Stop Raccoons from Going to Your Garbage Bag

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around various strategies to prevent raccoons from accessing garbage bags. Participants share personal experiences and propose different methods, including both humane and non-humane approaches. The conversation touches on practical solutions, behavioral insights, and humorous suggestions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Humorous

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest using human hair clippings around garbage bags to deter raccoons, claiming the human scent will keep them away.
  • Others share personal anecdotes about scaring raccoons away using paintball guns or keeping trash cans inside until trash day.
  • One participant proposes using locking trash cans to prevent raccoons from accessing the garbage, noting that raccoons can chew through plastic cans.
  • A humorous suggestion involves using diuretics in the trash to deter raccoons, while another participant jokingly suggests more extreme measures like killing them.
  • There are discussions about the effectiveness of electrified trash cans, with some expressing skepticism about their practicality.
  • Participants also mention the presence of natural predators of raccoons, with some humorously suggesting letting them fight over the trash.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on effective methods to deter raccoons, with no consensus reached on the best approach. Some methods are met with skepticism or humor, indicating a mix of serious and lighthearted contributions.

Contextual Notes

Some suggestions rely on anecdotal evidence and personal experiences, which may not be universally applicable. The discussion includes a mix of practical advice and humorous commentary, reflecting differing levels of seriousness about the issue.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals dealing with raccoon problems, pet owners, and those interested in wildlife management may find the various strategies and humorous suggestions relevant.

JasonRox
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How do you stop them from going to your garbage bag?

At my other house, we would just scare the living hell of them and they never came back. (Used paintball guns.) Just now that's a little difficult.

They are destroying all the garbage bags and it's just darn annoying. Any tricks?
 
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if you cut your hair save the clippings and sprinkle the hair around the bags the human scent should keep them away
 
JasonRox said:
How do you stop them from going to your garbage bag?

At my other house, we would just scare the living hell of them and they never came back. (Used paintball guns.) Just now that's a little difficult.

They are destroying all the garbage bags and it's just darn annoying. Any tricks?

Keep the barrel inside. Put any decomposable meat/bone/scales trash in a bag in the door of the freezer until trash day. Rinse milk cartons. Then put the lot outside with the trash.

So long as they don't have a key to your house or know to look in the freezer you should be in good shape.
 
motomax99 said:
if you cut your hair save the clippings and sprinkle the hair around the bags the human scent should keep them away

The hair clippings ...?

Maybe in the movies. [The Rookie]
 
no really I've done it before
 
the scent keeps them away
 
motomax99 said:
the scent keeps them away

And your explanation for why they would open diapers up?
 
theyre curious!?
 
Srpinkle diuretics into the trash. :devil:
 
  • #10
Kill them.All.
 
  • #11
any way that is more humane?!
 
  • #12
what are diuretics?
 
  • #13
motomax99 said:
any way that is more humane?!

Publicly humiliate them infront of their fellow racoons so don't show their face around there anymore?

You could also slice and dice their heads off with that hovercraft of yours...-im just saying.
 
  • #14
motomax99 said:
does anyone know anything about hovercrafts?
i need help with mine
Search on hovercrafts, Danger knows a lot about them.

Jason, you'll need those trash cans with the locking lids. The racoons will still know the cans over for awhile, but won't be able to get them open. You're going to have to get a GOOD locking can, but it will pay for itself by saving you from repacking nasty garbage.
 
  • #15
motomax99 said:
what are diuretics?
Diuretics make you urinate.
 
  • #16
thanks evo
 
  • #17
Evo said:
Jason, you'll need those trash cans with the locking lids. The racoons will still know the cans over for awhile, but won't be able to get them open. You're going to have to get a GOOD locking can, but it will pay for itself by saving you from repacking nasty garbage.

The raccoons (and squirrels too) in these parts knaw through the plastic. I had a fine hinged lid can ... once. Now it looks like a reject from demolition derby suitable for collecting lawn trash. They knaw on the plastic gasoline can too. Maybe they just like plastic.

So I keep mine inside the porch door, until the daylight hours of trash day. To eliminate odor I put meat scraps in the freezer and rinse milk cartons. There's easier pickings elsewhere and I don't see them except for the trash they leave up the street.
 
  • #18
I'm sure you can still find metal trash cans with the locking lids, that's what my parents used to have.
 
  • #19
human hair human hair human hair human hair human hair works I am telling the truth!
 
  • #20
it does
 
  • #21
motomax99 said:
how do i start a thread??

https://www.physicsforums.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=14
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #22
Do you see something like this at night?

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/funny-pictures-raccoons-are-here-to-help-you.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #23
Math Is Hard said:
Do you see something like this at night?

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/funny-pictures-raccoons-are-here-to-help-you.jpg
[/URL]

Haha, yeah I hope I never see that!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #24
Evo said:
I'm sure you can still find metal trash cans with the locking lids, that's what my parents used to have.

Indeed they're still made. And then after the gentle garbage guys fling them about I can take them to a trash can body shop for repair. (I can't begin to imagine asking the burly garbage men to actually not fling them.) What I think I need is an electrified carbon filament can with a photoelectric switch that disables electrocutions in the daylight hours.

Either that or I can keep the can indoors.
 
  • #25
Math Is Hard said:
Do you see something like this at night?

No I also see skunks in the crowd in my neighborhood pre-processing the trash before collecction.
 
  • #26
LowlyPion said:
Indeed they're still made. And then after the gentle garbage guys fling them about I can take them to a trash can body shop for repair. (I can't begin to imagine asking the burly garbage men to actually not fling them.) What I think I need is an electrified carbon filament can with a photoelectric switch that disables electrocutions in the daylight hours.

Either that or I can keep the can indoors.
Picky, picky, picky!
 
  • #27
What is a natural predator of racoons? I'd get a few of those and let them fight to the death over who gets to own the trash can. At that point, they earned whatever's inside there.
 
  • #28
Cyrus said:
What is a natural predator of racoons?

Humans?
 
  • #29
However not very successful though
 
  • #30
Cyrus said:
What is a natural predator of racoons? I'd get a few of those and let them fight to the death over who gets to own the trash can. At that point, they earned whatever's inside there.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_raccoon's_predators
The raccoon's natural predators include cougars, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, wolves, great horned owls ...

I would either have cougar or great wolf!
 

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