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How to Keep Raccoons Away From Plum Trees

Fruit trees such as a plum tree are an ideal addition to any garden or landscape. Unfortunately, they are ideal for several pests and critters, such as opossums, skunks and especially raccoons. Raccoons can be damaging to your plum tree, so it is important to keep them away. Remember basic things to keep raccoons away, such as tightly cover trash cans to reduce foraging and to clean up food from trees that has fallen to the ground. There are some key things to keep in mind when deterring raccoons, such as ammonia soaking to a high fence.

Soak an old towel in ammonia. Ball up the towel and place it at the base of the plum tree. You can also wrap it around the base of the tree. Raccoons detest the smell of ammonia, so this is a good start to keeping them away from your plum tree.

  • Fruit trees such as a plum tree are an ideal addition to any garden or landscape.
  • There are some key things to keep in mind when deterring raccoons, such as ammonia soaking to a high fence.

Us a pest repellent spray such as Capsaicin to discourage the raccoons.

Use fruit tree netting to protect individual plum trees or rows. These are very effective but take some time and preparation to secure. Make sure you fasten the netting to the trunk or the ground, so the raccoons cannot crawl underneath.

Use a fence if all else fails, right around the base of the trunk that's at least four feet high. Raccoons give up easily, so if there is an obstruction in their way to the plum tree they will most likely give up.

Raccoons Eating Oranges On Trees

Raccoons have dexterous front and back feet that allow them to climb trees and move or break through barriers. They can also peel the orange as a human would. Racoons tend to use the same spot night after night, so a pile of droppings is also evidence you have raccoons visiting your tree. Prevent the raccoons from climbing into the tree by trimming any limbs that are within 3 feet of a fence, roof or other surface where a raccoon could reach a limb. You can buy metal tree guards at garden centers. Raccoons are not easily scared away, but they don’t like bright lights at night and don’t like being sprayed with water. Set up motion lights and point them toward your orange tree so they are triggered by climbing raccoons. The bright light flickering on and off should disturb them enough to make them move on. Pick up fallen oranges off the ground every evening.

  • Us a pest repellent spray such as Capsaicin to discourage the raccoons.
  • Make sure you fasten the netting to the trunk or the ground, so the raccoons cannot crawl underneath.

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