Quite simply, if I don't do something about the raccoons that have
discovered my grapes, there will be no wine for me. It's a nightly assault.
They spit the skins away - the ground under the vines is covered with them.
The canopy is disheveled from their climbing up the trunks and foraging. In
past posts, I see mention of box traps. Are there any other ways to deter
these critters? Can't bring myself to shoot, or trap them. Thanks.
Ken A.

Just get a "Have-a-Hart" trap, catch them and relocate them into someone
else's vineyard )
You can call your local SPCA and they sometimes will lend you a trap and
pick up the little critter the next day. Doesn't hurt them and sometimes
it's hard to get them to leave the trap.
I once caught a skunk who was very at home in it. I tried to lure him out
with a hotdog and he got out, picked up the wiener and went back in, ate it
and took a nap. He finally left after about 2 hours!
All this was done in my yard because I wasn't about to drive him around in
my car to relocate him.
P-YEW! He wasn't what we were after anyways.
Louise;o)

"Ken Anderson" wrote in message
et...
Quite simply, if I don't do something about the raccoons that have
discovered my grapes, there will be no wine for me. It's a nightly
assault.
They spit the skins away - the ground under the vines is covered with
them.
The canopy is disheveled from their climbing up the trunks and foraging.
In
past posts, I see mention of box traps. Are there any other ways to deter
these critters? Can't bring myself to shoot, or trap them. Thanks.
Ken A.

"Ken Anderson" wrote:
Quite simply, if I don't do something about the raccoons that have
discovered my grapes, there will be no wine for me. It's a nightly
assault. They spit the skins away - the ground under the vines is covered
with them. The canopy is disheveled from their climbing up the trunks and
foraging.
In past posts, I see mention of box traps. Are there any other ways to
deter
these critters? Can't bring myself to shoot, or trap them. Thanks.

Run an 800-volt wire around (and above) your vines. That will discourage
them for the rest of the season. A 10Kv wire will discourage them forever.
Remember to install an on-off switch in the circuit for yourself.

A good dog will frighten them away as well, although he/she might decide
that grapes are tasty too.

I had to check headers to see if the response below was really Negodki.
Seems slightly out of character.

"Negodki" wrote in message
...

Run an 800-volt wire around (and above) your vines. That will discourage
them for the rest of the season. A 10Kv wire will discourage them forever.
Remember to install an on-off switch in the circuit for yourself.

A good dog will frighten them away as well, although he/she might decide
that grapes are tasty too.

Why is it out of character, Ken? An electrified fence is a very common
method of keeping wildlife out of the garden, vineyard, orchard, etc. A
trip-wire around the perimeter (and above the vines, in case they can jump
from nearby trees) serves the same purpose. 800-volts will produce enough of
a shock to deter but not injure. And animals have memories, so they usually
only need get "zapped" once, and they will stay away thereafter. 10 Kv will
fry them, if that is one's wish. And an off-switch is a (hopefully obvious)
necessity, especially with the higher voltage wire.

Similarly, just the presence of a dog, who will bark at and chase such
intruders, will serve as a deterrent. Unfortunately, dogs _do_ enjoy grapes,
and they make a mess of the vines whilst satisfying their craving. Also
raccoons will stand up to some dogs, rather than being frightened off.

I have both mechanisms protecting my property.

BTW, it's VERY easy to forge news group headers.

"Ken Anderson" wrote in message
et...
I had to check headers to see if the response below was really Negodki.
Seems slightly out of character.

"Negodki" wrote in message
...

Run an 800-volt wire around (and above) your vines. That will discourage
them for the rest of the season. A 10Kv wire will discourage them
forever.
Remember to install an on-off switch in the circuit for yourself.

A good dog will frighten them away as well, although he/she might decide
that grapes are tasty too.

Ken, here are a few other ideas:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/hom...ae5a30b72f.htm

http://www.wildlife-museum.org/allab.../raccoons.html

Note that both electricity and dogs are amongst the suggestions (so I'm not
the only cruel and evil person on earth).

But I think that the motion-detector-operated lights and radio seem the
easiest to install quickly, and the most "humane". Racoons are nocturnal,
and the lights will definitely send them scurrying. Loud noises from radio
in addition should give you a sure thing.

You can get a few cheap motion detector light-fixtures from Home Depot or
Walmart for about $10 each. In place of one of the bulbs, screw in a
socket-receptacle, and plug your radio in there. You'll need to get some #14
romex (#12 if the run is greater than 100-feet), a few plastic "wall" boxes,
some twist-on wire connectors, electricians tape, and a male wall-plug. It
should take about an hour to string it all together. Don't worry about being
water-tight. Just make sure you plug into a GFI-protected receptacle. Use
outdoor light bulbs. The indoor variety will work, until the rain hits them
when they are on. The cold water hitting the hot bulb will cause it to
break.

Forgiven?

"Negodki" wrote in message
...
Why is it out of character, Ken? An electrified fence is a very common
method of keeping wildlife out of the garden, vineyard, orchard, etc. A
trip-wire around the perimeter (and above the vines, in case they can jump
from nearby trees) serves the same purpose. 800-volts will produce enough
of
a shock to deter but not injure. And animals have memories, so they
usually
only need get "zapped" once, and they will stay away thereafter. 10 Kv
will
fry them, if that is one's wish. And an off-switch is a (hopefully
obvious)
necessity, especially with the higher voltage wire.

Similarly, just the presence of a dog, who will bark at and chase such
intruders, will serve as a deterrent. Unfortunately, dogs _do_ enjoy
grapes,
and they make a mess of the vines whilst satisfying their craving. Also
raccoons will stand up to some dogs, rather than being frightened off.

I have both mechanisms protecting my property.

BTW, it's VERY easy to forge news group headers.

Are you talking about commercial electric fences? Do they put out high
voltages, but won't kill you, like a car's coil? I don't know much about
electricity, but I believe the 220 in my garage can kill. And you're talking
800 volts?
Ken A.

Whether or not you're willing to shoot or trap them depends on your
frustration level, Ken.
Trapping is humane, because you can let them go in the wild somewhere
else...
So I hope you don't feel too bad about that option...

But...if your frustration level gets too high, its either the critters or
your grapes, there ain't enough room in the vineyard for the both of
you.....
You might be surprised how your desire of being a good winemaker will also
turn you into a good marksman as well! Good aim, good wine! poor aim, no
wine? Of course you can use tranquilizers too! Would probably be cheaper,
either tranq or .22 calibre, than getting an electric fence setup....

Just some thoughts....from someone who would shoot.

Rick


"Ken Anderson" wrote in message
et...
Quite simply, if I don't do something about the raccoons that have
discovered my grapes, there will be no wine for me. It's a nightly
assault.
They spit the skins away - the ground under the vines is covered with
them.
The canopy is disheveled from their climbing up the trunks and foraging.
In
past posts, I see mention of box traps. Are there any other ways to deter
these critters? Can't bring myself to shoot, or trap them. Thanks.
Ken A.

"Ken Anderson" wrote:

Are you talking about commercial electric fences? Do they put out high
voltages, but won't kill you, like a car's coil? I don't know much about
electricity, but I believe the 220 in my garage can kill. And you're
talking
800 volts?

Amperage, not voltage kills. That's why you get a shock when you touch a
(firing) spark-plug wire (20-60,000 volts), but don't get hurt (unless you
bump your head on the hood jumping away).

Conversely, the 40-volts from a ringing telephone can kill you, if you
happen to be in the tub and someone drops the ringing phone in.

Standard "electric fence" transformers produce 800 volts a/c, and are
sufficient to deter small animals, deer, and humans. I think cattle and
horse fence transformers are about 1200-1600 volts, perhaps 2000. The 10Kv
fences are designed to kill anything which touches it, and are only used in
very high-security installations. [They are illegal anywhere else, and you
wouldn't be able to purchase the transformers very easily.] It's mention was
solely due to my hatred for raccoons, and a warped sense of humor. I
apologize if it offended your sensibilities.

Normally, one does not "electrify" the fence itself, but rather strings the
hot-wire close to the ground, or just above fence level, using plastic
insulators, and grounds the transformer to the fence and the earth. Then the
fence is not "hot", and doesn't pose a fire hazard if something touches it.
When someone or something touches the hot-wire AND the fence (or wet
ground), they will receive a shock. Since the amperage is very low, and the
current is A/C, the shock is just that --- a shock. It _will_ kill birds,
which is why the hot-wire should be far enough from the fence that the bird
can't touch both, and rats (good riddance), but it will not kill dogs,
raccoons, squirrels, or larger mammals.

If you don't have a metal fence (e.g. chain-link), you need to install a
second "ground" wire, so that the intruder will touch both simultaneously.
For this to work, you need to determine the size of your target.

This would have been my suggestion, since a transformer and 500' roll of
wire can be purchased for about $25, and installed in a few hours (I used
sections of 3/4" pvc pipe as insulators). But I like the motion-detector
light and radio idea much better --- depending how large your vineyard is.

Since you say you are not familiar with electricity, and thus may not be
comfortable doing a bit of wiring, you can purchase (more expensive) motion
detectors which have a standard plug in. Then you can plug that into an
extension cord, and plug the lamps and radio into it. Or, I will be happy to
give you a quick course in wiring, and/or refer you to a website with
pictorial instructions.

I don't know what sort of vineyard you have, but I would envision having at
least one detector in between each row, which can get pretty expensive
compared to the electric "fence". If it is a relatively small vineyard,
perhaps you can install the motion detector and lighting high enough to
cover everything with one or two fixtures.

"Rick Vanderwal" wrote:

You might be surprised how your desire of being a good winemaker will also
turn you into a good marksman as well! Good aim, good wine! poor aim,
no
wine? Of course you can use tranquilizers too! Would probably be
cheaper,
either tranq or .22 calibre, than getting an electric fence setup....

Problem is, it's not that easy to hit a raccoon, especially for someone who
isn't a practiced shooter. And tranquilizer darts are more difficult to
obtain (and much more expensive) than bullets. I think you need to be a
licensed vet to obtain them. [The government is afraid you might use them on
a person.]

Furthermore, raccoons are nocturnal animals. Unless one wishes to spend
every night until harvest standing watch in the vineyard, shooting them
isn't a very practical solution.

I wonder if it would help to ask them nicely to stay away?

Negodki wrote:

I wonder if it would help to ask them nicely to stay away?

Is rabies in racoons a problem in your area...?

Yeasty

I've got a few grape vines, but they aren't mature enough to attract
attention from coons -- but there are plenty of those critters around here
(southeast LA). After restocking my goldfish pond several times, and having
it promptly emptied during nocturnal visits by one or more coons, I conceded
defeat and made it a lily pond...

Racoons can do a lot of damage if left uncontrolled, and not just to grapes,
goldfish or gardens. I work for a mid-size chemical manufacturer in Baton
Rouge area, and our $150-million plant was totally shut down on two seperate
occassions as a result of coons climbing into major electrical
witchgear -- just enough left (mostly fur) to identify the culprit!

We put out traps and caught several -- the local Wildlife & Fisheries guys
picked them up and (supposedly) relocated them to less hazardous areas.

Good luck...

Bart



"Ken Anderson" wrote in message
et...
Quite simply, if I don't do something about the raccoons that have
discovered my grapes, there will be no wine for me. It's a nightly
assault.
They spit the skins away - the ground under the vines is covered with
them.
The canopy is disheveled from their climbing up the trunks and foraging.
In
past posts, I see mention of box traps. Are there any other ways to deter
these critters? Can't bring myself to shoot, or trap them. Thanks.
Ken A.

"Yeasty Potatoes" wrote:

Is rabies in racoons a problem in your area...?

Not any more.

I'll probably use the radio/light motion detector next year. I have 2
yorkies so all the other deterrents (electricity, pepper etc.) are no good
for me since they are in the yard all day. When a raccoon does come into the
yard at night I prefer not to let the dogs out since they're only 4 pounds
each, they think they're pit bulls and can take a raccoon but I think they'd
come out of it bloody.
Louise)

"Negodki" wrote in message
...
Ken, here are a few other ideas:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/hom...ae5a30b72f.htm

http://www.wildlife-museum.org/allab.../raccoons.html

Note that both electricity and dogs are amongst the suggestions (so I'm
not
the only cruel and evil person on earth).

But I think that the motion-detector-operated lights and radio seem the
easiest to install quickly, and the most "humane". Racoons are nocturnal,
and the lights will definitely send them scurrying. Loud noises from radio
in addition should give you a sure thing.

You can get a few cheap motion detector light-fixtures from Home Depot or
Walmart for about $10 each. In place of one of the bulbs, screw in a
socket-receptacle, and plug your radio in there. You'll need to get some
#14
romex (#12 if the run is greater than 100-feet), a few plastic "wall"
boxes,
some twist-on wire connectors, electricians tape, and a male wall-plug. It
should take about an hour to string it all together. Don't worry about
being
water-tight. Just make sure you plug into a GFI-protected receptacle. Use
outdoor light bulbs. The indoor variety will work, until the rain hits
them
when they are on. The cold water hitting the hot bulb will cause it to
break.

Forgiven?

"bwesley7" wrote:

. . . there are plenty of those critters around here (southeast LA) . . .

. . . I work for a mid-size chemical manufacturer in Baton Rouge area . .
..

I'm glad you added the last part. I was trying to figure out when raccoons
came to southeast Los Angeles.