Raccoons

[dave28210]

I will be a first time beekeeper this season, and I can already guess that I will have a raccoon problem. We have tons of them around here, and big ones at that. They love the trash and our pet food. Their natural habitat is the creek running behind our house. So I can only imagine what they will be up to when I get two hives running in the back yard. What are some precautions I can take to keep them from messing with my honeybees? I am pretty well in town, so shooting them is not an option. Even if it was, I wouldn't be able to get every one. Any ideas on this?

[HVH]

Skunks are usually more of a problem and some beekeepers place those carpet nail strips on the landing board to keep skunks from scratching which is an invitation for the bees to come out and get munched. We have a creek in the back and lots of coons but no problems. The neighbors with chickens, though, find headless chickens some mornings.
I purchased a trap from Home Depot for my son, and he has had some fun catching skunks, raccoons, and the neighbors cats.

[HAB]

We have a large Beaver pond behind the house (East) that comes up into our yard. A good sized creek runs along the South side of our yard and along our 3/4 mile drive. Raccoons by the truck load coming and going all the time. Deer, Possum, Bobcat and occasional Gator all within 100 feet of our 10 hives. Once watched a Raccoon walk up to one of the hives stand up on its hind legs and give it a quick look. But then he just turned and went back to the Beaver Pond to look for more Mussels. A year now and nothing has bothered them yet. Knock on Wood.

[beekinjax]

My yard ends in a creek/river. the bees will be about five feet away from the bulk head at the end of the yard. I also have chickens in the same yard. the coons are a major problem with the chickens. I live trap the coons and relocate them past a large river at least ten miles away into good habitat for them (dence woos with a water source). I have removed more than forty coons in the last six years. coons live in groups so when you catch one keep setting the trap and you will catch one per night til you catch the hole group. the best bait is cat food gets em every time.
hope it helps

[USCBeeMan]

Can always BBQ a racoon or 2 and add some of your own tasty honey to the receipe!

Maybe that's just a SC thing!

[pbaumeister]

use electric wire like for horses or dogs. It works great.

[Judy in IN]

1/4 c. flybait crystals
1/4 c. regular coke
sprinkling of cheap dry cat food.

My Vet gave me this recipe. I have a creek 1/4 mile away too. The name of the creek is Big Raccoon Creek.

The first time I used this recipe, I collected 5 coons, 3 opposum, and 1 skunk the first weekend.

Caution: This will kill raccoons, opposum, skunks, coyotes, and your neighbor's dog; or YOUR dog!

I use Golden Malrin...I get it at the feed elevator. This works quickly, so is humane. I caught the first opposum in a live trap, and drowned it in the creek. THAT was NOT quick.

This works 24/7, is quiet, and the buzzards will love you for it.

[BeeAware]

I have an apiary located near woods and a creek. Biggest problem I ever had with coons was them stealing a couple of entrance feeders back when I used those and a top cover or two was removed by coons. After I stopped using the entrance feeders as the apiary grew, no more coon problems. I still get pictures of them in the bee yard on my wildlife cam but they never bother the hives now.

[Sundance]

1/4 c. flybait crystals
1/4 c. regular coke
sprinkling of cheap dry cat food.

Man that sounds dangerous!! One had better be careful,
and have plenty of insurance.

[Judy in IN]

Well, I keep it in my barn, so if my neighbor's dog is here, they have no business in my barn anyway.

I lost a dozen hens last year to a neighbor's dog. I don't have much of a sense of humor left about straying dogs.

BY LAW, you're supposed to contain your pet to your own property. ESPECIALLY if it kills livestock.

[Michael Palmer]

I've never seen a problem with racoons bothering my bees. Combs without bees is another story.

I bring home my deadouts in the spring, to be cleaned up and bad combs sorted out of the operation. I have no indoor space that will hold all the equipment. So, I stack in on pallets, and cover. The racoons climb the stack, knock off the cover, and start pulling out frames. They destroy the comb, eating stored pollen and honey. When they finish the top box, they move doiwn into the next, and the next, and the next. I place bricks on the covers...they knock the off and continue. I place 4x4 pallets on the covers, and bricks on the pallets. They knock off the bricks, and the pallets, the covers, and continue.

Behind my property is the Town Forest. The St. Albans animal warden took to dumping problem racoons there. This after it took me years to thin out the population. All of a sudden I was over run with 'Coons. He denies it, but I know he did. Totally illegal to trap racoons and transport in Vermont.

Store your empty equipment indoors if possible.

[mgmoore7]

I saw a racoon checking out my stack of supers last night. Time to get the trap out again. I have a significant problem with the coons and armadillos. The coons do quite a bit of damage to my vegetable plants. I have not yet had them get into my hives though.

Last year I trapped several coons, possoms and one armadillo. The armadillos are hard to trap. I have done better with my pellet gun out the back or front door.

[saltcube]

"I caught the first opossum in a live trap, and drowned it in the creek. THAT was NOT quick."

me and you would get along grate thats the way i like to deer hunt but I've found that a canteen is hard to get there nose into

[mgmoore7]

"I caught the first opossum in a live trap, and drowned it in the creek. THAT was NOT quick."

me and you would get along grate thats the way i like to deer hunt but I've found that a canteen is hard to get there nose into

There are two legal methods from killing trapped nuisence animals in FL. Drowning and shot to the head. I have heard how the drowning does not seem so humane. I don't have a simple way to do the drowning, so I have not tried. I have a high powered pellet gun that does the trick pretty well. It is quiet enough that noone will realize what is going on in my fenced yard.

[tonyp]

I suggest you find yourself a trapper. Trappers are always looking for new places to trap, and if it's in the trapping season im sure someone would be happy to do it for free. Look for your local trappers assn. and ask around. I'm not sure but I believe poisonous baits have been outlawed for years in almost every state.

[mike haney]

hides are worth about $1.50 for "southern" coons at this time. not many trapping at that price.

[ScadsOBees]

The coons climbed the fence, walked right past my hives and decimated my corn patch.

The next year I told the boys to pee on the corn plants (they already do that in the yard, this just gave them a focus) and that seemed to help keep the coons away. Best tasting corn on the cob...we didn't even have to salt it...

Coons aren't usually a problem with bee hives. They wash their food, and if you try washing honey comb, it loses all its flavor, so they aren't too interested...

Now if you have bears.....

[mgmoore7]

I suggest you find yourself a trapper. Trappers are always looking for new places to trap, and if it's in the trapping season im sure someone would be happy to do it for free. Look for your local trappers assn. and ask around. I'm not sure but I believe poisonous baits have been outlawed for years in almost every state.

Won't be any trapping in a residential area unless paying a trapping service. Around here that means a cost of $200-300.

[honeyman46408]

I havent been watching this section so here is my 2¢

About 6 years ago I lost 12 hives to coons, they pulled the mouse guards away from the entrance and picniced off the bees till the population was so weak the hive died.

A friend of mine told me it was skunks but I caught 22 coons and 3 possums and no skunks.

I catch them in a live trap and relocate them to the bottom of a 55 gal drum of water. I have been scolded for doing that on this forum. I do have a place to do away with them after the water bath, another friend of mine raises Hawks for hunting so he uses the meat for bird food.
Some folks say I shouldnt kill them but if you relocate them try spraying a little paint on some and see if they return you dould saxe yourself some gas money

[mgmoore7]

I havent been watching this section so here is my 2¢

About 6 years ago I lost 12 hives to coons, they pulled the mouse guards away from the entrance and picniced off the bees till the population was so weak the hive died.

A friend of mine told me it was skunks but I caught 22 coons and 3 possums and no skunks.

I catch them in a live trap and relocate them to the bottom of a 55 gal drum of water. I have been scolded for doing that on this forum. I do have a place to do away with them after the water bath, another friend of mine raises Hawks for hunting so he uses the meat for bird food.
Some folks say I shouldnt kill them but if you relocate them try spraying a little paint on some and see if they return you dould saxe yourself some gas money

I have spoken at length with my state agency of wildlife. In FL, in regard to killing or relocating, killing is the only legal thing to do. Two methods are approved. Drowning and bullet.