Raccoons and greenhouses

[Ruark]

We're planning to build a low-budget greenhouse in a clearing behind our house in central Texas, covering it with a good plastic greenhouse film. The main crop will be tomatoes. Our area is overrun with raccoons and, to some degree, possums and skunks as well as a few squirrels and rabbits. Do any of you guys have direct experience with coons tearing through the plastic of a greenhouse? We could just make a fence around it, but that's not feasible because the ground's too rocky. Any advice? I'd hate to build this thing, then have it be torn to ribbons the first night.

 

[kenny thomas]

A good electric fence works pretty well.

 

[kjonesel]

My son left me 3 coon hounds when he left for college. He had lost interest in them because he didn't have any older dogs to train them with so they will run deer along with coons, opossums, squirrels, and coyotes. I turn them out at least once a week and this past summer I didn't lose a single ear of sweet corn. You may be able to do something like that if you don't have neighbors. I don't know why but they won't chase housecats which I haven't figured out.

 

[dun]

I've had coons gnaw through plastic trashcans so I don;t think green house plastic would slow them down much. I would probably sheath the bottom of the greenhouse with half in plywood to keep thr varmints out.

 

[kerley]

They also dig under fences. We have Chickens and the Racoons and whatever else that liked to kill Chickens took their toll on ours. Finally I got PO'ed and tore my chicken house down and started over. I dug a trench one foot deep and filled it with gravel and topped it off with bagged concrete post mix 6 inches above grade. I framed walls with 2x4 24 ioc then sided it with sheet metal three inches below the sole plate to 36 inches above grade then screened in two walls with 1x1 in. heavy steel screen, all other walls were covered wits obs and roofing felt then the same metal walls, roof is also metal. We cover the screened walls with vinyl tarp in the winter. Since I remodeled this project it is impossible for any varmet to penetrate, one big Racoon tried and was shot dead why attempting to Bugler said Chicken House. Fact

 

[3waycross]

They also dig under fences. We have Chickens and the Racoons and whatever else that liked to kill Chickens took their toll on ours. Finally I got PO'ed and tore my chicken house down and started over. I dug a trench one foot deep and filled it with gravel and topped it off with bagged concrete post mix 6 inches above grade. I framed walls with 2x4 24 ioc then sided it with sheet metal three inches below the sole plate to 36 inches above grade then screened in two walls with 1x1 in. heavy steel screen, all other walls were covered wits obs and roofing felt then the same metal walls, roof is also metal. We cover the screened walls with vinyl tarp in the winter. Since I remodeled this project it is impossible for any varmet to penetrate, one big Racoon tried and was shot dead why attempting to Bugler said Chicken House. Fact

sounds a little underbuilt to me Kerley! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :lol:

 

[kenny thomas]

Has anyone tried the electrified, plastic, woven wire type fence that some people use for sheep to keep the varmits out of a garden, chickens, wharever? Seems like it should work.

 

[dun]

Has anyone tried the electrified, plastic, woven wire type fence that some people use for sheep to keep the varmits out of a garden, chickens, wharever? Seems like it should work.

A neighbor tried the plastic stuff years ago around his garden. Didn't do a likc of good. He finally planted a couple of rows solid of hot peppers around the garden. Never had another problem.

 

[Alan]

Had the same problem with coons and chickens, once they figured out how to get them they dined regularly until all chickens were gone, I did trap a couple in the process. They just tore holes in the chicken wire and helped themselves. I already had hog panels two feet deep around the outside pen, rebuilt the entire yard and this time used a heavy gage welded wire as fencing including fencing the top to keep Hawks and Eagles and climbing coons out. So far so good.

I wonder if hot peppers around the garden would work on my wife's goats..... Probably not :?

 

[HDRider]

Alan and others,

Have you tried this?

http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+N ... _NSPCG.php
40" tall, 3.5" spacing, 10 lines-Graduated spacing
Predator protection for poultry and small animals
Keep pests out of your garden

 

[Jogeephus]

Brian Williams dug a mote around his chicken house and stocked it with man eating sharks with lasers on their heads.

 

[kerley]

Brian Williams dug a mote around his chicken house and stocked it with man eating sharks with lasers on their heads.

Jo you crack me up.

 

[cow pollinater]

Brian Williams dug a mote around his chicken house and stocked it with man eating sharks with lasers on their heads.

That jogged my memory. I'm told that the predator lights work really well. All they are is a red laser beam of light that you point towards whichever direction you think the predators are and the predators stay away as they think there is already another predator on site. I know a lot of poultry suppliers sell them.

 

[greybeard]

Brian Williams dug a mote around his chicken house and stocked it with man eating sharks with lasers on their heads.

He has plenty of time off now, so maybe he will go dig one for Ruark.

 

[melking]

I still think a good dog is the best answer...

 

[dun]

I still think a good dog is the best answer...

Not if it has to run off skunks

 

[melking]

Yes, there is that. Fortunately we don't seem to have a lot of them down here.