ugh .... pests taking over the yard ... v. raccoons and possums

[KennyRE317]

so far i've been pretty lucky in that i haven't encountered gophers which are all over the neighborhood but i'm getting other animals throughout the back corner of my yard. a couple of weeks ago i saw small areas where the mulch was disturbed and saw small patches of grass on an adjacent area missing. there's a neighbors dog that runs around sometimes and i thought it was the dog since i never close one of the side gates that lead into the yard so i never thought much of it. i just checked on the area today since we got a little rain and wanted to see how everything was doing and there was alot of disturbed soil/mulch especially around the roots of my palms. the soil around a larger Dypsis pembana and Beccariophoenix alfredii were exposed to show about 3" or roots all within close proximity of the trunk region. i'm pretty sure it's not gophers as it looks like there's more disturbance up top than below and all the roots are intact so i'm guessing it's raccoons or possums looking for grubs and worms around the drip zone.

is there anything i can do to deter them from digging around my palms without using traps? even if i trapped them i wouldn't know what to do with them.

[MattyB]

Could be skunks. Skunks are carnivores who like worms and grubs as well. Get a havahart trap and throw some dog or cat food in there and you'll catch the offending animal. Throw a towel over the trap and take him to a local canyon and let him go.

[Kim]

Could also be skunks. I have had these critters (whichever they are) absolutely thrash the bromeliads in my front garden, leaving pieces all over the place, but they have not disturbed the few palms. They are looking for slugs or grubs to eat, not so much the plants themselves. I thought of putting in a motion sensor sprinkler or lights, but haven't done it. Maybe rocks around the base of your palms would discourage them from disturbing the roots?

[Pando]

Sprinkle some hot Capsicum pepper powder around the palms.

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Animal-Pests-With-Hot-Pepper-Spray

Edited March 3, 2015 by Pando

[Matt in OC]

I've had similar problems. Last fall I was losing a lot of grass that was getting trashed, pooped on, etc. and I thought it was raccoons. They haven't been back, but I've had problems near my palms with holes from the surface, like you noted, in the past few weeks. I thought it might be squirrels as we get a lot from some overgrown neighbor's trees, but I'm not sure. Haven't smelled any skunk spray. It seems to happen at night or very early in the morning though.

I like the trap idea. I'd been using critter ridder and sprinkling some up on my perimeter wall which seems to help for a while, but I should probably redo since the rains. I was reading that blood meal might help too and is really good for the palms.

[DoomsDave]

Kenny:

Skunks can be brazen expletives.

One took up residence in my house for a while, before I trapped it and let it go near Howard's appliances . . .

You can put a heavy duty plastic bag around the trap in case they spray. Get a larger size trap; if you don't they stop the gate with their tails and get back out again, to come back for more food.

They LOVE dry cat foot.

Raccoons can also tear up the ground in search of worms, etc., though skunks are worse. Raccoons are bigger, tougher and nastier. Be very VERY careful if you have raccoons.

[KennyRE317]

I've had similar problems. Last fall I was losing a lot of grass that was getting trashed, pooped on, etc. and I thought it was raccoons. They haven't been back, but I've had problems near my palms with holes from the surface, like you noted, in the past few weeks. I thought it might be squirrels as we get a lot from some overgrown neighbor's trees, but I'm not sure. Haven't smelled any skunk spray. It seems to happen at night or very early in the morning though.

I like the trap idea. I'd been using critter ridder and sprinkling some up on my perimeter wall which seems to help for a while, but I should probably redo since the rains. I was reading that blood meal might help too and is really good for the palms.

i can only recall once smelling skunk spray but then again during the nights our windows are usually shut. I do see alot of raccoons and possums so those were the first things that come to mind. thanks for the suggestions, i'll try the chili water thing in a couple of days when i get some time. there were holes all over the place and i was really hoping it wasn't gophers and once i saw that all the roots were intact i felt alot more relived, it's just unsightly but luckily it's in the back corner where it's not complete so it's not too bad of an eye sore

[MattyB]

It's not gophers. Gophers will make mounds

[KennyRE317]

It's not gophers. Gophers will make mounds

that was the first thing i noticed was there were no mounds but dirt and mulch pushed all around the dig zones. just got back in from walking around outside and there was a bit more dirt movement mostly around the Beccariophoenix alfredii, must have been all the new bagged dirt that i had put around the B.alfredii when it was first planted and has probably started attracting alot of worms. i gave it a good watering and going to take all the rocks i can find around my garden and place it around the B.alfredii

[grant b.]

I have a trap you are welcome to borrow if youd like to go that route Kenny. you may also want to try placing a pie tin or small tupperware full of ammonia near the entrances to your yard, or on the wall if you think critters are climbing over. an animal control officer gave me that trick and its worked in my yard the few times I had skunks or raccoons.

[Pando]

If possible, install an infrared camera to see what you're dealing with.

[gvidal14]

I deal with racoons. They cruise and dig for worms as well.