RE: Garden Updated -- The Raccoons Develop A Taste For Watermelon
That is an extremely impressive haul of cukes. Following you to see more so keep the garden content coming.
The chicken wire around the melons is a good idea but I can almost guarantee it is not going to work as a deterrent. Raccoons are very curious, and right now there is a lot of food in the summer so they are not particularly hungry. But when they see an object in something else they will work that object until they get the object out even if they don't want the object. For example, when catching raccoons, a lot of people put the bait inside a PVC pipe and spray paint the pipe to get their attention. That has a much higher chance of attracting a well-feed coon than just putting the bait on the ground. Report back and see how it works---I hope I am wrong.
They have yet to get another watermelon. Did manage to chew one off the vine though. I turned the cages vertical and put the rods through at an angle so they can't be lifted up. Also dumped half an industrial bottle of hot pepper flakes around the watermelon plants.
I don't plan on catching them. I've only ever caught 1 and that was by accident. If you get rid of one another moves right in so it's frivolous to try.