The following may disturb the faint of heart STOP HERE.
Now as the rest have real life issues to solve,these solutions
are 100% time tested.The day you wake to decapitated birds
an Opossum is the culprit, Raccoons will remove the bird and
eat it near water if possible.They much like snakes, prefer to
eat eggs. Rats will take feed, peeps, eggs, even a small bird!
My first and most important threat are snakes. All eat mice,
peeps, eggs and here in FL 4 species can kill your child,hens
or you ! Unfortunately usually you only catch them in the act !
Never fear, Grannies "snake mace" (carb cleaner spray) sits
right on top of my nesting boxes well out of reach by little kids.
TIP if you install the red straw taped to the can it will stream
12'+ !! It will completely disable the snake till you can find a
rake or shovel to decapitate it (important) if you do not kill it
even though it's blinded and writhing from "liquid fire" it can
still strike ! NOTE do not get any where nests or feed are!!
Nocturnal predators; the next night after the carnage above
9/10 times the offending critter will return for a free meal as
they perceive it.
Grannies never-fail trick;
all 3 scavengers listed share an irresistible sweet tooth !
Take an intact trash can or barrel that
will hold water(important) ,place it as close to the scene of
the crime as you can. Next fill it half way up with water, at
least 22 inches deep. Find a small soup can, drill or poke 2
holes at the very top exactly opposite one another. Take a
piece of baling wire (I prefer aluminum fencing type) wrap
in the center to form a loop big enough to slide a 2 inch
branch at least a foot longer than the barrel is wide.1x2 is
the best, slide wire to the center thread the ends in the can
so it hangs about 8" below the board. Fill the can with pnut
butter and a ring ding. The offender smelling the bait will try
to reach down after "walking the plank" fall in almost always
drown ! In 50 years I've seen this work 99/100 times, even 2
Foxes and a weasel got out-foxed!! They didn't drown but it
got them anyway. TIP; may have to lay a 2"x6" ramp as they
will be cautious and not jump. If 1st nite fails switch bait. I know
this method is not PC.Think of it as a tidy, ez clean up rat trap!!
To you trap and release folks, if you don't go at least 40 miles
Raccoons will eventually find their way back or worse decimate
somebody Else's food supply. The best thing about this method
for me is I don't care for blood except for culling time then at the
very least my freezer gets full. Most people who use live traps
have to dispatch the thing or waste tax dollars to call the city.
NOTE; IF YOU EVER SEE ONE IN DAYTIME BEWARE ! That
is often a rabid animal. Good luck. RR
Now as the rest have real life issues to solve,these solutions
are 100% time tested.The day you wake to decapitated birds
an Opossum is the culprit, Raccoons will remove the bird and
eat it near water if possible.They much like snakes, prefer to
eat eggs. Rats will take feed, peeps, eggs, even a small bird!
My first and most important threat are snakes. All eat mice,
peeps, eggs and here in FL 4 species can kill your child,hens
or you ! Unfortunately usually you only catch them in the act !
Never fear, Grannies "snake mace" (carb cleaner spray) sits
right on top of my nesting boxes well out of reach by little kids.
TIP if you install the red straw taped to the can it will stream
12'+ !! It will completely disable the snake till you can find a
rake or shovel to decapitate it (important) if you do not kill it
even though it's blinded and writhing from "liquid fire" it can
still strike ! NOTE do not get any where nests or feed are!!
Nocturnal predators; the next night after the carnage above
9/10 times the offending critter will return for a free meal as
they perceive it.
Grannies never-fail trick;
all 3 scavengers listed share an irresistible sweet tooth !
Take an intact trash can or barrel that
will hold water(important) ,place it as close to the scene of
the crime as you can. Next fill it half way up with water, at
least 22 inches deep. Find a small soup can, drill or poke 2
holes at the very top exactly opposite one another. Take a
piece of baling wire (I prefer aluminum fencing type) wrap
in the center to form a loop big enough to slide a 2 inch
branch at least a foot longer than the barrel is wide.1x2 is
the best, slide wire to the center thread the ends in the can
so it hangs about 8" below the board. Fill the can with pnut
butter and a ring ding. The offender smelling the bait will try
to reach down after "walking the plank" fall in almost always
drown ! In 50 years I've seen this work 99/100 times, even 2
Foxes and a weasel got out-foxed!! They didn't drown but it
got them anyway. TIP; may have to lay a 2"x6" ramp as they
will be cautious and not jump. If 1st nite fails switch bait. I know
this method is not PC.Think of it as a tidy, ez clean up rat trap!!
To you trap and release folks, if you don't go at least 40 miles
Raccoons will eventually find their way back or worse decimate
somebody Else's food supply. The best thing about this method
for me is I don't care for blood except for culling time then at the
very least my freezer gets full. Most people who use live traps
have to dispatch the thing or waste tax dollars to call the city.
NOTE; IF YOU EVER SEE ONE IN DAYTIME BEWARE ! That
is often a rabid animal. Good luck. RR
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