~ July 17, 2009
My backyard, Manhattan Beach, CA
A family of coons lives in the backyard of one of our neighbors and traverses across our roof to eat the cat food left out at our other neighbor's house. The thump, thump, thump of their feet sounds like we have a pickup game of basketball on our roof. What's worse is that they often do this at 4 in the morning.
Raccoons are very bold: one even tried to push open our French doors with me standing there. Another came though my neighbor's doggie door and bit her as she tried to shoo it away with a broom. So, to discourage them from taking residence in our backyard, I have tried numerous techniques. I have a really sonorous growl which I bellow as I chase after them. I have tried using a hose, to dowse them with water. I have even hit them with a pillow as they tried to come in my open bedroom window. Each time I was able to send them away, but nothing really worked for any length of time. You could count on their return the following night.
Jerry, my husband, even tried to trap them with one of the city's traps. Bacon and marshmallows were the suggested baits. No self-respecting raccoon would venture into the city's wire trap. They were far too smart for that trap. In fact, raccoons are so smart that one time our local coons sent a scout to detract us by the fence -- I had my camera and the raccoon walked on the fence a foot away from me while two others ran across our roof to the neighbor's yard for their evening meal. I didn't even spot the other two until they were half way across our roof.
Raccoons are loud, bold, smart... fortunately they are really cute and photogenic!