Raccoons cannot be destroyed. Your attempts will only make them stronger.

Yeah same..I thought the same thing...go Australia

I used the "shoot the bastards" option. I no longer have a problem.

ahha great post platypus. we used to feed them dinner scraps. it was kind of cool to watch at first. then more and more of the little bastards came and they would have huge fighting matches outside. its unbeliveable how loud they can screech.

I can tell the guys who suggest bungie cords have never dealt with a 'coon' before. Squirrels would figure that one out in a minute. 'Coons' in about a second!

They used to get in my trash cans all the time and I finally gave in and left the lid off so they could get at what they wanted and leave. I'd even leave the good stuff out so that they'd not tear up the trash bags. My plastic garbage cans have deep scars from them working on the lids.

As far as getting rid of them, my friend ended up getting live traps and hauling them out to the country. Or better yet, another area in town so that someone else could have some fun. I think animal control would come pick them up and take care of it if you had them in the trap.

Good luck.

Oh, and to add a story... Friend of mine used the "shoot the bastards" option. He shot in the air to scare one that had climbed onto the bird feeder and the thing dropped to the ground dead. Only thing he could figure is that the thing had a heart attack and died on the spot. He said the thing was huge so maybe it was too overweight or very old.

So, I could choose the scare the bastards option.

I had one under my house one day,l called animal control and they told me that they do not like mothballs. To get some old panty hose and put some mothballs in them, and leave these scattered around where they like to enter under the house. But I tried a different way. Shoved a light under the house (500 Watt Light) and turned on the Portable Radio full blast with some Metallica (even the military is using it now) the bastard couldn't sleep and left a couple of hours later. I then sealed up all entrances to under the house with metal screen. Anyway you should try the moth ball thing and hang the little panty hose balls from your garbage cans.

You can get animal repellent that is used to keep dogs and cats out of gardens and off of furniture. You can find it at any petstore apply it around the can and on the can and lid if it is going to work it will work the very first time and they will not return and it will also keep the neighborhood dogs and cats away.

considering Racoons are considered a type of rodent, I think perhaps some nice juicy garbage laced with a healthy dose of rat poisoning would do the trick rather nicely.