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Problems with skunks and/or raccoons #887165

Asked October 04, 2024, 2:54 PM EDT

I am having a terrible time with some kind of critter coming into my yard at night and digging up my turf. My yard is surrounded by 6' high vinyl fence and I have plugged all the holes dug under the fence, so critter must be climbing neighbors' trees and coming across the top of the fence. I am very respectful of the birds and pollinators that feed in my yard and do have a cat that goes outside for a couple hours each day, so I am careful about toxic substances. I have seen scat that is ambiguous--a lot looks like skunk scat but some also looks like raccoon. Critter is really getting aggressive--pulled down a birdfeeder--and my yard is a mess. I hate to remove all my bird feeders that may be attracting mammals. Earlier in the summer we had a groundhog that was trapped and relocated, but would like to avoid traps now if possible. I am desperate for any advice you can give me. Thanks so much!

Licking County Ohio

Expert Response

This time of year, grubs under the grass are big and juicy.  Racoons and skunks will dig up the turf to get these snacks. If something is taking down bird feeders that would be the racoons. One control option is to use a grub control product that would kill the grubs. We are really too late in the year for that to be effective for this year.  Use of a grub control preventative product next summer may help avoid the issue next fall.  It is hard to exclude racoons from an area so you are left with either trapping, which you said you did not want to do, or using a repellant.  The effectiveness of repellants is variable.  There is not a product I could confidently recommend to keep the racoons away.  

Dean Kreager Replied October 04, 2024, 4:14 PM EDT

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