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The Scarecrow Motion-Detecting sprinkler senses the presence of intruding animals and surprises them with a blast of water.
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Although raccoons are clean animals, they frequently disturb both water gardens and vegetable gardens. Jeff Cox, host of Grow It!, shares several tips for keeping raccoons and other pests out of the garden. Water Gardens Place a small electric wire, connected to a battery, around the garden to give raccoons a mild but frightening electric shock. Mark the wire with Mylar, red fabric strips or ribbon so people don't trip over it. Install a motion-sensitive device near the garden, then connect it to a hose. When a raccoon passes in front of the device, it automatically sprays water to deter the pest. Vegetable Gardens To deter both raccoons and deer, build a fence with tall wood posts and plastic mesh. The mesh should be at least 7' high to prevent deer from leaping over the top. To prevent raccoons from climbing over the mesh, staple it tightly to the bottom of the posts but loosely at the top. When raccoons attempt to climb up, the loose mesh won't support their weight, and they'll be dropped back to the ground. Create a moat around the garden with heavy black plastic -- raccoons don't like the texture of plastic against their feet. The barrier must be at least 3' to 4' wide to prevent them raccoons from jumping over it. To further discourage critters from entering the garden, sprinkle the plastic with hydrated lime (used to mark the lines on football fields). Raccoons hate the taste of lime and will have to lick it off their feet to wash them. Find an old transistor radio that you can turn up loud and leave in the garden. Raccoons will avoid the loud music.
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