Hi Davies,

Do you just have one strand of wire? If so, try putting up three---one too low for them to get under, one in the middle, and one too high for them to get over. My brother in Illinois doesn't have coons, but he has rabbits and deer, so he has one wire down low at "rabbit level" and one up high at "deer nose level." It has always seemed to work for him.

Good luck,
Skybird

You could try capturing them. My brother has been setting out traps with peanut butter in them, and has relocated three of them so far. His wife is an animal lover and won't allow him to harm them.

I'm not growing any corn, not enough space, but I would probably have the same results as you, since my next door neighbor leaves catfood out on her front porch for any strays, and apparently raccoons, in the neighborhood!!! Arghh!!!

Those raccoons are pretty smart. You might need a lock on that refrigerator : )

Bonnie

Thanks Bonnie and Skybird. My late crop is coming in now so it's time to heat the wire up again. No holes under my regular mesh fence, so I figure they've got to be climbing over somewhere, and my electric wire is about a foot high. And it hurts!

Sigh. If they get in again, I guess I may try trapping next year. I live close to the Royal Gorge; maybe I could "release" them off the bridge. (Just kidding PETA!)

Here, the best results are with two strands of wire - one about 4-5 inches off the ground, and one about a foot.

I had them in my peach trees earlier this week, those little rascals broke several main branches - so I chuckled pleasantly, got out the big lopers, and pruned the tree back 3 years, all the while whistling a tune from Snow White.

Then, picked the rest of the plums and peaches, and have the greenhouse full of under ripe peaches and plums.

The neighbor was showing me the coon damage to his corn. Serves him right for growing a variety that can compete with our puny Fleet.

There are quite a few acres of sweet corn not far from our larger veggie garden. The raccoons can have all the corn on the cob they want. There's no need for them to go thru our slim pickin's. To encourage them not to bother, we are out there harvesting the ears as soon as they are ready. Even if we can't use them right away or all that's available - in they come. I use the same approach to the tomatoes because of the quail, works well enuf.

29 ears in a single night suggests that there might be some heavy pressure on your corn patch, Davies. Lock that garage fridge and pray that they will not be getting in your malting barley next or all hope may be lost!! Here's hoping you can keep 'em out or get ahead of 'em.

Steve's digits

I just finished reading a hilarious book called "The $64 Tomato" - all about adventures in gardening, but my favorite was "Superchuck". This woodchuck had figured out that there was an interval in the electrified fence. He'd sit quietly outside the fence, wait for the electric pulse and then jump over the wire without getting zapped :-)

I'd recommend this book to any gardener. I'm no help since I just pop the coons in the butt with bb's to make them leave and I don't grow corn.