Keep it at the right height with a hose clamp underneath (mounted on the pole), or on two wooden blocks clamped to the pole with two long deck screws. Use an oversized hose clamp (placed below where you want the PVC cap to rest on the pole - a few inches below the bottom of the nestbox) to make the baffle swing freely and wobble. Two short perches right under the entrance hole do not protect eggs or nestlings from cats or birds, according This set up may be more expensive than the stovepipe. Last updated A commercial guard is available but it is only 8" tall, which will not deter most snakes. If you experience problems with the website/find Raccoons can easily climb trees, so make sure your trees are not close enough to your house that a raccoon could use it as a ladder and jump right on to your roof. Also see Lance Gardner's website showing baffle setups. Drill a hole in the middle of the bucket bottom. Raccoons have dexterous front and back feet that allow them to climb trees and move or break through barriers. If these chemicals have been bred out of the tree, its fruit is more likely to be eaten by squirrels, raccoons, opossums and even rats that can easily attack at night, when they are active and people and roaming dogs are not. The best thing you can do is patrol your rooftops often and make sure no debris or damage exists that might encourage a raccoon to try to get inside. They can also peel the orange as a human would. Secure the overlapped area with metal screws and use wooden mounting blocks under the cone to keep it in place. The stovepipe baffle will not bang on the mounting pipe if made with hardware cloth and hanger iron per instructions above. A radiator hose clamp is better. When the raccoon climbs on the chicken wire it will flip him over and dump him away from the trees. Double check that there are no gaps that would allow snakes to squeeze through. If the blockades described above are undesirable, you can also contemplate using various repellents to keep raccoons from climbing your downspouts. The top of the baffle needs to be at least four feet off the ground. If the box is mounted on a large wooden post or utility pole, you can make a version of this guard out of metal air conditioning duct, which comes in flat pieces. To prevent raccoons from reaching in at ground level, surround the bottom 18 inches of the pen with smaller-mesh wire. Goats can climb and jump and donkeys are large, strong, and capable of knocking down weak fences. The instructions now indicate that it should only be used on a well established nest, and to watch after installation to verify that it is accepted. If you live near the woods, there probably won’t be much success at keeping raccoons away from your buildings. See disclaimer, (Fig. The purpose of this site is to share information with anyone interested So the trick here is going to be to make the tree unclimbable from the perspective of a raccoon. It should flare out about 18 inches from the trunk of the tree. Thread the poles through 3-foot-long pieces of PVC pipe before securing them; the slippery surface makes it difficult for raccoons to climb up the poles. With their grayish fur, bandit-like markings and bushy, black-ringed tails, raccoons (Procyon lotor) are avid climbers. Raccoons will climb the stalk and tear it down to gain access to the corn. Download this stock image: Banding on Trees to prevent Raccoons from climbing Tree to steal Bird Eggs from Nest, West Coast BC, British Columbia, Canada - C4N27R from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. I bought three boxes of these spikes for nearly $100 and completely wrapped a 6x6 post with spikes in an effort to prevent raccoons from climbing up to the bird feeders. Damage usually occurs right before harvest. Raccoons can easily climb wood or wire fences, or bypass them by using overhanging limbs of trees or shrubs. Trail monitors have found that few, if any, bluebirds will use a box with a Bird Guardian on it, and some even abandon nests with eggs when a Bird Guardian is placed on a box. 8 inch diameter (wider is better) x 24 inch long. These can include audible, chemical, and … Photo in header by Wendell Long. out from the fence. Use cages and screen enclosures to protect valuable plants. You don't have to cut it - the stovepipe comes in 2 foot sections. (Again, metal is sharp - be careful! It will be snug, but the baffle will still wobble. Aug 22, 2014 - prevent raccoons from climbing | ... trees pipes posts and other structures to keep raccoons from climbing Thanks to Pam Spielmann for stovepipe baffle photos. Another great way to keep raccoons from making their way up and down your gutters is to close off access. 2 – Metal Screens or Coverings. File down sharp edges before fitting the guard around the trunk. To stop the climbing, loosely wrap trunks in metal flashing, extending about 4 feet above the ground. 3) Farm supply centers and bird-control supply companies on the Internet often carry commercial products that prevent climbing. Both can be purchased at Big Box home improvement stores, usually in the plumbing section near heat registers and furnace filters. This allows the snake to go up inside the baffle. Two No. (Note: 8 inch PVC works better for raccoons if the baffle is not wobbly.). Hardware cloth is flexible wire mesh available in hardware and garden stores. If raccoon are a problem in your area, using a hanging feeder is probably a bad idea. (Fig. guard your nestbox against climbing predators like raccoons and cats. Be careful of cuts and scrapes - it will be sharp! Honestly? Instructions: Put the baffle on BEFORE you put the nestbox on. The problem is that these natural habitats are being destroyed to give way to human communities and other projects. They were feasting on the bird feeders so I flashed the outside light to scare them away. Note: Some folks just use an upside-down, 5 gallon plastic paint/joint compound bucket, with the metal bail/handle removed. necessitated by today's sadly litigious world. This encourages the snake to go inside the baffle and get stopped. Don't put a long baffle all the way down to the ground, as snakes will go up and over it. Simple plastic bucket baffle, photo by Dottie of Indiana. I use forest green. Take them down, lightly sand and paint with exterior. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Put it 3-4" below the bottom of the box. Look around your yard and make a mental note of any object that is in close proximity to the downspout. If you can find it, try galvanized stove or vent pipe WITHOUT A SEAM (expensive, can be purchased in long sections and cut down - try Aubuchon's or a place that sells wood burning stoves), as some snakes can climb a seam. Squirrels can jump 8 feet high. No predator guard is 100% effective, but a decent one is always better than nothing! Caines holds a degree in journalism from Mercurius College in Holland and is writing her first novel. Avocado trees (Persea Americana) aren't often plagued by insect pests. They can go wherever they want to for the most part. Protect fruit trees, bird feeders, and nest boxes: To prevent raccoons from climbing fruit trees, poles, and other vertical structures, install a metal or heavy plastic barrier. Prevent raccoons from tree climbing to avoid further property damage. Wear gloves.) (Note: some raccoons can climb up a 4" diameter pipe, especially if they are really hungry.). to Keith Kridler. ], Use tin snips (offset are best) to cut a hardware cloth circle that is 1" bigger all around than the stovepipe. That size conical baffle may not stop snakes over 5 feet long, which thank goodness are not a problem in CT. Conical baffles are fairly easy to make and are good for nestboxes mounted on wooden posts. Snakes often take babies that are just about to fledge. When a climbing raccoon encounters the cone-shaped contraption, he won't be able to maneuver his way around it to continue climbing the tree. Much like you would for a garden, get a metal grid screen or some … They might even be able to get past a 4-6" diameter metal stopvepipe, so Ron Kingston (the inventory of the Kingston baffle) recommends an 8" or larger diameter metal stovepipe. Note: A black matte finish will probably rust - galvanized is better. Then, cut outward from the circle and cut the sheet metal into a circle at an 18-inch diameter from the initial circle. Raccoon Prevention - How to Keep Raccoons Away . Prevention Tips: Place bird feeders well away from any structures (such as a fence) or overhanging tree limbs that make them accessible to raccoons. Snakes (especially large rat snakes) may be able to climb a stovepipe baffle that has a seam. Racoons tend to use the same spot night after night, so a pile of droppings is also evidence you have raccoons visiting your tree. Also see drawings and instructions here or here. Feel free to link to it (preferred as I update content regularly), or use text from it for personal or educational A conical tree guard can help protect fruit trees and other wildlife from hungry raccoons. For snakes, space or distance are needed between the center pipe used for mounting the nestbox, and the surrounding baffle. It can be painted with Rustoleum paint for plastic, or Krylon paint to blend in. What does not work well, or is not recommended: Use of a Bird Guardian (a commercially available plastic tube inserted into the entrance hole or screwed onto the box exterior) would provide protection against reaching predators (not snakes). See more information on deterring cats and snakes. A conical tree guard can help protect fruit trees and other wildlife from hungry raccoons. broken links/have suggestions/corrections, please contact me! from the ground and 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm.) They work for squirrels though. Raccoons' Craving For Peaches Is The Pits Living in the country and growing your own food seems romantic, but protecting that food from animals that also want it can be a battle. Install sheet metal around trees about 18 inches from the base to prevent climbing. Cut any low-hanging branches from the fruit tree, removing any that an adult raccoon could grab onto while standing on its hind legs. Just because you don't have predation the first year doesn't mean they are safe - e.g., sometimes it can take raccoons 3-4 years to find the location of a "Happy Meal.". (Thanks Evelyn). are copyrighted, and may not be used without the express permission of the photographer. Other fruits and vegetables in the garden can also be consumed. Experts recommend keeping your trees trimmed back 6 to 8 feet away from your home. The Purple Martin Society recommends a baffle that starts 4 feet off the ground. Circle of 1/2 inch (1/4" is better to deter small snakes) hardware cloth that is 1" bigger than the stove pipe. Try a metal "tent" baffle to seal the top of the baffle and extend it away from the pole far enough that the snake can't go around the baffle. Either a Stovepipe (Kingston) or PVC wobbling baffle will (Thanks Dan Hanan for this description.). Prevent raccoons from accessing rooftops by trimming nearby tree limbs and by attaching sheets of metal flashing around corners of buildings. In cartoons, raccoons may seem cute and even friendly. Some people wrap the pole in barbed wire, put carpet tack strips on the post (which does have a deterrent effect), or use other sharp or pointed objects, but they are dangerous to humans including children, and would not be considered humane. Premium Nixalite ® For Climbing Animal Barriers Installed in multiple rows, the Premium Nixalite spikes can prevent even the most determined climbing animals from getting past a Premium Spike barrier including squirrels, raccoons and other critters. The 8 inch duct pipe comes in 5 foot sections. If stovepipe begins to rust, snakes may be able to get purchase. See Comparing Pros and Cons of Various Predator Guard Styles. Then bend the edges down one inch all around so it it fits tightly INSIDE the stovepipe. How to Raise a Shower Head Without Moving the Plumbing in a Wall, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: Living with Wildlife: Raccoons, Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Maryland's Wild Acres: Creating a Wild Backyard - Predator Guards, Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Wild Acres - Cone-shaped Predator Guard, How to Plant Trees With Burlap Root Balls, How to Install Spin-On Collars for HVAC Ducts. I recommend mounting a nestbox on a metal pipe (EMT electrical conduit - 1/2" for light boxes, 3/4 - 1" for heavier boxes). Trees are best protected from donkeys and goats by building a strong fence around them. You can take a slotted screwdriver and use it to pry the hardware cloth up against the stovepipe sides. Stovepipe baffle showing tabs, with lovely camo paint by Pam Spielmann. Design by Chimalis. See Comparing Pros and Cons of Various Predator Guard Styles.. (Thanks Jimbee). It can also create problems when opening a front opening box. Choose sturdy poles for your feeders and fasten them firmly in the ground. Overlap the sides to forms a cone. No permission is granted for commercial use. An 8" stovepipe guard also deters snakes. The conical tree guard is fitted around the trunk of the tree at a height of about 3 feet from the ground. If they jump onto the outside, they’ll slide off. Also see: Instructions: Put the baffle on the pole BEFORE you put the nestbox on. See, Cut a small hole or "X" in the middle of the circle (the diameter of your mounting pipe - usually 1/2 to 1 inch.). How To Keep Raccoons Away - Raccoons may appear to be a simple, furry and cute animal that has adapted to scavenge food and scraps from a variety of sources, but the reality is that they are particularly hardy and adaptable, which is why you can find raccoons almost everywhere in the United States. If you’ve ever seen a raccoon climb a tree, they make it look very, very easy. Fence orchards and vegetable gardens. Raccoons have been known to get around metal cone guards on poles, even those that are 36" in diameter. This baffle designed by Ron Kingston deters snakes, raccoons, opossums and cats. IMPORTANT: - Climbing barriers use Premium Nixalite Model S and Model W only. These critters are fantastic climbers and don’t need a tree or a pole to make their way on top of your house. I put a wine cork in the top of the pipe so water doesn't get in and freeze and split it. The slicker the better. 4 inch thin wall drain pipe made from PVC (you don't need the heavy duty Schedule 40 pipe) at least 2 feet long. Remove rim of bucket with a box cutter. They love climbing trees, nesting in big logs, foraging fruits, and washing up along riverbeds. Planting cucumbers around your fruit trees acts as a force field to keep the raccoons away from your trees. Twenty-four-inch long aluminum or galvanized vent-pipe, available at most hardware stores, can serve as a … That should prevent even the largest raccoons from bypassing the wraps or smooth metal surfaces. a citation for the author. Similarly, avoid placing a house near an arbor, fence, or trellis that predators can use to climb closer to the house, and avoid locations with heavy shrubbery that can conceal predators. Raccoons fear dogs and won’t venture near them. There are several steps to prevent raccoons in trees. A properly mounted house will be at least 10-12 feet above the ground and away from any buildings, trees, or shrubs predators can use to jump onto the house. 4) Remove vegetation on buildings, such as English ivy, that allows raccoons to climb walls. Mounting and baffle drawings courtesy of the. It may make it more difficult for avian predators to reach eggs. Raccoons will climb trees, fences, downspouts, and basically anything that they can grip. If desired, paint the sheet metal so it blends in. If you’re concerned about raccoons climbing up the side of your home and getting in that way, there’s a solution for that. Black Rat Snakes) may be able to coil around it, even when greased. Please honor their copyright protection. Make Use Of Raccoon Repellents. How Long Does It Take for a Kousa Sapling to Flower? Galvanized stove or vent/duct pipe. To prevent raccoons from climbing into or giving birth in your attic, you need to take measures that will make your home or shed unappealing to the next raccoon that walks by. This presents a problem to the people living there. There isn’t a way to protect tree-hung feeders from raccoons. Raccoon will not be able to climb up the pole to reach the feeder. If you mount a nestbox on a tree, large wooden post, fence or telephone pole with no guard, be prepared to lose adults, eggs and nestlings to raccoons, snakes or cats. Last night I watched two raccoons casually climb the pole right on top of the spikes, it didn't deter them one bit. A 4 foot wide flat square of hardware cloth also works, but it makes monitoring difficult, has sharp edges, and is expensive. Just make sure that you provide at least three feet of protective barrier. Slip the assembled baffle over the pole until it rests on the hanger iron bracket. A thick hardware block placed over the entrance hole does NOT deter raccoons (or snakes). (If the baffle is too low, the snake might go up over the outside.). Raccoons often will roll up newly laid turf when looking for worms and grubs. A small (4") diameter PVC one does not, as snakes (esp. Bend these tabs over the hardware cloth. A wobbling PVC baffle will deter many climbing mammals, but an 8" metal stovepipe baffle topped with hardware cloth will deter both climbing mammals and snakes. Kimberly Caines is a well traveled model, writer and licensed physical fitness trainer who was first published in 1997. However, it makes feeding more difficult and is generally not well accepted by bluebirds. Use tin snips to cut three tabs in the top of the stovepipe. They often use trees to rest in or to get to roof tops, trash cans or gardens with potential food sources. Since they are adept climbers (and diggers), ordinary fencing is not enough. 8 B32 x 3/4 inch machine screws and nuts, [If the stovepipe comes uncurled, put it together. in bluebird conservation. If you're growing fruit trees, or if you have birdhouses set up in trees around your garden, raccoons, which are omnivorous, eating both animals and plants, can do significant damage. It must be positioned so that the bottom is at least 5 to 6 feet from the ground. If the mounting pole is not dead vertical and the stovepipe rests against the pole, snakes may be able to crawl up over it. To make it raccoon proof, you’ll need to add a strand or two of electric fencing at least 8 inches (20 cm.) Bolt the two strips of hanger iron (or a hose clamp) securely on either side of the mounting pipe, and bend them to support the hardware cloth. On Purple Martin structures mounted on 3"x3" steel square tubing, you can use an elevated, inverted 38 gallon trash can as a baffle. It is a little wire cage (1/2" hardware cloth) that goes over the nestbox entrance hole. Trimming branches also deters the pest by making ornamental lawn trees less desirable denning sites. March 24, 2016. Do not hang feeders from trees. Keep in mind, poles that are close to trees, hanging branches and rooftops will be fair game, even with a baffle. Your best bet for getting rid of raccoons is through appropriate fencing. Use concrete to set the wooden posts into the ground at least 1.5 feet deep. Make sure to leave a minimum distance of 10 feet between your house and the trees; this should be more than enough distance to keep the raccoons from dropping in and making their unwelcome presence felt. © Original photographs What does not work well, or is not recommended, tree, large wooden post, fence or telephone pole, Comparing Pros and Cons of Various Predator Guard Styles, The problems associated with mounting boxes on trees, 1/2” Conduit/Rebar Pole Mounting System (Gilbertson. Step 1 Use a tree trimmer or saw to trim trees around your home or any building where raccoons are a problem. The slicker the better. Obviously, raccoons are very good climbers. Put the hardware cloth circle over the top of the stovepipe. Appearance of automatically generated Google or other ads on this site does not constitute endorsement of any of those services or products! Squirrels may climb up the tree trunk, but they’ll be under the baffle and can’t get through the top. When mounting nestboxes on a T-post, cut two slits (in the shape of an X) in the hardware cloth and slip it down over the post. Some folks regularly grease EMT metal conduit poles with lithium-based automotive grease, or spray with Pledge (furniture polish) or Eureka Fluid Film to make it harder for critters to climb an unbaffled pole. You can try to remove whatever it is that is attracting them or fence in your property and get a dog. The baffle should wobble a little to discourage climbing predators. Put on gloves and use tin snips to cut a circle in the center of the sheet metal, making it large enough to fit the diameter of the tree trunk. So making your tree fully raccoon-proof will involve taking away anything that the raccoon will be able to get a grip on for climbing. Duct tape wrapped around the pole helps hold the hanger iron in place, however the tape will deteriorate over time. Another option is a Noel Guard which MAY (or may not) deter raccoons, cats and squirrels, but not snakes or medium sized avian predators. You might want to put a piece of duct tape where the vertical edges meet because it's sharp. You don’t. You can make a conical tree guard with a large piece of sheet metal. Glue (plumber's glue) or put a screw through the PVC cap so it doesn't come apart. If the baffle is over 12" wide it doesn't need to wobble, as raccoons can't hang on. Remember, raccoons are great jumpers, too! Hardware cloth is not fun to work with - it's stiff and cut edges are sharp, so be patient and careful. Her work has appeared in the Dutch newspaper "De Overschiese Krant" and on various websites. Eliminate possible sources of food and water by getting tightly fitted lids for trash cans, bringing pet food indoors overnight, and covering birdfeeders. Some users have had problems with paper wasps nesting underneath the PVC cap. The creatures are forced to leave their homes and go to the suburbs and cities instead. Either a Stovepipe (Kingston) or PVC wobbling baffle will guard your nestbox against climbing predators like raccoons and cats.It will also deter squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and rats as long as they cannot otherwise jump to the box. The tree naturally contains chemicals that deter most insect and herbivore pests. It will also deter squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and rats as long as they cannot otherwise jump to the box. Step 1 Surround the trunk of a tree with porcupine wire, a type of barbed wire available at farm supply and garden centers. purposes, with a link back to http://www.sialis.org or Use livestock wire, barbed wire, or wood to build the rest of your fence. To keep raccoons away from downspouts, remove structures that raccoons can use to reach the downspout. In the top of the PVC cap, drill a hole in the middle that is about 1/8" larger than the mounting pole. 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Three feet of protective barrier tree-hung feeders from raccoons 6 to 8 inches 15! Use livestock wire, a type of barbed wire, barbed wire, or wood to build rest. On for climbing from donkeys and prevent raccoons from climbing trees by building a strong fence around them to trim trees your. ( Persea Americana ) are n't often plagued by insect pests and Cons of various guard! Be snug, but the baffle is not wobbly. ) low, the snake might go up and it... Of a tree with porcupine wire, a type of barbed wire, a type of barbed wire barbed... Bird feeders so I flashed the outside light to scare them away circle and cut the sheet metal raccoons will!