Raccoon protection

 I live in a city, but love sweet corn so I grow a little in my garden.

Unfortunately, raccoons have discovered my corn and are eating it before
it is ripe.  The city frowns on killing them, and trapping doesn't work
because you just get one at a time and they find their way back after
being released.

So I am looking at building a fenced area, with wire fencing on the
sides, and netting on the top.  I found what seems to be an affordable
welded wire fence material, but the openings are 2 by 4 inches.  Is that
small enough to stop raccoons, or do I need to find a material with
smaller holes?

 On 9/20/11 11:05 AM, Notat Home wrote:

If you place the mesh far enough from the corn that a raccoon cannot
reach the corn through the mesh 2x4 should be good enough.  Just make
sure you anchor the mesh firmly to the soil so that the raccoons can't
lift it.  Try just a small area at first to see how well it works.

I have a cage trap for squirrels.  The squirrels (or maybe rats) would
reach through the mesh (1"x1") of the cage and steal the bait.  I
wrapped 1/4" steel mesh around outside the bait area; the critters tore
it away to get the bait without entering the trap.  I wrapped 1/4" steel
mesh around inside the bait area; the critters shredded it and still
stole the bait.  Finally, I wrapped 1/4" steel mesh around outside and
then 1/2" heavier mesh over that.  Now the critters have to enter the
trap to get the bait.

--
David E. Ross
Climate:  California Mediterranean, see
<http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html>
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>

 If your in a no freeze climate you can attach a 4 dollar sprinkle and an
electric valve to a motion detector -- that's what I did this summer.

They come anywhere near and that sprinkler pulses madly, and like anyone else,
nobody likes to get wet.

Only thing that's worked for me.

Rainbird makes a $15 valve but it's dc, so here's what you need --

motion detector light and a bulb 120 screw in socket
12v dc power supply
valve
sprinkler

 wrote:


electric valve to a motion detector -- that's what I did this summer.

nobody likes to get wet.

No need to make anything:
(Amazon.com product link shortened)

 On 9/20/2011 2:05 PM, Notat Home wrote:

I've stopped them with around 4" x 4", in fact a bit bigger. I had a cat
door that I kept shrinking in size until it worked! With that, if a wire
broke, you would still be OK.

Someone here had mentioned folding some of the bottom of the fencing
onto the ground. You may not be able to afford that with the height of
the corn, but I think a bit of fence on the ground, under the fence line
would be a good idea.

They are damn clever animals. I'd put little beyond them after they had
no trouble unlatching my big cat food container.

   Jeff