# Raccoon action on my bird seed feeder



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Add an electric fence transformer to those guide wires.

It only takes once for the lesson to be learned.

ED


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

That's what I did a few years ago with the hummingbird feeder in the previous raccoon threads. I may well have to escalate it to that again!



de-nagorg said:


> Add an electric fence transformer to those guide wires.
> 
> It only takes once for the lesson to be learned.
> 
> ED


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

What if your racoon is a mother? You wouldn't want o shock her.

Crisco will attract animals.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

The charger I use is made for small critters so doesn't do any real harm. But it is a PITA to set up for something like this. I'll use SilGlyde instead of Crisco.



Nik333 said:


> What if your racoon is a mother? You wouldn't want o shock her.
> 
> Crisco will attract animals.


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## SpentPenny (Dec 15, 2020)

In southern KS we just shoot them and toss them into the ditch or trash can.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

SpentPenny said:


> In southern KS we just shoot them and toss them into the ditch or trash can.


 Same here, for most people.

ED


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

No need for that. We take a live and let live approach here... unless they go rabid.



SpentPenny said:


> In southern KS we just shoot them and toss them into the ditch or trash can.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

raylo32 said:


> No need for that. We take a live and let live approach here... unless they go rabid.


If they raid the henhouse, or dig the garden, or otherwise become a pest, they might be dead, or relocated, otherwise, I am the same way.

ED


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Yup, and the rabid ones usually self-dispatch. We found one at the PA farm freshly dead 2 weeks ago. The locals say that is usually distemper that takes them and not rabies. We didn't bother testing it... just used a pitchfork to toss the carcass into the woods.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

It might be better to bury it. Apparently, the virus is caught mostly as an Airborne infection, but can live for several hours and be spread by saliva, blood or urine if something decided to eat it.


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## jim_bee (Feb 23, 2021)

Not to be a smart @ss, but actually airborne transmission of rabies considered to be feasible only in very limited circumstances and is not spread by blood or urine. Transmission is primarily through injection by a bite that injects saliva; potentially exposure of a fresh wound to saliva is a cause for concern and rare cases in humans have been caused by cornea and organ transplants from infected donors.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

jim_bee said:


> Not to be a smart @ss, but actually airborne transmission of rabies considered to be feasible only in very limited circumstances and is not spread by blood or urine. Transmission is primarily through injection by a bite that injects saliva; potentially exposure of a fresh wound to saliva is a cause for concern and rare cases in humans have been caused by cornea and organ transplants from infected donors.


That's not what I found. Maybe start a thread on Rabies? I hate to ruin raylo's thread. I was just trying to clarify it.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Well, Ray 1, Rocky zero last night. I looped another wire into the feeder pole to fill the gaps in the 2 guy wires and coated the pole with Sil-Glyde, including some blobs. Rocky visited the feeder about 7 times which was 6 less times than the night before. The first time he licked up some Sil-Glyde (I didn't expect that, but the stuff isn't toxic) and clearly didn't enjoy the taste, and he never really tried to scale the pole. The crazy thing is that his first 2 visits came early enough that I was sitting right there in my kitchen that overlooks the deck. First one was 6:42PM.

So the birds will be happy to have breakfast waiting for them this morning. I may have to reapply the Sil-Glyde from time to time... or since I am pretty much out of Sil-Glyde now and it seems like he will taste pretty much anything I may even try some different stuff, like tomato paste laced with cayenne pepper.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Not sure why the frowny face Nik?? No raccoons were harmed... a little taste of Sil-Glyde won't do any damage. He still has about a half dozen other feeders to raid nearby, and I am not going through $1 to $2 of birdseed a day. That no-mess stuff is expensive.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

raylo32 said:


> Not sure why the frowny face Nik?? No raccoons were harmed... a little taste of Sil-Glyde won't do any damage. He still has about a half dozen other feeders to raid nearby, and I am not going through $1 to $2 of birdseed a day. That no-mess stuff is expensive.


It's a sad face. I'm a sucker for hungry animals, including people. Just ignore me.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

I am, too. Up to a point. But this guy isn't going hungry.



Nik333 said:


> It's a sad face. I'm a sucker for hungry animals, including people. Just ignore me.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

raylo32 said:


> I am, too. Up to a point. But this guy isn't going hungry.


I brought a giant, pretty, sweet alleycat, Rosie, into the Vet and he asked - "Did you reach in his fur and squeeze?" No, I hadn't. He became Sven.
Try it, but, we need footage.😄 and someone to retrieve the camera.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Sly-Glide has castor oil in it. You'll make it poop all over!🤣'

Magnesium in the form of epsom salts deters animals. They usually hate bitter. I painted my cat's bandages with a solution and she left it alone.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

They don't need any chemical encouragement for that. I have found raccoon poop in my plant pots many times.



Nik333 said:


> Sly-Glide has caster oil in it. You'll make it poop all over!🤣'
> 
> Magnesium in the form of epsom salts deters animals. They usually hate bitter. I painted my cat's bandages with a solution and she left it alone.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Looks like Rocky is getting trained. He only came by the feeder 4 times last night and just made some half hearted moves, never even getting close. In the last sighting he just ambled on by on the deck rail without even looking at the feeder.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

It's like putting a Club on your car's steering wheel.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Looks like Rocky took Roxy out for dinner last night... but the kitchen was closed. I don't think she was happy. Date/time stamp is off so I have no idea what time this was... I changed the cam batteries and forgot to reset the clock. These things should come with a little clock memory battery or something.


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