tough year for the garden thanks to rats and raccoons!

I moved to a new house that's suburban and on the edge of an open space so we have a diverse wildlife vector.

I want to live harmoniously with all the animals. I figured that if I can create an overabundance in my garden, we can all be happy. However, I've come to the realization that the garden predators don't have enough natural predators. The garden could never get established because all of the sprouts are being eaten.

I'm now at a difficult point of trying to introduce some predators or become a predator myself in the short term until my perennial polycultures can get established and the system is in balance.

I'm under the impression that I can either have a rat problem or a raccoon problem (due to natural competition) but somehow I've got both! What are the odds?

The intent of this thread is to find resolve in which path to take and to find a simple, passive, permaculture path

I've created a snake habitat -- no snakes. I'm considering getting a barn cat from the humane society but I wonder if that will be more or less work also cat urine isn't good for gardens and we already have neighborhood cats. Setting mouse and rat traps takes effort and is becoming less and less effective plus the raccoons are able to successfully extract the peanut butter without self-harm. I'm not using poison. I would need a permit to relocate the racoons so this option is les desirable plus I don't like the idea of making my problem someone else's problem. A few 20 gallon garbage buckets that I use under the gutter down spouts seem to be drowning rats, birds, and squirrels regularly without me even intending to but it does get dry here in Colorado (note that I didn't use peanut butter to entice them).

I have read that some folks use solar-blinking fairy lights or motion sensors to scare off the raccoons.

I wonder if lots of smelly plants like french marigolds would help.

Thanks, Anne!

I'm also using the wildlife noisemakers that cycle through simulating predator noises. I detest it because I can hear it as I'm going to sleep (with the windows open) and it doesn't appear to be effective. The raccoons have also gotten familiar with my motion detection camera/lights. Funny, I'm almost forgetting *all* of the measures I've taken especially if they weren't effective.

Smelly plants could be a good option except something ate all of my garlic, I have mint right next to plants I wanted to try to protect that also were eaten, and something is eating my chive flowers! I'm less inclined to try to grow more plants this late in the season but I'll consider it... given that it's September tomorrow the growing season is nearly over so I'd have to assess what I have from my seed box that might be successful at this point... nothing is coming to mind.

Deer are my nibblers.  Raccoons don't seem to be a problem because we have food plots and offer corn for the deer that is unlimited offering to raccoons.

The deer loved my chive plants so much that I no longer have any.

Something ate all my Egyptian Walking onions so I only have an experiment I did in hanging baskets.

By smelly I mean something strong like rosemary and french marigolds are stinky.

I so get this. I have been having similar struggles with raccoons and chipmunks. I really want to share the space harmoniously, but it has been frustrating and hard to find the balance. I think one part of the problem is that suburban environments are for the most part food deserts for wildlife and all they can get is people's garbage. So when real food is created by doing things like creating polycultures, it's a bit of an oasis for them. You've probably already considered this, but finding and eliminating other potential food sources and hidey holes is helpful. Obviously, keeping trash well contained. I know our compost pile is a big draw for the creatures, as are bird feeders. Keeping pet food outside is also problematic. Reducing places rats can shelter and move about without going into the open might help.

The raccoons are particularly hard to deter, I find. We had to cave and put an electric fence around our garden to stop them digging everything up. Attempts to plant outside of that area are a gamble, as any soil improving measures tend to draw worms, which they love to dig and eat. So my plantings can easily end up torn up in the process. I've had some success by placing heavy rocks and/or sharply pointed sticks around seeds or recently planted plants. The sticks have to be fairly closely spaced, but work well and are probably the most effective strategy I've found. Sometimes I'll lay chicken wire flat on the ground where I've planted things, stake down the edges and let the plants grow up through it, though this only works for annuals. Sometimes putting chicken wire or hardware cloth rings around plants works, sometimes they dig under the edge or climb on them, knocking them down or smashing in the wire and breaking the plants. I've also tried deterring them with human urine, but they don't seem bothered by it. I've heard some folks have success using cayenne powder on areas to prevent digging or sometimes as a spray on plants. I haven't done that, having experienced the burn of cayenne on skin before and not wishing that on even the raccoons.

I wonder if you could ask a wild life rehabilitator about releasing snakes they've rehabbed onto your property?

I hope you're able to find solutions that let you exist in harmony and create a better balance!

Hi Alexandra,
I don't know if anyone will ever have a completely 100% free-from-pests garden. It seems like you get rid of one, and another comes. I think Heather has a point.

I think one part of the problem is that suburban environments are for the most part food deserts for wildlife and all they can get is people's garbage. So when real food is created by doing things like creating polycultures, it's a bit of an oasis for them.

When there is not enough other food, it attracts them even more.

For Raccoons , you could try an electric fence or a motion detecting water sprayer or a dog.

For rats... good luck :)... best bet is to try to keep their numbers down and remove any hiding places or food sources.

I totally understand the desire to "live and let live", but from my experience, once a racoon has decided that you're land is his personal grocery store territory, they will be incredibly persistent and totally capable of finding away around every obstacle short of Fort Knox.

Everything I've read about "relocating" is worse than humanely killing the animal. We try to nip problems in the bud, but we know there are people in the area who intentionally or unintentionally feed them, so inevitably we end up having to turn some of them into chicken feed.

Normally, racoon do prey on rats, so if you've got a large rat problem, that suggests again that something currently or in the past, attracted them. There are whole threads on permies about different rat traps, I'm going to be trying some of the suggestion this week, as we've got issues that aren't going away...
https://permies.com/t/164132/RAT-trap
https://permies.com/t/166589/Mice-rodents-cabin

I second the suggestion for a dog to get rid of raccoons. We used to regularly get visits from coons and rabbits,  but since getting a dog,  they give our yard a pass. It's not like the dog is always out there either, or that he ever actually *caught* one of them. They just sense that it's dog territory and go elsewhere far as I can tell.

Rats are harder. My dog does catch rats sometimes, but this does not deter them. Maybe if he were a rat terrier or some better rodent hunter.  I struggle with the rats,  Exclude them from one place,  and they pop up somewhere new. Plus, the crops I like to grow provide them cover.

I had a Border Collie, Aussie mix and he once tackled a raccoon because  it was stalking our cat.  The dog loved the cat, they were best buds.  Took him 45 minutes with another dog tag teaming from behind and nipping the raccoon before they could dispatch it.  Tough fight and he ended up with a long gash across the snout and a permanent scar.   But dogs are definitely a deterrent.  

I live near heavy forest and the wood rats raid my garden.  The cats don’t seem to do anything about it.  I hope someone has a solution.  

The deer problem is pretty much resolved since we put wood lathing strips in the fence to raise it 8 feet high.  So far, so good.  Previously they were wiping out everything.