This time I'm going to look for experience rather than call the city. A few years ago we had racoons on our deck so often, always muddy footprints. They are cute but kind of scary, I hated to go out on the deck at night. I called the city and they set up the cage traps with food...and we caught several of them,,,two in one night actually which was bad because they fought in the small cage, as it turns out I didn't know that but my next door neighbor told me because her bedroom window is on that side of her house, she was quite angry at the noise. One night we caught a possum . Eventually I had them take the cage away, as long as we had it there we were bating the coons and bringing them to our yard. AND eventually I learned that one of the reasons they were there is because I used to keep a filled sprinkling can on my deck..so I could water my tons of flowers first thing in the morning before work. I was told a coon won't eat unless there is water close by and I was providing constant water. I quit that. We have had no problems the past few years. I live in a cluster home developement but I have a farm behind me so God only knows what goes on there.
Right now as I write...Bubblegum is keeping watch at my patio door,,,every 2 minutes she starts barking. Why?? Well when we got up this morning I noticed the can that collects grease from my grill is on the deck. Haven't used the grill for at least 8 months....so don't have a clue whats in it. But I knew it was probably a coon. Went about my way, fed Bubby and took her out. When I came in I was walking in my living room and sure enough,,the coon was up on my deck walking to the can. I knocked at the window and he flew back off. Every couple of minutes he comes back up and Bubby in inside waiting by the door barking at him. Good thing its not warm enough just for the screen door to be open because I'm sure Bubby would be out there. BUT it appears the coon is running under the deck.
Does anyone have an idea what I can do? That year I had trouble I put moth balls under the deck..but really couldn't get many there because the wood is so close I can't fit them in there. I know we have trouble with coons in our city...talking to the animal warden last year. He said some people have taken the cover off their grill to find a coon sleeping under it. I would just like to encourage them to NOT live under mine. Hoping for past experience~!