I am raccoon proofing the backyard for this year and have added many additions to my quest to keep raccoons out of my garden. I have purchased an electric fence...I will install it around my sweet corn later on though.

For now, I have made my own spikes from 4" nails and nailed them all the way through in a zig zag pattern, so that the nails are sticking out on the (2) 10 foot long pieces of 2" x 2" pressure treated wood and plastic zip tied it over the fence landing bar. FENCE IS ON MY PROPERTY!

There are no kids around also. I was going to buy the "pigeon spike rolls" but they are way too expensive for the area I have to cover. It has worked wonders keeping squirrels from running on this fence travelling to and from properties in the area and I noticed raccoons will simply go around unless startled and they risk jumping on the landing bar to avoid human contact. (I put these nail spikes that are on the fence to the test a few days ago, when I saw a raccoon in my yard and I startled it. It found a way to jump to the top of the nail spiked fence landing bar and evacuate my premises, BUT there was a 3" spot were nails were not put in, and it joined with the next piece of wood).

Anyway, today I constructed a 24" high chicken wire fence on 1" x 2" wood. The 1"x 2" wood is there to serve as a support post for the chicken wire fence. I placed the 1" x 2" wood every 3 feet, I did this purposely to keep the fence loose. If I were to put them closer it would make the fence more sterdy and raccoon can climb over it with ease. Chicken wire was power stapled to 1"x 2". I screwed this chicken wire fence on 1"x 2" to the existing 2"x 2" pressure treated nail spikes on top of fence landing bar. It looks pretty good, it is loose, as I said to discourage them from climbing. I searched the net and observed their habits and they avoid climbing fences, posts that are not sturdy. Even if the Raccoon were to attempt to climb this fence it will need some kind of landing to gather it self to be able to attempt and go over.

Any one think there is still some chance they will still attempt to climb this chicken wire fence and get over?

I am advised by a wildlife trapper that Raccoon will not climb such difficult things, they like to keep their lives simple, they are like people with laziness, they don't want to expend too many calories and energy to move around in their hunts. There is no way this Chicken wire fence will support any raccoons weight without breaking. They have to have a feeling for where they are climbing.

Questions, comments?