the raccoons. "Why do raccoons keep coming to my house? Like humans and most other animals, raccoons have three basic needs for survival: food, water and shelter. Your home provides ample opportunities for each. Raccoons are excellent climbers that have no problem scaling fences or finding ways into attics and crawlspaces that provide them entry points." https://www.terminix.com/blog/home-garden/what-attracts-raccoons/
Thanks Ed for the link I'm almost certain I've read it among many others. My problem is not food, water or shelter but they have established a route from the house next door (their shelter) to the alley where they find food and water by climbing over our fence. Once they are over they don't just go to the alley they wander around looking for food knocking over, trampling over, pooping and are noisy when they encounter something that upsets them. One thing that I can't do is tear that house down nextdoor.
What if you put in one of those motion activated sprinklers, @Von Jones , and aimed it at the part of the fence where they come from the neighbor’s yard and into your yard ? Rather than a sprinkler, it is actually a spurting jet of water that goes back and forth over the targeted area; so it would hit them anyplace along your fence line as they crawled over into your yard. I believe that @Bobby Cole got his on amazon, so he can give you a link if you want to know more about how these work. He had it set up to keep the squirrels and birds out of the grapes, which are near the back door, and Rusty (Bobby’s dog) was even afraid to go in or out the door for fear of being hit by the spread of water , after he accidentally went to close to the fence with the grapes, and targeted the sprayer. They just stick into the ground like a regular sprinkler and are easy to move from one location to another, so you could attack anywhere the raccoons ae coming in, and they would soon be looking for another way to the back alley.
I recall that you suggested this before and I did check Amazon for one that would adjust to or around the height of the fence which is 6 feet. There were several styles at varying prices that I can afford. I just don't think I want to pay a higher water bill using it when I don't know when the raccoons will appear.
I do not think that it actually uses much water, @Von Jones . It only comes on for maybe 30 seconds (or less) and only when it senses movement, and then it shuts right back off. I asked Bobby to show you the link for the one we have, and he is the expert on this system, not me. I just watched it and saw how well it works, and think it would stop most anything that was invading where you have it set up.
The water jet only goes on when a critter comes within the area of the sensor and stops when there’s no more movement. It’s like a security light that comes on when something near it moves and shuts off after a few seconds. The water jet is adjustable in that it moves side to side. The sensor on the one depicted is solar powered whereas the one I purchased was cheaper but battery powered. Squirrels do not like it, birds don’t like it, cats do not like it and my big dog Rusty is scared to death of it. (big baby) I can’t imagine why a raccoon(s) would like it either.