My tomato cage
We have a problem. Maybe you have this problem too. In the last 8 years, we’ve caught over 72 raccoons, 36 possums, a skunk, a feral cat and our two housecats in a Have-A-Heart trap.
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Ken and I name all the captives. We started with random names, went through the Presidents, various famous women, Indy 500 race car drivers, and Chicago Bears players. All trapped varmints went into our “witness protection program.” However, none wore concrete boots: none were harmed.
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Most frustrating has been my attempt at a garden in this sea of wildlife. I tried having potted cherry tomatoes on the porch. The day before I was ready to harvest the one or two tomatoes that ripened, some little raccoon bugger snatched them off the plant. Sometimes the plant was dug up or broken. Some ‘Fall Harvest Festival,’ huh?
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Ken finally made an enclosed frame which friends affectionately call the tomato prison. I can grow lettuce and herbs in there, but the tomatoes don’t like it. They never ripen. Not enough sun I suspect.
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The raccoons kept getting into the composter too. Ken was convinced that I wasn’t tightening down the lid and that’s why the raccoon circus was tossing the lid off to feast and scatter.
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This led to us having one of those uncomfortable conversations that contained phrases like, “I did too!” and “You couldn’t have.” Finally, in a snarky kind of way, I told him to go out there and have at the tightening of the composter lid and we’d just see what happened. This he did.
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The next morning, the lid was off the composter and a raccoon banquet had clearly taken place. Ken was astounded. I felt vindicated. We both laughed. I bet a gaze of raccoons (that’s what they call a bunch of raccoons) got on the composter top and turned the lid like synchronized rowers. Alpha raccoon calling out, “And turn. And turn. And turn. Put some muscle into it. I smell watermelon!”
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Our solution is a bungee cord which has been slightly chewed on but is holding firm. At my request, Ken gated our steps which has cut down on porch invasions. To date we’ve only had two raccoons digging in my houseplants. I call that a win.
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