# Racoons getting into the food box



## daperlman

Anyone have a good way to discourage racoons from stealing my colonys' food?

Lately I found the box turned upside down... and a few surpirse gifts left behind ... if ya know what I mean. They are not very nice guests.

I have one of those closed box feeders from caters pets... but I think they figured out how to stick their heads in the flap (as the cats do).


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## Carmel

Nothing I'm aware of... raccoons are crafty lil guys. The only suggestion I have is to leave the food out during the day and pick it up at night if it's a real issue, but the cats may not get fed then either since they are nocturnal too.


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## Greenport ferals

I'm having trouble cutting and pasting on this computer, but google the words 'Raccoons can't jump.' 
Bingo. I have a version of this, complete with a jumping-up box and the flashing.


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## daperlman

thanks Greenport Ferals
Turns out it is not Racoons... 
Kind of a relief but yikes https://www.dropcam.com/c/a2a341b862754bdc9938ea1f36a45db6.mp4


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## Greenport ferals

Ha ha, that was hilarious!
Chomp, chomp, chomp. 
I actually like possums, and that is a well-fed one. 
Cute little guy, looked right at home.

I use a night vision camera also in my feral barn to keep track of the cats.


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## Kneazles

Not the point of the thread but the footage on that little cam i amazingly clear. I'm impressed!

Better opossum than a raccoon. We have had trouble with raccoons coming into our house through the cats doors (they have to go through the one onto the porch and then the one into the house) and eating the cat food in the kitchen!


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## daperlman

That is a dropcam on low resolution ... Through a window.
I left bowls out on purpose after seeing what I thought was a possum on building surveillance. Did not know possums drank milk. 
Oddly there is one food box that he hasn't figured out.


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## spirite

Hm, I can't play the video. ?

Yuck, I don't like opossum. Their tails freak me out.

But I have twice caught one, actually slightly cute - I think the same one, looked young and didn't have the nasty-looking tail - eating the cat food on the screened porch. I cut a flap in the screen door so my stray can go in and out - unfortunately so can the opossum. The first time, with a little encouragement (noise), he scurried back out. But the second time, I think he couldn't remember the way out, went to hide in a corner. He made a hissing face at me, baring his teeth, though no sound came out (that I could hear, anyway). I got the broom and sort of gently swept him towards the flap. 

Would putting the food up somewhere guard against opossums too? 

Kneazles, OMG! The raccoons I've run into have been very bold and stared me down but I've never had one inside!


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## 10cats2dogs

Opossum tidbits: An adult has 50 teeth and can bite through a broom stick handle! They do not always play 'dead', also carry diseases and create stinky mess's!


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## spirite

FIFTY teeth?! Yikes. And disease...10cats, now I feel justified in finding them yucky. 

I don't know what they get their snouts into, but they also drink from the water bowl, and there's always a bunch of dirt at the bottom of the bowl. Blech.


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## 10cats2dogs

Spirite, 
I learned a lot about them when I was a teenager! 
My Dad had killed one...turned out it was a Mama...she had three babies and my Dad felt so bad about killing the mom that he couldn't end the babies lives, so I ended up taking care of them, till they were big enough to fend for themselves...
I had a crash course in opossum 101!


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## daperlman

turns out there were also raccoons. https://www.dropcam.com/c/21da7958e03049979ef640a8b8ab9177.mp4 I since moved the food box in the front (I never leave bowls like that... accept the night I set the camera) - and have not seen the intruders. I have another box at the side of my building ... that the raccoons either haven't found - or cannot figure out how to break into (hint - stick your head through the hole  )


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## Greenport ferals

They look fairly gangly and young. I like how the one ate with his hands. 

As you say, you can avoid the whole issue if your cats will come around and eat during the day. I feed my ferals first thing in the morning. Any raccoon who manages to thwart my security system after dark will be disapponted and go home hungry.


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## sweetcuddles

FYI daperlman: if you are within city limits, it is illegal to feed or leave food out for raccoons. I would bring those bowls in at night so the wildlife doesn't get into them, I would also bring in the boxes at night as well.


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## spirite

Aw, the video won't play for me. 

Where I used to live, I'd sometimes find a raccoon, sometimes an opossum, eating the food. I have a question about the critters and kitties, but I'll start a new thread.


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## daperlman

sweetcuddles said:


> FYI daperlman: if you are within city limits, it is illegal to feed or leave food out for raccoons. I would bring those bowls in at night so the wildlife doesn't get into them, I would also bring in the boxes at night as well.


As I said... we left out only to see who is coming around. We were leaving dry food in the feeders though. What specifically are you referring when you mention it is illegal to leave food within city limits.There is a law that applies in every city in the US, or a federal law?


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## daperlman

Greenport ferals said:


> They look fairly gangly and young. I like how the one ate with his hands.
> 
> As you say, you can avoid the whole issue if your cats will come around and eat during the day. I feed my ferals first thing in the morning. Any raccoon who manages to thwart my security system after dark will be disapponted and go home hungry.


I feed them first thing in the AM.... but there are different cats with different schedules and there are times when people aren't there each morning. 

Of course without the box they got into or the bowls.. seems they dont bother to come around. Also they seem to be scared of the cats for now.


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## Kneazles

daperlman said:


> As I said... we left out only to see who is coming around. We were leaving dry food in the feeders though. What specifically are you referring when you mention it is illegal to leave food within city limits.There is a law that applies in every city in the US, or a federal law?


I would think you would have to check local ordinances. Here in Florida it is against the law to feed most wild animals. Tourists get in trouble a lot for this. Especially when they want to (for some bizarre reason) feed alligators.


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## Mitts & Tess

I really dont care what ordinance a city or federal is. We have a water tank out back of our house for the deer and other wild life to drink from. If any one questioned me Id tell them its for feral cats. They cant prove me wrong! No one has complained and everyone in the neighborhood love the deer so its a moot issue. Even the javelina drink from it!

Get your ferals on a feeding schedule. They will figure it out. Just feed them AM and PM and take it up in the evening. Have a feeding platform for the cats. One raccoon and possum cant get on. Feral are good jumpers.

Nice clear picture on your drop cam! Nicely done!


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## Mitts & Tess

I don't know the space or location you are feeding your ferals but here are a few set ups. We just have plain ole high platforms, like a high table.




























One this one just dont put steps. Cats can jump up to platform. Ive seen cats jump straight up on to 5' walls.


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## Kneazles

Mitts & Tess said:


> Have a feeding platform for the cats. One raccoon and possum cant get on. Feral are good jumpers.


The problem is, I am not sure what you could you build that a raccoon couldn't get into. I've seen them climb palm trees and jump high fences.


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## daperlman

@Mitt & Tess ... I have that on my list of projects to build... but you know that strangest thing. They (the Raccoons) will not put their head or hands through the hole on the feeder. So basically if they cannot remove the top... they leave it alone.
The new sheltered feeders here Ant-Free Outdoor Pet Feeders - Carter Pets snap on and seem to keep them from messing with it.

@Kneazles ... Have't the gator feeders heard about this:
*Study: Alligators Dangerous... 

*


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## Mitts & Tess

It's timing on feeding and how you build the platform so they can't crawl up. I like the metal shields on the one too.


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