Question:
Our problem is that raccoons have overtaken our beautiful deck and are rendering it undesirable for entertaining and eating. Each morning, we go out and clean droppings off the deck (which I don't want regarded as nature's bathroom). It has gotten to the point that we just don't want to go out there anymore, and did not entertain on the deck at all last summer.Our house is across from Rock Creek Park (in Washington, D.C.), which is owned by the federal government. The National Park Service, which has responsibility for park maintenance, has been of no use to us at all. Clearly, they are not interested in helping residents handle this problem.Nature lovers, including the D.C. Humane Society and others, have counseled that the effective and constant use of fox urine would keep the raccoons away. The theory is that the fox is the natural enemy of the raccoon, so the scent of fox urine would be a natural repellent. Well, the urine is very expensive and I've concluded that these raccoons relish fox urine because
E.N., Washington, DC Apr 03, 2005
Answer:
You are not alone in facing the problem of urban wildlife and human conflict, be it with rats, pigeons, raccoons, deer and other species whose numbers can make life difficult for property owners.My advice would be to have Plexiglas panels installed around the outside of the deck so that the raccoons will be unable to get through the vertical bars. Alternatively, set up a low-voltage electric wire around the outside that will not harm the raccoons but will be an effective deterrent. Similar wires are used to keep pigeons off buildings and monuments and can be low-maintenance solar-powered (municipal authorities, however, should make every effort to provide these and other birds with safe, alternative roosting areas).With the poor funding and staffing of most city, state and federal wildlife management and environmental agencies, communities and property owners need to be more proactive and push for more funding and volunteer training and collaboration, from having diseased trees and invasive plants removed to
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