[doc623]

Last year the raccoons destroyed our sweet corn.
They seem to know it is ready.
I would like ideas of how to keep the **** out of the corn this
year.
Any suggestions or has anyone had success in the past?
Thanks

 

[Mrs_stuart]

Last year the raccoons destroyed our sweet corn.
They seem to know it is ready.
I would like ideas of how to keep the **** out of the corn this
year.
Any suggestions or has anyone had success in the past?
Thanks

I have always hear that you should plant cucumbers in your corn field because racoons do not like the way they feel and will not go into them (the cucumbers) and therefor cannot eat the corn.

Belinda

 

[Cyngbaeld]

Only way I know is to build a cage around the garden being sure the top is covered too.

 

[uncle Will in In.]

The only fail proof thing I've tried is running a hot wire about 6 inches high around the area where the corn is located. I first took the weed whacker and cut every thing down to the dirt about two feet wide where I wanted the hotwire. I put the little posts and insulaters in my path and turned it on. I didn't know one of my cats was in the garden when I turned it on but I got to see him leave the garden. He squated down a little and got almost under when his tail hooked the wire. Who never knew how speedy that cat got to be so quickly.
Another thing I've tried but don't really trust is hanging a bright light in the patch and putting a radio out there on full volume. Got that idea from a neighbor who had over an acre of sweetcorn a long way back in a field. He parked his tractor back by the patch and left the radio play full blast. Some civic minded citizens called the sheriff and reported a wild drinking party going on back there about 2 in the morning. The Sheriff got him out of bed and made him show them how to get back there before he was satisfied. I used that two years and the ***** stayed out.

 

[heelpin]

Dust some snuff on the silks on the outside rows.

 

[farmmaid]

We have a dog boarding kennel and do grooming. We save the dog hair from grooming and about a week before the corn is due we start putting the dog droppings and hair from the groomings around the corn field with our small manure spreader. Have to keep it up every 3 days but no ****. You could get hair from groomers or beauty shops...Joan :haha:

 

[poppy]

I have a friend who uses empty milk jugs filed with sand and runs his electric wire through the handles. It works pretty well and you don't need posts or insulators.

 

[LindaT_AK]

All these posts are interesting. I don't have ***** up here, but where I am moving to has them I hear. So I am interested in learning all I can about the creatures that I may encounter that do not live up here in Alaska.
I grow corn every year, but it has to be in a greenhouse. Normally each year i grow a garden and have three big greenhouses for all the things that will not grow outside in the ground. The only problme I have is moose and i solved that problem by building a stockade around my garden and house. Not to mention that my greenhouses border my garden as well.
Linda T.

 

[Jagger]

A good method of getting rid of ***** is to trap them out. Yes it is correct to state that ***** travel far and wide in search of food, but if you eliminate the core group your problem may be solved, temporarily. I would reccomend box traps. Either store bought, or homemade. These will not harm the animal. You can release the **** at a distant place, very distant. But then all you are really doing is giving your problem to someone else. The **** can easily be dispatched in the trap. But i would rather release them since there furs are not prime and are worthless. Better to re-trap them in november. A store bought trap will run around $30-$50, depending on the size and maker. Havahart is a good quality trap. Stoutly built, easy to set and release. I make my own box traps for virtually free. I like to use box traps in heavily populated areas, when i'm running trap lines. I like to use the box traps in town as well. I would rather not harm peoples cats and dogs. But it happens. I use 2 5 gallon buckets. Remove the bottom from one. Top to top they are placed, then wired together with peices of wire coat hanger or something similar. Make a frame for the open end out of scap 1X lumber. This fram only needs 3 sides. 1 bottom and 2 sides.The frame needs to extend past the top of the bucket at least half the distance across the front of the bucket being used, for stability. Then from scap plywood, thick plexi-glass, metal sheet or whatever make a door that will slide up and down in the fram via grooves on the inside. The door must be heavy and stout. A weight may be needed on top part of the door. A scrap peice of wood works well for this. The weight helps the door to slam (slide) shut. Make sure the door slides a good 1/2 inch into the bottom board of the frame. This keeps **** from getting their fingers under the door. At the top of the bucket opening attach a small 2x2 inch scap of wood with a 3/8 or so hole thru it. Take a small gage braided metal line, or heavy fishing line will work too, but will not last. At one end of the line attach a large nail, or something similar. This nail or rod will go thru the hole on top of the bucket. Now run the line across the top of the bucket till about 2 or 3 inches from the back. Here drill another hole just big enough for the cable to go thru. Use of old brake line, fuel line is a great way to protect the cable on top of the trap, it keeps it in place as well as keeps debris off of it. Take the cable end that is inside the bucket. Tie a slip knot at the end, so it will hang a couple inches off the bottom of the bucket. Use this slip knot to hold bait. Raise the door all the way to the top set rod/pin. Trap is set. When the **** pulls on the bait the rod/pin is slid out and the door falls. Simple. Drill some small holes around the bait area to help let the smell escape. A good bait wood be fresh or tainted fish. Marshmellow with a little vanilla is good too. Any fish bait. Old fried chicken or just chicken bones is good too. ***** have sweet tooths too, so any combonation of things may work. The ***** will not hesitate entering the trap. I have caught so many ***** this way i lost track. Hundreds. You will proably catch several ***** at first. But continue to monitor the traps and keep them set. The trap is always on guard and ready to strike. You will catch alot of other critters opossum, cats, skunks. I have even caught more than one **** at a time in one of these traps. I hope this helps. Have fun

Jagger

 

[doc623]

I appreciate the input.
I have several questions.
With dusting the silk what good would that do as the **** would have already
knocked the stalk down to discover they didn't like the dust and the stalk is ruined.
The trapping idea is fine and have thought of Havaheart traps, however, what do you do if you find a very angry skunk in the trap?
I am considering the electric/battery fence.
I have heard of punpkins and etc planted betweenand among the corn rows but sdo not want to experiment and lose corn.
I have heard of poisonous bait but there are too many neighboring farm animals
that may get into it and would not make for good neighbors having poisoned
someone'e dog.
I have heard of hair and the radio.
I ahve also heard of using moth balls.
Any other suggestions other than putting a cot by the patch and having the wife sleep there to scare away the ****?