Raccoons

[Lighthawk]

We've got a raccoon problem. Damn thing was in our living room tonight.
It's the cat door and food by the fireplace that's the draw. Callie was in the kitchen with us and missed it. That puppy needs a job!

Worse than a home invasion, our Four Wheel Camper Hawk was breached by the raccoon.
The camper is on jacks in front of our garage, lowered down about two feet off the ground, with a bag of dogfood under the bench seat. There's plenty of other staples stored in the campers cabinets.

Dang raccoon clawed at the reflectix insulation I had stapled to the plywood sidewall until it managed to jump through the nominal 6x8 turnbuckle portal. I found a dog food wrapper on the driveway.

So now the camper is on a dolly inside the garage. Does anyone else have problems with raccoon or worse yet bear breaking into their camper while parked at home?

 

[dorocks]

We've got a raccoon problem. Damn thing was in our living room tonight.
It's the cat door and food by the fireplace that's the draw. Callie was in the kitchen with us and missed it. That puppy needs a job!

Worse than a home invasion, our Four Wheel Camper Hawk was breached by the raccoon.
The camper is on jacks in front of our garage, lowered down about two feet off the ground, with a bag of dogfood under the bench seat. There's plenty of other staples stored in the campers cabinets.

Dang raccoon clawed at the reflectix insulation I had stapled to the plywood sidewall until it managed to jump through the nominal 6x8 turnbuckle portal. I found a dog food wrapper on the driveway.

So now the camper is on a dolly inside the garage. Does anyone else have problems with raccoon or worse yet bear breaking into their camper while parked at home?

I live in the city with a larger yard. People feed cats and dogs outside and even feed feral cats and the cute little wild animals. As a result, skunks, raccoons, opossums, and feral cats have bred like crazy.

This season alone I have trapped 9 skunks, 2 raccoons, 4 opossums, and 4 feral cats. Wild animals go after the easiest dinner they can get. With the claws they have, they can easily rip away objects to gain entry.

Until people stop making the pickens so easy to get, the populations will not subside.

End of rant.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

No raccoons or bears yet, Lighthawk, but twice I have had mice find there way into my All Terrain Camper and start making nests under the seat.

 

[MarkBC]

We've got a raccoon problem. Damn thing was in our living room tonight.
It's the cat door and food by the fireplace that's the draw.

I occasionally have this problem. A magnetically-locking cat door -- requiring a magnet hanging from your cat's collar to enter from the outside -- helps.
Raccoons are very clever, and the smartest ones can figure out how to defeat the magnetic latch -- by pulling out on the door instead of pushing in. I've seen a mother raccoon teaching her kits how to do this trick on my cat door.
But not all raccoons are at the top of the class, and the less-intelligent can't learn this trick, and even the smart ones have to work at it a while to be able to get a claw under the flap to pull out on it.

So, overall, it's effective enough that I added a magnetically-locking cat door a couple of years ago, and fortunately the current neighborhood 'coons are not smart enough to figure it out.
(so they attack and empty the bird feeder...unless I detach the feeder and bring it indoors at night

)

 

[leadsled9]

I haven't had any critters get into my camper, but on a couple of long trips (vehicle not moving for long periods of time) I have had problems with critters attacking my vehicle.

Once, a packrat built a nest in the engine compartment of my Tundra....chewing up the surrounding wires in the process.

A couple of years ago the same thing was happinging to my Ford (see pic) with the critter chewing up engine insulation to build his nest.

Bottom line I now place a trap on top of each tire during long stays. I've killed some critters that way but have a very clear concience over the matter. No problems now.

 

[Hittheroad]

Traps are a good way to lower the population over a period of weeks. But you will end up with a lot of raccoon meat.
If you screw covers over the turnbuckle panels be sure to hide the screw drivers.
Best not to leave food in camper or anywhere you don't want animals.
If you must (like when you are camping) we leave an open tray of ammonia in the sink. I have no idea if it works but we have not had any bears in the camper (yet).

 

[takesiteasy]

Once, a packrat built a nest in the engine compartment of my Tundra....chewing up the surrounding wires in the process.

I had this happen to my Tacoma twice in California. $500 damage to the wiring. Nice nest from the firewall insulation on the battery and all the wiring and the battery case chewed up. Got it fixed and it happened again within a week. I learned that the newer trucks use soy-based plastic and insulation and the critters love it. People have been trying to get the manufacturers to change the material but so far no luck. I guess they would rather let the insurance companies and truck owners deal with it. very frustrating. Thankfully, we don't seem to have the problem in Minnesota- no pack rats I guess.

What kind of traps do you use? Have you put them in the engine compartment too or just on the tires? That sounds like a good solution.

x2 on the comments about smart raccoons. They are resourceful. We live in the city and they are everywhere. So far they have not decided to come through our dog door. It's that smart thing again, haha.

 

[leadsled9]

What kind of traps do you use? Have you put them in the engine compartment too or just on the tires? That sounds like a good solution.


I use large rat traps. They work great. I put one on top of each tire and several more in the engine conpartment. On my last trip to Colorado (6 weeks), I sucessfully thwarted 5 attempted assaults into my engine compartment. There are obviously plenty of the critters in Colorado.....although there are 5 fewer now.

 

[Lighthawk]

If you screw covers over the turnbuckle panels be sure to hide the screw drivers.



If you must (like when you are camping) we leave an open tray of ammonia in the sink. I have no idea if it works but we have not had any bears in the camper (yet).


I have learned to leave a small bottle of ammonia uncapped in my vehicles when I leave them at trailheads, popular with the ursine crowd. So far, so good.

 

[Desert Rancher]

I have learned to use a small cheap solar light. This works well!

Prop the hood open a few inches and set the light between the hood and the fender. It lights up the engine compartment and keeps the varmits away all night long. They do not like the light. Works great with mice/rats.

Now, I have an issue with "the rats with wings". They sit in the tree and crap all over the truck. I have a gun or three, but looking for a bait solution first, sort of a deterrent - to be polite.

Any ideas??!!

~DR

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I have learned to leave a small bottle of ammonia uncapped in my vehicles when I leave them at trailheads, popular with the ursine crowd. So far, so good.

The ammonia thing works for me here at the house.I even dump some down the gofer holes and it seems to divert them some place else.Spray some around your camper and see what happens.All you are out is a couple bucks for the ammoina.
Frank

 

[MarkBC]

In May of last year I was camped in the Cedar Mesa Campground in Capitol Reef N.P. The left rear turnbuckle-access slider was slightly ajar as I sat in the camper at night, reading.
A small rodent let itself in via that open slider and looked around.
I asked him to leave, and he did.
I closed the slider.
A little later I heard the rodent knocking on the slider, wanting in.
I ignored him, and he apparently got the message and went away.

 

[K6ON]

After having rodents entering my camper when the turnbuckle doors were open to allow airflow, I came up with the following. A second door with a screen. A scrap piece of paneling, a 4"hole saw, some scrap aluminum screen, Scotch 77 spray adhesive, and tape did the trick. While it won't keep a raccoon out, it sure works with small rodents.