Held hostage I was by a huge a*s racoon.
Here I was listening to my neighbor and some of her woes as I made my way to the store this evening.
She's chatting and I see this big animal on my lawn.
I'm like "What in the he*l is THAT?" and my neighbor is all like "Oh my G-D. It's a racoon, and it's huge", and she runs in her house. So, I start shooing it and yelling and stomping, but like 100 feet from this thing. It would not budge.
I went to the store and come back and here he is just hanging out on my little urban postage size lawn. So, I found a plastic like Gatorade bottle and threw it in his direction and he ran. Here then I realized he was getting water from my hose. It has a leak and I guess he was thirsty.
Racoon's in the city? YIKES! Thought I'd share. Oh and even though he ran away I yelled all the way up my steps and stomped my feet just in case his family was up there.
I would think it would be normal to see a racoon here and there...
Been kinda dry the past few weeks, makes sense he was looking for a drink.
My yard is like a wildlife refugee, and we ain't all that rural...
I think it is all the building, pushing certain animals where we wouldn't usually see them...
You have a good one, and watch for roving packs of raccons...
Love yah,
Tina
Been kinda dry the past few weeks, makes sense he was looking for a drink.
My yard is like a wildlife refugee, and we ain't all that rural...
I think it is all the building, pushing certain animals where we wouldn't usually see them...
You have a good one, and watch for roving packs of raccons...
Love yah,
Tina
Ummmmmmmmmmm, I ain't over the bridge..............LOL........remember our houses are stuck together............LOL.........nobody is building over here........they're all running away...............for real.
T, I lived in this neighborhood for let's see..........40 some years and I never saw a racoon..............I saw that opossum.............no racoon........and my friend who saw it with me she's like Wanda Woods Wanderer" and she's like "OHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYYYYY G-B! That thing is HUGE"........tell me about it...........yepper the poor guy was needing water.
T, get your fountain set up and I'll bring him over...........LOL.......man, I'd be freakin out if I was in your yard............dang racoon all staying on my lawn!
Razzafrazum.............I understand if they come out in day though ya best run........as that is not a good sign.
T, I lived in this neighborhood for let's see..........40 some years and I never saw a racoon..............I saw that opossum.............no racoon........and my friend who saw it with me she's like Wanda Woods Wanderer" and she's like "OHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYYYYY G-B! That thing is HUGE"........tell me about it...........yepper the poor guy was needing water.
T, get your fountain set up and I'll bring him over...........LOL.......man, I'd be freakin out if I was in your yard............dang racoon all staying on my lawn!
Razzafrazum.............I understand if they come out in day though ya best run........as that is not a good sign.
LMAO not building there, building over here.
Of course people are splitting, damn it, you got raccoons
You know it could have been a big fat rat, lounging around
I think I am losing the city girl in me, I took a liking to the bugs and critters.expect the chipmunks, I am evicting them, they can live in my neighbors yardunless you want me to send them there, we can work a trade, my chipmunks for your raccoon lol
Of course people are splitting, damn it, you got raccoons
You know it could have been a big fat rat, lounging around
I think I am losing the city girl in me, I took a liking to the bugs and critters.expect the chipmunks, I am evicting them, they can live in my neighbors yardunless you want me to send them there, we can work a trade, my chipmunks for your raccoon lol
The raccoon, or simply "coon", is one animal that most people are well-acquainted with. They are found commonly in every one of the lower 48 States, in much of southern Canada and throughout Mexico and Central America. Raccoons are very adaptable animals and thrive in all kinds of habitats from the desert southwest to tropical forests and northern hardwoods. Unlike many wildlife, raccoons also do especially well in urban areas.
Raccoons are found statewide in Florida in ever-increasing numbers. Urbanization and agriculture often help their population because food often becomes more available in these conditions. Therefore, it is not at all uncommon to encounter raccoons near your home or neighborhood.
There is no mistaking a raccoon for any other animal. Its stout, bear-like body, prominent black mask and heavily furred, ringed tail all are distinctive. Adult raccoons are about 2 to 3 feet long (including their 10-inch tail) and weigh anywhere from 10 to 30 pounds. Larger animals sometimes are recorded, but Florida raccoons tend to be smaller than those farther north. Their color generally is a grizzled salt-and-pepper gray and black with a light belly. Often the "white" hairs are noticeably yellowish. Both all-black and all-white animals sometimes occur.
Raccoons are active mostly during the evening hours. On most days, they leave their den soon after dusk and are active until morning. It is not unusual, however, for them to linger in their den well past nightfall, and during particularly nasty weather they may not venture out at all.
Individual raccoons normally use a home range of 1 to 3 square miles and are somewhat territorial, especially the males. Raccoons seen in small groups most likely are females with young or unassociated adults from neighboring territories brought together by a large food source. Where food is plentiful, raccoons may travel more than a mile from their home range to feed. They also will tolerate severe reductions in territory size. Raccoon densities of 100 per square mile can be attained around abundant food sources.
Raccoons are not fussy about their choice of food. Although classified as a carnivore, the raccoon eats as much or more plant as animal matter during the year. When fruits, acorns, vegetables and seeds are ripe and available, they will feed heavily on them. At other times and places they will specialize in eggs, insects, crayfish, frogs, fish and small mammals. They'll eat dead animals that they encounter; they'll raid bird feeders and pet food bowls when they're kept full; and they'll check out garbage cans that aren't secured.
Raccoons also are not fussy about their living quarters. Under normal conditions, they usually select a den in a hollow tree, usually a large limb instead of the trunk. Dens in trees may be anywhere from ground level to 60 feet above ground. In urban and other areas where tree dens are lacking, raccoons choose a wide variety of "cavities" including rock and debris piles, attics, crawl spaces beneath mobile homes, culverts and sewer drains.
Breeding occurs first when they are one year old. Normally, one litter is born each year. In Florida, this generally occurs in March and April. Litters average about 3 to 4 young, though as many as 7 have been recorded. Newborn raccoons' eyes remain closed until about 20 days old, they are weaned at 10 to 12 weeks, and the offspring may stay with their mother until they are 10 months old.
Raccoons have few enemies other than man. A few are killed by predators such as bobcats and horned owls, but the overall numbers are insignificant. Automobiles likely kill more.
The greatest problem with raccoons is disease. Raccoons are known to carry a wide variety of diseases. Most of these are harmless to them and to people, but a few, such as distemper, can kill raccoons when their populations get too dense. These diseases also can infect pets that are not vaccinated. Rabies is another such disease. The risk of rabies is small (less than 1 out of 200 raccoons in the wild have been exposed to rabies), but the risk should never be taken lightly. Raccoons are wild animals and should never be treated as pets.
Solving Raccoon Problems
Raccoons are one of our most successful urban animals and are therefore frequently observed in our yards and around our homes. This should not, by itself, be cause for alarm. Under most conditions, raccoons are harmless, interesting neighbors. Treated as part of the natural community, you will occasionally get a glimpse of one going about its business, and these can be fascinating times. Problems with raccoons often arise because we find it so difficult not to "do something" for them.
Feeding raccoons is one such case. Because they eat just about everything imaginable, raccoons are almost never in danger of starving--especially in Florida's mild climate. Even in urban landscapes, raccoons find plenty to eat. By putting food out for them, we condition them to lose their "respect" for people--a trait that aids greatly in their ability to survive. It also causes local populations to become denser than the habitat can adequately support. At these times, raccoons begin to look more closely at your home to provide them shelter and they are more likely to become ill and to transmit diseases.
Types of Problems
Raccoon problems are varied, but most can be divided into 2 major categories. Both of these are discussed in detail in the following sections.
Feeding
Raccoons often become a nuisance by their feeding habits. When this occurs, your best strategy is to prevent their access to this food wherever possible. If raccoons are raiding your pet's food dish, feed your pet during daylight hours and remove the uneaten food before dusk. If raccoons are raiding your garbage can, then make this can inaccessible. Get a raccoon-proof garbage can or weight the lid down so that they can't open it. Keep your garbage cans in the garage or build a bin with a latchable lid to store them in.
Eating Crops
Many other raccoon feeding problems, however, are not as easily solved and are not directly tied to feeding them. Everyone who has ever tried to grow sweet corn and other vegetables with a raccoon in the area has likely lost a good share of their potential harvest. Raccoons can be quite frustrating to fruit and vegetable growers. Solving these problems can be equally frustrating. Be aware that repellents of any kind (and, yes, that includes mothballs) and scare devices will not be successful. No raccoon in the world will pass up the opportunity to dine on something ripe and delicious simply because there is a strange odor or object nearby. One method that will work is to prevent access and, where possible, the best of these is an electric fence. A single strand, solar-powered electric fence with the wire 8 inches above the ground can do wonders to keep raccoons out while not harming them in the least. The only other method is to remove the animal from your yard by means of a live trap.
Living in the attic (or elsewhere in the house)
Perhaps the greatest problem with raccoons occurs when they set up housekeeping inside your residence. Raccoons often come into an attic or crawl space when an entry point to the outside is not repaired, either through neglect or by failing to notice it. Torn screens or soffits, open chimneys or broken windows are common entry points. They also may take up residence beneath your mobile home or deck. Once a raccoon has moved in, it is difficult to cause it to leave. Chasing the animal out somehow and then sealing off the entry hole will, almost always, not work because the raccoon will return and force its way back in again. At this point, it will cause more damage than it did before. Physically removing the nuisance raccoon with a live trap generally is the best solution to this problem.
Bryn- found this on the net, being a country bumpkin, never thought of them as being scary, actually kindof cool. When I was young we found a baby one, feed it out of a baby bottle, as it got older though its wild instinct kicked in so off he went...
I think they tend to be as scared of you as you are of them. take care, sherri
Raccoons are found statewide in Florida in ever-increasing numbers. Urbanization and agriculture often help their population because food often becomes more available in these conditions. Therefore, it is not at all uncommon to encounter raccoons near your home or neighborhood.
There is no mistaking a raccoon for any other animal. Its stout, bear-like body, prominent black mask and heavily furred, ringed tail all are distinctive. Adult raccoons are about 2 to 3 feet long (including their 10-inch tail) and weigh anywhere from 10 to 30 pounds. Larger animals sometimes are recorded, but Florida raccoons tend to be smaller than those farther north. Their color generally is a grizzled salt-and-pepper gray and black with a light belly. Often the "white" hairs are noticeably yellowish. Both all-black and all-white animals sometimes occur.
Raccoons are active mostly during the evening hours. On most days, they leave their den soon after dusk and are active until morning. It is not unusual, however, for them to linger in their den well past nightfall, and during particularly nasty weather they may not venture out at all.
Individual raccoons normally use a home range of 1 to 3 square miles and are somewhat territorial, especially the males. Raccoons seen in small groups most likely are females with young or unassociated adults from neighboring territories brought together by a large food source. Where food is plentiful, raccoons may travel more than a mile from their home range to feed. They also will tolerate severe reductions in territory size. Raccoon densities of 100 per square mile can be attained around abundant food sources.
Raccoons are not fussy about their choice of food. Although classified as a carnivore, the raccoon eats as much or more plant as animal matter during the year. When fruits, acorns, vegetables and seeds are ripe and available, they will feed heavily on them. At other times and places they will specialize in eggs, insects, crayfish, frogs, fish and small mammals. They'll eat dead animals that they encounter; they'll raid bird feeders and pet food bowls when they're kept full; and they'll check out garbage cans that aren't secured.
Raccoons also are not fussy about their living quarters. Under normal conditions, they usually select a den in a hollow tree, usually a large limb instead of the trunk. Dens in trees may be anywhere from ground level to 60 feet above ground. In urban and other areas where tree dens are lacking, raccoons choose a wide variety of "cavities" including rock and debris piles, attics, crawl spaces beneath mobile homes, culverts and sewer drains.
Breeding occurs first when they are one year old. Normally, one litter is born each year. In Florida, this generally occurs in March and April. Litters average about 3 to 4 young, though as many as 7 have been recorded. Newborn raccoons' eyes remain closed until about 20 days old, they are weaned at 10 to 12 weeks, and the offspring may stay with their mother until they are 10 months old.
Raccoons have few enemies other than man. A few are killed by predators such as bobcats and horned owls, but the overall numbers are insignificant. Automobiles likely kill more.
The greatest problem with raccoons is disease. Raccoons are known to carry a wide variety of diseases. Most of these are harmless to them and to people, but a few, such as distemper, can kill raccoons when their populations get too dense. These diseases also can infect pets that are not vaccinated. Rabies is another such disease. The risk of rabies is small (less than 1 out of 200 raccoons in the wild have been exposed to rabies), but the risk should never be taken lightly. Raccoons are wild animals and should never be treated as pets.
Solving Raccoon Problems
Raccoons are one of our most successful urban animals and are therefore frequently observed in our yards and around our homes. This should not, by itself, be cause for alarm. Under most conditions, raccoons are harmless, interesting neighbors. Treated as part of the natural community, you will occasionally get a glimpse of one going about its business, and these can be fascinating times. Problems with raccoons often arise because we find it so difficult not to "do something" for them.
Feeding raccoons is one such case. Because they eat just about everything imaginable, raccoons are almost never in danger of starving--especially in Florida's mild climate. Even in urban landscapes, raccoons find plenty to eat. By putting food out for them, we condition them to lose their "respect" for people--a trait that aids greatly in their ability to survive. It also causes local populations to become denser than the habitat can adequately support. At these times, raccoons begin to look more closely at your home to provide them shelter and they are more likely to become ill and to transmit diseases.
Types of Problems
Raccoon problems are varied, but most can be divided into 2 major categories. Both of these are discussed in detail in the following sections.
Feeding
Raccoons often become a nuisance by their feeding habits. When this occurs, your best strategy is to prevent their access to this food wherever possible. If raccoons are raiding your pet's food dish, feed your pet during daylight hours and remove the uneaten food before dusk. If raccoons are raiding your garbage can, then make this can inaccessible. Get a raccoon-proof garbage can or weight the lid down so that they can't open it. Keep your garbage cans in the garage or build a bin with a latchable lid to store them in.
Eating Crops
Many other raccoon feeding problems, however, are not as easily solved and are not directly tied to feeding them. Everyone who has ever tried to grow sweet corn and other vegetables with a raccoon in the area has likely lost a good share of their potential harvest. Raccoons can be quite frustrating to fruit and vegetable growers. Solving these problems can be equally frustrating. Be aware that repellents of any kind (and, yes, that includes mothballs) and scare devices will not be successful. No raccoon in the world will pass up the opportunity to dine on something ripe and delicious simply because there is a strange odor or object nearby. One method that will work is to prevent access and, where possible, the best of these is an electric fence. A single strand, solar-powered electric fence with the wire 8 inches above the ground can do wonders to keep raccoons out while not harming them in the least. The only other method is to remove the animal from your yard by means of a live trap.
Living in the attic (or elsewhere in the house)
Perhaps the greatest problem with raccoons occurs when they set up housekeeping inside your residence. Raccoons often come into an attic or crawl space when an entry point to the outside is not repaired, either through neglect or by failing to notice it. Torn screens or soffits, open chimneys or broken windows are common entry points. They also may take up residence beneath your mobile home or deck. Once a raccoon has moved in, it is difficult to cause it to leave. Chasing the animal out somehow and then sealing off the entry hole will, almost always, not work because the raccoon will return and force its way back in again. At this point, it will cause more damage than it did before. Physically removing the nuisance raccoon with a live trap generally is the best solution to this problem.
Bryn- found this on the net, being a country bumpkin, never thought of them as being scary, actually kindof cool. When I was young we found a baby one, feed it out of a baby bottle, as it got older though its wild instinct kicked in so off he went...
I think they tend to be as scared of you as you are of them. take care, sherri
Bryn, you haven't lived until you see an armadillo strutting around your back yard.
They are the bane of my poor husband's life. He's tried trapping them so he can re-locate them to a wooded area, but they ignore the trap and bait and just burrow around it and make another exit from their den, they make a mess of the yard he so carefully tends, and the air tends to become blue when he sees the damage they have done.
I am a city girl, so I tend to dislike most creepy crawly things even the "cute" gekko's Ugh!! I cannot stand them . and of course they are all over the place here in fl. And don't get me started on the so called Palmetto bugs, that are really just giant cockroaches. I swear some of them are big enough to move the refrigerator!!
The joys of outdoor living.
rita
They are the bane of my poor husband's life. He's tried trapping them so he can re-locate them to a wooded area, but they ignore the trap and bait and just burrow around it and make another exit from their den, they make a mess of the yard he so carefully tends, and the air tends to become blue when he sees the damage they have done.
I am a city girl, so I tend to dislike most creepy crawly things even the "cute" gekko's Ugh!! I cannot stand them . and of course they are all over the place here in fl. And don't get me started on the so called Palmetto bugs, that are really just giant cockroaches. I swear some of them are big enough to move the refrigerator!!
The joys of outdoor living.
rita
I saw a rat as big as a small raccoon in the 125th & park subway station- now you haven't lived till you witness that sh*t
Hey, I think he swam to Boston...I saw one over by the Marriot Long Wharf hotel that I thought was gonna stand up and slap me down...no fear whatsoever...could eat a small child in no time...for real.
Alright now y'all got me cracking up.............LMAO as T says.
I love this place.
We got armadillo sightings and rats as big as small racconns and city girls going suburban enjoying bugs and critters.
Plus I have to say a huge thanks to Sher as she was kind enough to give me all the information a girl can need on a raccoon.
You guys rock and this is yet another instance I am glad I am clean.
If I was using I'd have not even mentioned a raccoon and if he was holding dope I'd have fought him for it.................everything is relevant...........and I am Blessed to be clean.
We got rats over here down the block.................rodents and people...........now if I had to choose between that raccoon and a roach.........Rocky can come on back and drink out my hose whenever he wants....................roaches I can't even think about............and God forbid I see one...................roaches trump raccoons and raccoons trump rats.
I think.
These da*n screaming kids out my back though trump everything and everyone and their parents need to stop smoking crack and look the heck out the door and pay mind to what their kids are doing.............it's freaking dark out..........and most of these kids are little.........I mean pre-school and they are going all around the block................alone............and nobody is worried......sorry about the crack reference, but that's a fact in this case.
City is nuts.
I love this place.
We got armadillo sightings and rats as big as small racconns and city girls going suburban enjoying bugs and critters.
Plus I have to say a huge thanks to Sher as she was kind enough to give me all the information a girl can need on a raccoon.
You guys rock and this is yet another instance I am glad I am clean.
If I was using I'd have not even mentioned a raccoon and if he was holding dope I'd have fought him for it.................everything is relevant...........and I am Blessed to be clean.
We got rats over here down the block.................rodents and people...........now if I had to choose between that raccoon and a roach.........Rocky can come on back and drink out my hose whenever he wants....................roaches I can't even think about............and God forbid I see one...................roaches trump raccoons and raccoons trump rats.
I think.
These da*n screaming kids out my back though trump everything and everyone and their parents need to stop smoking crack and look the heck out the door and pay mind to what their kids are doing.............it's freaking dark out..........and most of these kids are little.........I mean pre-school and they are going all around the block................alone............and nobody is worried......sorry about the crack reference, but that's a fact in this case.
City is nuts.
