Wat OT: Racoons invading bird feeder

[zumbergc]

Ok, we love to feed the birds, but we have developed a racoon problem.

Our latest bird pole. We have others.
We now have a 10 ft pole, it has 2-3 feet arms extending out.
We have a baffle, then the bird feeders below that.

Where the baffle and the pole connect, I clamped that part shut so the racoons can't dump the feeders on the ground there.

We still have issues with them getting around the baffle and dumping the feeders on the ground and them going crazy and eating all the bird food.
They still unhook the feeders where we hand them on the baffle.

Last friday we put canola oil on the pole. The stuff at the bottom, they just went up and licked it off like an ice cream treat.
It kept them off until this morning, when my husband put the feeders up but didn't check to see if the pole was still slick. It wasn't slippery, and one bird feeder was on the ground, all the food gone.

Anyone have other ideas?

I've heard about cayan pepper (sp?), I'm on the fence w/ that one, I'm going to talk to my vet about this when my cats have their check-up this week.
I don't want to injure any animals, just not feed racoons.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Do you have a deck that is high off the ground by any chance??? If so, maybe attaching the bird feeders to the deck?? We have a problem around here with black bears getting into the bird feeders!!! I would take raccoons over bears anyday!! LOL

 

[zumbergc]

Sorry we don't have a deck!

I agree a racoon problem sounds better than bears!

Connie

 

[mamalle]

we are having issues also but Mr. Racoon likes to eat my goldfish out of my pond in the front.. He plops himself right into the pond and goes to town... He also has been known to come through the dog door on the patio and eat the catfood that is left out for our kitty cat. I have heard about coyote urine that you can put around that supposedly keeps them away. Im pretty tempted to order some and try it at this point..

 

[Kies99]

Well, you could do what my grandfather did.

He installed a light switch near a sliding glass door that looked out onto the bird feeder. He then ran lines to the metal pole (same set up as if he were putting up an outdoor lamp on a pole). Then he'd just wait until he saw one on the pole and he'd flip the switch on and off really quick. The squirrels (and I'd suppose a racoon) got a quick jolt and jumped off the pole. It took a couple times, but finally they go the hint and the squirrels avoided his feeder (true story).

 

[pjlla]

Just chiming in to say......

if you have bears in the area, you shouldn't have feeders out in the spring/summer/fall. Once a bear finds food in your yard, they will return! The NH Cooperative Extension offices recommend only keeping feeders out from about Thanksgiving to Easter (when bears should be hibernating).

We are very careful about this, but have many neighbors who aren't. One neighbor called me early one morning to tell me there was a bear in her yard, eating her bird seed. She called AGAIN the next morning to say he was there again (she was making sure my kids/pets weren't outside in the yard). Um....HELLO........wouldn't you make sure NOT to refill the feeder if it is attracting bears!???

We have some new neighbors about two houses up who have many feeders in their yard.... and I'm not sure how to politely approach them and let them know that it is not a good idea. I hear they are from out of state, so maybe whereever they came from isn't bear country. I know you may think it is none of my business, since it isn't in my yard, but the last thing I want to worry about is whether or not there is a bear in the back yard when my kids are playing in the sand box or practicing soccer kicks! If the neighbors attract them, it probably wouldn't take the bears long to check out my yard for goodies! ...................P