I found some raccoon repellent — Shake-Away — at Sky Nursery and applied it this afternoon. A liberal shaking around the commonly used pathways by these attractive nuisances, and we awaited the results.
Well, one thing I know, squirrels don’t much care for the smell, nor do rats. A squirrel attacked the bird feeder by jumping from a nearby tree, rather than shinny up the pole. He was joined by a rat, in a move I had not seen before. I knew they were about, but in broad daylight? Yuck.
A raccoon did show up. He managed to walk along and inspect just about every place I dropped the “repellent.” Lots of sniffing . . . no panic or undue concern.
I suppose it could be the kind of thing that needs to be evaluated: it’s not like a live coyote stepped in front of him, just an indicator of one’s presence. Perhaps the word will get around. Perhaps I need to upgrade to cougar scat . . .
Results may well vary.