Electric fence.

Shotgun....I've heard BBQ coon is tasty.

But if you live in the city, then the shotgun may not be the best idea.

For Ricky Raccoon, if you have any pet food outside, clean it up at night and move it in your house. Keep trash cans inside the garage.

An alternative is to buy a live animal trap (i.e. Hav-a-Hart), trap the racoon and nine-banded armadillo, and move them a few miles down the road to become someone else's problem or into a forest away from people.

Check the Yellow Pages for wildlife removal companies. They will likely use the live trap method and relocate the offending critter somewhere else.

My problem are squirrels chewing my roof and digging in my vegetable beds. I used to shoot and eat them till one of my neighbors said they consider the squirrels to be their precious babies. Now I use the live trap / relocation method. A lot slower remedy but still works and I'm not pissing off the neighbors and squirrels.

We have raccoons eating bird seed, and any thing else left out by mistake. Garbage and cat or dog food is the favorite of all. We have chickens, and occasionally they have gotten into the pens and killed several. Then we usually try to relocate, but some just have to be killed.

You could put up a low-to-the-ground low voltage wire fence around your flower beds (I saw a set up in Foster's and Smiths pond catalog) designed to keep critters away from one's pond and fish. The only other thing I can think of is a small dog (who was trained to chase off critters but not trample the flowers). A friend of mine had a border collie who was really good at that. My pomeranian chases away critters pretty good and doesn't trample the plants but then proceeds to pee on the plants lol. Can't have it all I guess...

Coons are brazen little bandits. For years I kept one of the hummingbird feeders in the crepe myrtle off the screened porch. For some reason the neighborhood raccoon decided this year that it was his. Dh & I have watched him a couple nights as he ambles up the tree and upends the feeder spilling most of the nectar down his chin.

I heard once that if you remove their diet from your yard, you remove the problem of armadillos. Since they eat grubs, maybe you could just treat the grubs. Jerry Baker says it works, tho personally I use a fence and I'm extremely diligent about checking for new spots they've created to squeeze under. Coons, I have no idea, since they eat anything and everything.

LA Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries or you local animal control will provide you with a free animal trap. I would go that route. Poison baits are harmful to pets and wildlife and may be illegal in your community. Grubs are beneficial composters. I have not found anything to successfully repell raccoons or armadillos, although some dogs excell at killing them.

Definition of a grub worm: They are grayish-white C-shaped worm that become a Japanese beetle. They are a lawn pest and ironically are the favorite snack of moles and armadillos. If you get rid of the grubs, you'll most likely be rid of the armadillos.