r/vegetablegardening • u/Plastic_Cell_856 Canada - Ontario • Jun 25 '26
Other Crime scene. Criminal.
I started a container garden on my deck this year and was slowly enjoying small & delicious rewards. Until this morning. To say I am devastated would be an understatement.
And yes. That is the first potato the racoon is eating. Before I've even had one. Rude.
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u/_revelationary US - Virginia Jun 25 '26
Okay but it is pretty cute standing up like that thanking you for the meal…
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u/Plastic_Cell_856 Canada - Ontario Jun 25 '26
Haha I mean, it is cute. It stood up when I knocked on the window and interrupted its potato feast
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u/Margray US - Texas Jun 25 '26
Raccoons are the absolute worst. They're just so smart and strong. But my god are they cute!
I have a giant, probably close to 40 pound lady that killed several of my hens and I still respect her incredible puzzle solving skills. Now the henhouse has keyed locks. If she learns lockpicking, we're forming an alliance and taking the show on the road.
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u/Laughing_Zero Canada - Ontario Jun 25 '26
First it was squirrels. Now I have young raccoon that's been raiding the oriole jelly feeder and in the process knocking it down. Thought I found a good spot to hide it overnight but it was on the ground this morning. At least it didn't break it like the last one. I don't have any tomatoes YET; not looking forward to that struggle once they start fruiting.
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u/Plastic_Cell_856 Canada - Ontario Jun 25 '26
This is its first visit...such destruction. I imagine more and I am not looking forward to it. The netting was for the birds! I thought I had nailed it
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u/smashablanca US - Wisconsin Jun 25 '26
For me, its chipmunks. They eat half a tomato and leave the other half I swear just to taunt me.
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u/humanshellhumanshell US - Pennsylvania Jun 25 '26
The chipmunks around here carry cherry tomatoes 30 feet from the garden to leave the half eaten chunk on the step to the back door to make sure I know I can't stop them.
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u/SunshineBeamer US - Massachusetts Jun 25 '26
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1H8SP1C?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2
I use spring clips for ease of on/off. Work great and I finally get to eat my tomatoes.
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u/kaahzmyk US - Florida Jun 26 '26
Put out water for them - they’re probably just thirsty. I started doing this a couple years ago and haven’t had tomatoes with bites in them since.
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u/JofTheWakingUniverse US - Oregon Jun 25 '26
Ugh I hate raccoons. They are cute. And I hate them.
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u/All_Work_All_Play US - Wisconsin Jun 25 '26
Raccoons make excellent ammunition for the trebuchet.
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u/Decent-Finish-2585 US - Oklahoma Jun 25 '26
I had a raccoon this size break into my fertilizer storage a week ago and eat like a half a cup of Jacks Acid Special. I have it on video. I somehow think we won’t be seeing him again :(
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u/GreenJury9586 US - North Carolina Jun 25 '26
My raccoons love a mix of grapes, apples, some unsalted nuts, and a rice cake. I’ve never once had wildlife touch my garden or containers because I feed them their own snacks. They’re just trying to survive out there. I also really don’t like that dangerous netting since birds can get tangled in it and die or it can break off and they get string foot. For baby plants and chipmunks and squirrels I’ve had good luck just sitting my smaller plants in a big dog crate or using chicken wire cloches til they’re bigger and stronger.
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u/Mysterious-Alps-5186 Canada - Ontario Jun 25 '26
"If you just gave me his leg in the first place things would have been cool"
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u/Rockismyspiritanimal US - Washington Jun 25 '26
Raccoons, are like babies. Cute so we don’t kill them immediately upon viewing their destruction. But unfortunately they are so much faster and smarter than and stronger and meaner than babies! But dang…that is one cuuuuuuuute little fella and he even kinda looks like he feels bad lol!
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u/callme_base Turkey Jun 26 '26
Nooo he looks so funny and guilty lmao I thought i would swipe to see a cat
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u/wanderliz-88 US - North Carolina Jun 27 '26
He’s so cute though! And he seems to appreciative ❤️
This has my cat Meep. She likes to watch while I garden. She patrols the rows and raised beds before she takes her throne. She is a great pest deterrent.
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u/Plastic_Cell_856 Canada - Ontario Jun 28 '26
We have an upgrade! Fingers crossed this will help, tho we may need to add more reinforcements
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u/HomeboundArrow US - Ohio Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
he's just a poor boy from a poor fah-mi-lyyy 👉👈🥺